LOS ANGELES — San Diego volleyball (2-4, 0-0 WCC) on Friday evening completed its strongest performance of the 2023 season to date, dominating Marist (2-6, 0-0 MAAC) from start to finish at Galen Center as it kicked off the Trojan Invitational with a 3-0 sweep.

The Toreros beat the Red Foxes by a remarkable 25-7 margin in the first set, prevailed by a 25-9 margin in the second, and secured their first straight-set victory of the year with a 25-12 decision in the third.

Led by 11 kills from both Amber Stivrins (.500) and Leyla Blackwell (.444), San Diego out-hit Marist .377 to .-176 and out-aced the Red Foxes by a 10-1 margin as it secured its second consecutive win.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set - San Diego, 25-7

• San Diego wasted no time in asserting its dominance on Friday evening, beginning the match with a stirring 10-1 run.
• The USD lead stretched to 10 at 12-2 on a kill from Haylee Stoner, then expanded to 14 when setter Isadora Tercariol notched a kill of her own to make it 20-6.
• A block assist from Blackwell and Kylie Pries moved the frame to set point, then Stivrins found her mark with a service ace to earn her team a decisive 25-7 victory in set one.

Second Set - San Diego, 25-9

• The second set began with back-and-forth play before Stivrins punctuated a 6-0 USD run with another service ace, putting the Toreros ahead 8-2.
• Back-to-back service aces from Pries established San Diego's second 10-point advantage of the match, this time at 16-6.
• Stivrins hammered a kill late in the set to push the lead to 20-9 in the Toreros' favor, then a combo block from Blackwell and Annika Hester sealed a 25-9 USD win in the second set, giving it a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

Third Set - San Diego, 25-12

• Marist began the third set by taking its first lead of the match (a 4-1 advantage), but back-to-back service aces from Madi Allen put USD back in front by a 5-4 margin, and it didn't trail again.
• The Red Foxes hung tough and kept things close through the frame's middle stages before Stivrins secured yet another service ace to make it 18-12 in San Diego's favor.
• USD then closed out the match the same way it started it, ripping off a thrilling 9-0 run to prevail 25-12 in the third set and 3-0 in the match.

TORERO TIDBITS

• Stivrins and Blackwell paced the match with 11 kills apiece, hitting .500 and .444, respectively.
• Stivrins recorded a season-high five service aces on Friday, which marks the most that any USD player has had in a single match so far in 2023. She also added six digs.
• Pries and Allen followed with two service aces apiece.
• After recording a season-high 11 service aces as a team against Boston College last Saturday, Friday night against Marist marked the second consecutive match in which two or more Toreros racked up multiple service aces.
• Tercariol led USD in assists for the third consecutive match, notching 25 of them.
• Allen tallied a match-high 11 digs.

UP NEXT
The Toreros will continue play in the Trojan Invitational tomorrow afternoon when they take on UC Davis. First serve at the Galen Center is set for 3:30 p.m.