UC San Diego beat UC Irvine 3-1 in a tightly contested rematch, winning all three sets by two points. Molly McCluskey powered the Tritons with a season-high 24 kills as UC San Diego improved to 6-4 in Big West play and split the season series with the Anteaters.

By the Numbers
  • Set scores: 25-23, 29-27, 21-25, 25-23.
  • UC San Diego: 58 kills, .167 hitting percentage; UC Irvine: 57 kills, .122 hitting percentage.
  • McCluskey: 24 kills, 26.5 points and 11 digs.
  • Records: UC San Diego 10-11 overall, 6-4 Big West; UC Irvine 9-12 overall, 7-3 Big West.
Yes, But

The win came against a UC Irvine team still ahead of the Tritons in the conference standings, and UC San Diego dropped the third set after falling behind by nine points. The match also underscored how narrow the margin was: each Triton set win came down to the final points.

What's Next

The Tritons return home to host UC Santa Barbara on Oct. 30 and Big West leader Cal Poly on Oct. 31. Both matches will be available on ESPN+.

Bottom Line

McCluskey’s season-best performance helped UC San Diego convert a series of close finishes into a road win—an important result as the Tritons head into a two-match home stand against conference opponents.