MPSF Volleyball Update, Jan. 21
Jan. 21, 2017 *Hawaii 3, UC IRVINE 1 (25-16, 25-23, 15-25, 25-23)
Recap by UH
IRVINE, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team salvaged a victory during its three-match Mountain Pacific Sports Federation road trip with a four-set win over No. 6 UC Irvine Saturday at the Brent Events Center. Set scores were 25-16, 25-23, 15-25, 25-23. The Rainbow Warriors (6-2, 1-2 MPSF) snapped a two-match losing streak with the win while picking up their first win in MPSF play and extending their win streak over the Anteaters to four straight. UH was led by opposite Stijn van Tilburg, who tallied 19 kills, hitting .485 with only three errors in 33 attempts. The sophomore recorded 12 of his kills through the first two sets and finished with five blocks. Outside hitter Kupono Fey added 10 kills, seven digs, and two aces while middle blockers Hendrik Mol and Patrick Gasman combined for 11 blocks. The Warriors finished the match with 13 blocks and seven aces, one day after failing to record one in either category against Long Beach State. UC Irvine (6-2, 3-2) was led by Thomas Hodges' match-high 21 kills on .444 hitting. UH used a 6-1 run capped by a pair of van Tilburg kills for a 16-10 lead in Set 1. Van Tilburg finished the set with five kills and three blocks as UH hit .455 and snapped a six-set losing streak. In Set 2, the Warriors fell behind 11-7 but rallied to close within one on six occasions. Each time the Anteaters sided-out until van Tilburg's ace knotted it up at 22-22. Following a UCI timeout, the teams traded points until Karl Apfelbach's hitting error and UH triple-blocked Tamir Hershko on set point. The Anteaters cruised to a 25-15 win in Set 3 but the Warriors answered back in Set 4, taking a three-point advantage at 16-13 following consecutive kills by Jennings Franciskovic and Brett Rosenmeier. UCI pulled to within 22-21 after stuffing van Tilburg but then two unforced errors – an attack error by Hodges and Matthew Younggren failed the clear the net on match point. UH returns to Honolulu next week for a two-match series against Grand View, Friday, Jan. 27 and Sunday, Jan, 29 at the Stan Sheriff Center.
UC San Diego 3, CONCORDIA 2 (19-25, 25-13, 21-25, 25-21, 15-11)
Recap by UCSD
IRVINE, Calif. - The University of California San Diego twice overturned a set deficit to outlast Concordia University Irvine, 3-2, in non-conference men's volleyball action at CU Arena on Saturday night. Set scores were 19-25, 25-13, 21-25, 25-21 and 15-11. UC San Diego's first win of the 2017 campaign moves it to 1-5 overall. The Tritons had rallied from 2-0 down to force a decisive fifth just 24 hours prior, even earning a match point before succumbing to No. 6 UC Irvine in La Jolla. Concordia, a fellow NCAA Division II program, which in fact was ranked No. 3 in this week's second installment of Off the Block's Division II national poll, falls to an even 6-6. It was just the fourth all-time meeting between the sides, with the series now even at 2-2, and third in Irvine. The Tritons won there in straight sets a season ago on March 10. They had lost 11 straight contests since that night. In the fifth, Concordia tallied four of the first five points around a Tanner Syftestad kill, including a couple of big blocks. Also surrendering the first score coming out of a timeout, the Tritons caught up at 6-6, and on a Syftestad kill, grabbed the 8-7 edge at the side change. An Eagle hitting error meant a timeout for the hosts at 9-7. UCSD was able to close it out from there on another Syftestad kill on match point. For the junior opposite and team tri-captain, it was a match-best 22 kills after collecting a career-high 23 to lead all players against UCI on Friday night. The opening set was tight early until the Eagles grabbed the first three-point advantage at 12-9. Down 15-11, the Tritons called the night's initial timeout. They then closed back to within one at 16-15, but had to take their second timeout when the home side grew its lead back to 21-17. CUI held on from there. A big combination block gave UCSD a 4-1 lead at the outset of game two, with a Xander Jimenez service ace making it 6-1 and forcing Concordia's first timeout of the evening. The bulge grew to 10-2 on a net ace by Drew Sloane. The Tritons kept the Eagles at a safe distance the rest of the way, finally reaching a double-digit advantage at 20-10 on a crosscourt kill by Syftestad. Ryan Blaich and Alec Flowers teamed up for a block and 23-11, with the match even moments later. Back-to-back Triton points cut an 8-4 deficit in half in the third set. CUI stayed ahead, however, and a big kill, followed by a block, necessitated UCSD's first timeout, trailing 18-13. A huge stuff block by Sloane and Syftestad pulled the Tritons to within just a pair at 20-18 as the Eagles called for time. That was as close as they could come, though, as the hosts saw out the frame to reclaim a 2-1 set advantage. Flowers' powerful spike down the middle made it a 7-4 scoreline in favor of the visitors in the fourth frame. Buoyed by two rousing blocks, the Eagles trimmed their margin down to a single point at 10-9 as UCSD head coach Kevin Ring called his first timeout of the game. Flowers then partnered with Syftestad on a block for a 14-11 lead, and at 15-11, it was Concordia asking for a breather. Another block put the Tritons firmly in command at 22-16. UCSD has just one match in the week ahead, remaining in non-conference play to welcome in Hope International University of Fullerton on Saturday, Jan. 28. First serve inside RIMAC Arena is set for 7 p.m.