ROCHESTER (2-8) – UC Santa Cruz finished their four-match trip to the Empire State as they won 3-0 over D'Youville College in the early match and won a wild 3-1 match over Nazareth College.

Match #1 – vs. D'Youville

In the first set, the Banana Slugs started on a 10-6 spurt capped by a Maxwell Mednick kill and would gain a double-digit lead, at 22-12, on an attack error by the Spartans before winning the first set 25-14. The Spartans would start set two on a 14-8 run before the Banana Slugs would go on a 14-7 run, capped by an assisted block by Tennessee Fulks and Kyle Lutz, to take the lead at 22-21. The Spartans would score the next three points to take a 24-22 lead before UCSC tied the set at 24-24. After the Spartans gained a 26-25 lead, the Banana Slugs scored the final three points of the set to win the second set 28-26 on  a block by Phillip Grote and Aaron Fox. The Spartans started the third set up 6-2 before the Banana Slugs would then go on a 16-7 spurt, capped by Grote's solo block, to take the lead for good at 18-13.  

Lutz led the Banana Slugs with ten kills. Fulks added eight kills with 16 assists. UCSC outhit the Spartans .272-.100.

Match #2 vs. Nazareth

The Golden Flyers started the first set on a 9-4 spurt. The Banana Slugs would answer with an 8-3 spurt to tie the set at 12-12. The Golden Flyers expanded their lead to five yet again, at 19-14 before the Banana Slugs would go on an 8-2 run, capped by a Rowdy Lennon kill, to take the lead at 22-21. The two teams traded points back and forth for the next thirteen serves before the Banana Slugs would score the final two points of the set with set point coming on an assisted block by Fulks and Lutz to win the first set 30-28 for a 1-0 lead in the match. 

In the second set, the Banana Slugs began on a 6-2 spurt. From that point, the Golden Flyers would go on an 11-4 run to take the lead at 13-10. After UCSC went on a 4-0 spurt to gain the lead at 14-13, the two teams would trade points, and the lead, for the next seventeen serves. The Banana Slugs scored the final three points of the set and won 25-22 for a 2-0 lead. 

In the third set, the two teams traded points for the first sixteen points before the Golden Flyers would gain the lead at 11-10. UCSC would outscore the Golden Flyers 5-3 over the next eight serves for a 15-14 lead. Nazareth  would score the next four points to take the lead for good at 18-15, winning the third set at 25-23. In the fourth set, the teams traded points for the first fourteen serves before the Golden Flyers took a 12-9 lead. The Banana Slugs responded with a 7-4 spurt, capped by a Mednick kill, to tie the set at 16-16 and took the lead for good, at 20-19, on an Anthony Sagely kill before winning the fourth set 25-21 and the match.

Phillip Grote had eleven kills to lead the Banana Slugs. Fulks added 10 plus seven digs, five total blocks and 20 assists. Sagely had five kills and was named to the All-Tournament team. After returning to California for the Alumni match next weekend, the next match for the Banana Slugs will be February 21st as they will take on Benedictine University (IL) in Chicago. .