CSUN Opens Big West Play Against UC San Diego
LA JOLLA, Calif. – The No. 17 CSUN Matadors (10-4) begin their 2026 Big West Conference schedule with a road match against No. 11 UC San Diego (9-5) on Tuesday evening at LionTree Arena. The match is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. PT and will be streamed live on ESPN+ . Live stats will also be available at GoMatadors.com.
Match Details
- Match #15 (Big West #1)
- Teams: No. 17 CSUN Matadors vs. No. 11 UC San Diego Tritons
- Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2026
- Time: 7:00 p.m. PT
- Location: LionTree Arena – La Jolla, California
- Broadcast: ESPN+
- Live Stats: GoMatadors.com
- In-game X updates: @CSUNMensVB
CSUN in the AVCA Poll
CSUN remains ranked 17th in the latest AVCA Men’s Volleyball Poll for the fourth consecutive week. The Matadors earned 122 points this week after a sweep of Cal Lutheran. CSUN has been ranked in all nine polls of the 2026 season. The program has been consistently ranked, appearing in the top 20 for 44 consecutive polls and 54 of the last 57 AVCA national polls since the 2023 season. Previously, CSUN was ranked in the AVCA Top-15 for 62 consecutive weeks, dating back to 2002.
Scouting the Tritons
UC San Diego (9-5) opens Big West play against CSUN before traveling to UC Santa Barbara. The Tritons rank 10th nationally in assists per set (11.84), led by John Luers (8.86 aps) and Cameron Wurl (5.85 aps). Junior outside hitter Sebastiano Sani is third in the Big West in both kills per set (3.60) and points per set (4.27). Peter Selcho was recently named Big West Defensive Player of the Week after recording 17 blocks in a split against Vanguard.
All-Time Series
Tuesday’s match marks the 99th meeting between CSUN and UC San Diego. The Matadors lead the all-time series 83-15, with a record of 42-7 in La Jolla. CSUN won both regular season meetings last year, in five sets in Northridge and again in five sets in La Jolla.
Phillips Leads Big West in Kills
CSUN junior opposite Jalen Phillips leads the Big West with 3.86 kills per set, totaling 143 kills in 37 sets. He also leads the conference in points per set at 4.51 and is eighth in hitting percentage (.360). Phillips is ninth nationally in kills per set and 10th in points per set.
CSUN in Big West Openers
CSUN has a 20-27 record in Big West season openers. The Matadors lost their 2025 opener at home to Long Beach State. In 2023, CSUN snapped a four-match losing streak in Big West road openers with a four-set win at UC San Diego.
LionTree Arena
Tuesday’s match will be played at LionTree Arena, which seats over 3,500 spectators. The arena was renovated in 2018 and occasionally hosts NBA team visits.
Looking Ahead
Following the match at UC San Diego, CSUN will host Princeton on March 11, beginning a four-match homestand.