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Jonathan Bates | Associate Editor
For the first time since 2005, UC San Diego will play Penn State. Penn State and UC San Diego have played four matches in their all-time series, with each team winning two.
UC San Diego comes into the 2020 season with every starter returning except outside attacker Xander Jimenez, who graduated last June. Setter Blake Crisp and middle attacker Logan Clark made the Big West All-Freshman team last year.
Penn State lost three seniors (one starter) off last year’s squad, highlighted by outside attacker Matthew McLaren (2019 All-EIVA Second Team) who led the team with a 2.78 kills per game average. Outside attacker Henrik Falck Lauten was named 2019 EIVA Newcomer of the Year, while middle attacker Jason Donorovich was named the All-EIVA First Team.
Penn State finished third in the regular season EIVA standings, but took eventual EIVA champion, Princeton, to five games in the championship match at Dillon Gym.
The Tritons play five of the six teams that made it to the NCAA tournament last year. They also play three of the five teams that finished the season ranked the Off the Block Division II coaches poll.
In non-conference play, UC San Diego will play six matches against MPSF teams, five matches against MIVA teams, two matches against EIVA teams, two matches against Division III teams, and one against a NAIA team.
The 2020 campaign starts with a pair of home matches versus Loyola and Lewis on the second weekend of January, while their conference slate starts on the third weekend in February with a home-and-home with UC Irvine. UC San Diego has taken UC Irvine to five games in one match in each of the last four seasons.
2020 UC San Diego Schedule
Thursday, Jan. 9 vs. Loyola
Saturday, Jan. 11 vs. Lewis
Wednesday, Jan. 15 vs. Vassar
Friday, Jan. 17 vs. UCLA
Saturday Jan. 18 at Grand Canyon
Thursday, Jan. 23 at Lindenwood
Friday, Jan. 24 at Quincy
Saturday, Jan. 25 at McKendree
Tuesday, Jan. 28 vs. Princeton
Friday, Jan. 31 vs. Concordia-Irvine
Tuesday, Feb. 4 at Concordia-Irvine
Thursday, Feb. 6 vs. USC
Saturday, Feb. 8 vs. Vanguard
Friday, Feb. 15 at UC Irvine
Saturday, Feb. 16 vs. UC Irvine
Friday, Feb. 28 vs. UC Santa Cruz
Friday, March 6 at UC Santa Barbara
Saturday, March 7 at UCLA
Wednesday, March 11 vs. Penn State
Friday, March 27 at. Hawai’i
Saturday, March 28 at Hawai’i
Friday, April 3 at CSUN
Saturday, April 4 vs. CSUN
Friday, April 10 vs. Long Beach State
Saturday, April 11 at Long Beach State
Friday, April 17 vs. UC Santa Barbara
April 23-25 – Big West Tournament