In UCSD’s loss to UC Irvine, the Tritons were without their leading scorer Tanner Syftestad who also leads the nation in kills per set with 338 kills and 4.76 kills per set.
The school’s SID said that Syftestad is nursing an undisclosed injury and will miss the team’s rematch against UC Irvine tonight. The Tritons are hopeful that Syftestad will be healthy enough to return to the court for their two-match stint in Hawaii on March 30-31.
The 6’8″ senior opposite out of Sacramento, California, has posted double-digit kills in all but one match this season. Three times this season Syftestad has posted his season best of 27 kills. On top of his strong offense, Syftestad has also picked up 118 digs and has posted four double-doubles along with 55 total blocks on the year.
Syftestad’s success started early this year as he was named the season’s first AVCA Men’s Division I-II Player of the Year. The honor is just the fourth in UCSD’s history and came after the team’s 2-0 start to the season – their best since 1996.
So far this season, the Tritons have posted a 9-11 overall record and are now 0-3 in the Big West’s inaugural season. Their season will not get easier as they have another 7 matches guaranteed for the year and all are against nationally ranked teams, including #1 Long Beach State.
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