Thousand Oaks, Ca. - The UC Santa Cruz men's volleyball team increased their win streak to nine games with victories over Marian and North Park in Southern California at Cal Lutheran University. The Slugs took down Marian 26-24, 25-22, 25-22 while defeating North Park in four sets at 25-23, 19-25, 25-22, 25-12, increasing their overall record to 16-5 on the season.
UC Santa Cruz 3, Marian 0
The Banana Slugs opened the day with a clean 3-0 sweep over Marian University. Despite close scores in all three sets, UCSC efficiently secured the win in key moments.
Nico Espinoza led the offense with 15 kills on a .313 hitting percentage, while Riley Norman added 12 kills and eight digs. Kyle Ownbey was highly efficient, contributing seven kills with a .636 hitting percentage and no errors. Ethan Makishima made his presence felt at the net with five block assists and four kills. Setter Caio Valente controlled the offense with 35 assists and seven digs, while UCSC hit .220 as a team. The Slugs' defense held Marian to just a .149 hitting percentage, with Marcus Donchuanchom anchoring the back row with seven digs. UCSC's ability to capitalize on Marian's 20 attack errors proved to be the difference.
UC Santa Cruz 3, North Park 1
The day's second match saw UCSC claim a 3-1 victory over North Park. After taking the first set 25-23, the Slugs stumbled in the second, falling 25-19 as North Park posted a .333 hitting percentage. However, UCSC rebounded with a dominant third and fourth set to close the match.
Riley Norman delivered a standout performance with 19 kills on a .368 clip, adding six digs. Dylan Foreman added nine kills, while AJ Contreras contributed seven on a .294 hitting percentage. Nico Espinoza was once again a steady presence with seven kills on .545 hitting.
Caio Valente facilitated the attack with 44 assists and led the team with nine digs. Ethan Makishima added four service aces, while UCSC hit .323 as a team and limited North Park to just .187. The Slugs' 8 total blocks were key in slowing North Park's offense, especially in the final set, where UCSC held them to a negative hitting percentage.
Key Performers Across Both Matches
Kills: Riley Norman (31), Nico Espinoza (22), Dylan Foreman (13), AJ Contreras (10)
Hitting Percentage: Kyle Ownbey (.636), Nico Espinoza (.545), Riley Norman (.368)
Assists: Caio Valente (79 total)
Digs: Caio Valente (16), Marcus Donchuanchom (10), Riley Norman (14)
Blocks: Ethan Makishima (6), Dylan Foreman (4), Kyle Ownbey (3)
Aces: Ethan Makishima (6), Noy Fisher (3), Caio Valente (3)
Looking Ahead
UC Santa Cruz will look to carry this momentum into their next matchup against Illinois Institute of Technology on Saturday, March 15th at 2:00 PM PST.
