The University of California, Merced men’s volleyball team won its first California Pacific Conference Tournament Championship in program history last Saturday, April 12, beating top-seeded and 12th-ranked Westcliff University 3-1 inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium in Merced.
UC Merced now earns an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships which will take place April 29-May 3 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Saturday marked the Bobcats ninth win all-time against a nationally-ranked opponent. The set scores were 27-25, 15-25, 25-23, 25-23.
Madera native and fifth-year Bobcat Jared Guglielmana scored championship point for the Bobcats, his most important of his team-high 11 kills. Guglielmana also had 11 digs for his second double-double of the season.
The Bobcats tallied 13 blocks to knock off Westcliff, the Bobcats second highest blocks output in the last two years.
• Kaleb Cole delivered 10 kills, six digs, and three blocks.
• Daniel Del Grande held match-high with eight blocks, one solo. He added seven kills.
• Jozef Lingenfelter finished with eight kills, 11 digs, and four blocks.
• Brennan Taylor contributed six kills and a season-high five blocks. Two of his five blocks were solo.
• Toby Miller dished out 35 assists to go along with six digs, three blocks, and two service aces.
• Sebas Moreno pitched in 11 digs and six assists, while Gannon Connors logged six digs.
The Bobcats overcame a 19-12 deficit to win the first set with the help of a 9-2 run. Also of note, the Bobcats didn’t lead in the first set until 25-24. Then ahead 26-25, Guglielmana scored set point with a kill to put the Bobcats up 1-0 in title match.
Westcliff rebounded in the second set hitting .310 while holding the Bobcats to -.029 on the way to a 25-15 win to pull even in the match. It was tied 6-6 before the Warriors pulled away.
UC Merced used a 6-1 run and a 4-0 spurt at timely points in the third set to regain control. The Bobcats latter run put them up 20-17. Shortly after tied 22-22, Lingenfelter delivered a kill and then Miller followed with an ace to put the Bobcats at set point. After a sideout, Guglielmana delivered another set point with a kill.
UC Merced’s win was its first in four tournament championship matches and its first win against Westcliff since 2022.
Up next, UC Merced will play in its first ever NAIA National Championship beginning with pool play April 29-May 1 at Alliant Energy Powerhouse in Cedar Rapids, IA.
CAREER NOTES
FROM SATURDAY:
• Moreno now owns the No. 3 spot in program history with 515 career digs, passing Matthew Pelfini.
• Taylor moved ahead of Emmanuel Egun for fifth in program history with 127 career blocks and for seventh with 31 solo blocks.
• Del Grande passed Matthew Lostetter and moved into a tie with Chris Morikawa for ninth all-time with 94 career blocks.
• Miller passed Ben Nilsen and Cole Smith for seventh in program history with 249 career sets played.