![\"Gonzaga\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1788069398_727_Gonzaga_Bulldogs_logo_updated.png\"){kind=logo}
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Next Match:<\/p>\n
vs. Gonzaga<\/p>\n
8\/30\/2026 | 2 PM<\/p>\n
\n Aug. 30 (Sun) \/ 2 PM
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\n vs.\u00a0Gonzaga
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History <\/a><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n BERKELEY, Calif.\u2014UC San Diego women’s volleyball fell to California, 3-1, on Saturday evening in UCU Pavilion. The Tritons (1-1) dropped their second match of the Gael Bear Classic to the Golden Bears (2-0) by set scores of 16-25, 25-18, 22-25, 17-25. UC San Diego recorded 51 kills and 52 digs in the match, while California tallied 55 kills and 7 service aces.
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\nMolly McCluskey<\/a> led UC San Diego with 13 kills and contributed 13 digs, amassing a total of 15 points with her second double-double in as many matches. Ireland McNees<\/a> added 11 kills and four assists, rounding out her performance with 11.5 points. Brynne McGhie<\/a> facilitated the offense with 29 assists and made a notable contribution on defense with seven digs. Yasemin Elmas<\/a> posted a .375 hitting percentage with three kills and also recorded two block assists. Paulina Baillie<\/a> added 12 digs and two aces.
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\nHOW IT HAPPENED
\nDespite an early tie at 2-2, the Golden Bears built a modest, 7-4, lead with a series of successful plays early in set one. Elmas and McCluskey contributed crucial kills to keep the Tritons competitive, narrowing the gap to 7-7 midway through the set.
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\nLucia Barroso’s<\/a> kill and Elmas’ block momentarily halted Cal’s momentum, but subsequent errors allowed Cal to extend its lead, 18-10. The Tritons continued to fight back with kills from Katelyn Hernandez<\/a> and Madison Johnson<\/a>, but Cal maintained control and secured the opening set, 25-16.
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\nThe Tritons gained momentum in the second set with a series of successful plays, starting with a decisive kill by McNees. Hernandez and McCluskey contributed with critical kills, helping the visitors to build a steady lead. They maintained pressure, capitalizing on Cal’s service errors and their own service aces, notably by Baillie and Lucia Barroso<\/a>, to extend their advantage, 12-10.
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\nBack-to-back kills by McCluskey gave the Tritons an 18-14 advantage. Despite Cal’s attempts to close the gap, the Tritons’ consistent scoring, including another key kill by Johnson, ensured their control of the set. McGhie added a service ace and the set concluded with the Tritons securing a 25-18 victory.
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\nAfter a back-and-forth exchange to begin set three, Cal built a 10-5 advantage early in the frame. The Tritons found momentum with a series of kills by Johnson and McCluskey, tying the score at 11-11. However, Cal responded with a crucial run, extending its lead to 21-17.
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\nThe Tritons rallied again with McCluskey and McNees contributing key kills, narrowing the gap to 23-21. Despite their efforts, the Tritons could not overcome Cal’s final push, with the Golden Bears ending the set 25-22.
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\nIn the fourth set, the Tritons found momentum early as McNees made a significant impact with kills to level the score at 2-2 and 4-4. UC San Diego kept things close before back-to-back aces helped Cal extend its lead 16-10.\u00a0
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\nBarroso and McCluskey managed to add valuable points for the Tritons, reducing the deficit to 21-16. However, consistent scoring from Cal sealed the set for the home team, 25-17.
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\nTRITON TIDBITS<\/p>\n
\n\tMolly McCluskey<\/a> recorded her second double-double of the season with 13 kills and 13 digs.
\n\tKaliya Ndiaye<\/a>, Kylie Parker<\/a> and Gia Rivera<\/a> all made their collegiate debut in the contest.
\n\tUC San Diego is 1-1 in four-set matches.
\n\tThe Tritons are now 1-2 in the all-time series with California.
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\nUP NEXT
\nUC San Diego will wrap up the opening weekend at the Gael Bear Classic, taking on Gonzaga on Sunday at 2 p.m. in a neutral match in Berkeley. The game will not be broadcast but live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com.
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\nAbout UC San Diego Athletics
\nAfter two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
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Next Match: vs. Gonzaga 8\/30\/2026 | 2 PM
Aug. 30 (Sun) \/ 2 PM
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