ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- UC San Diego (4-0) went on one modest run in each of the sets to build enough of a cushion to defeat the Navy (0-5) volleyball team, 25-18, 25-19, 25-18, Friday night at the Wesley A. Brown Field House in Annapolis.  The match was on day two of the four-day Kristen Dickmann Invitational.

Earlier in the day, Cornell recorded a 3-0 victory over Liberty.

Saturday's schedule includes UCSD playing Liberty at 3 p.m. and Navy playing host to Cornell at 7 p.m.

"We took some really positive steps forward in our passing game tonight," said Navy head coach Paco Labrador.  "San Diego made us work for every point and really played a clean match.  

"We are still looking for the right combination of players who can consistently deliver the skills and physicality we will need to have success in the Patriot League."

Set One
The largest lead for either team in just over the first half of the set was two points until UCSD took a 17-14 lead.  Navy quickly tied the score at 18-18, the seventh tie of the frame.  The Tritons answered by recording the next seven points to take the 1-0 lead.

UCSD held statistical leads of 14-10 in kills and .294-.086 in hitting percentage in the set.

Set Two
UCSD carried that momentum over into the start of the second set as it scored the first six points of the stanza.  Navy was able to whittle the deficit down to four points at both 8-4 and 23-19 before a service error by the Mids and a block by the Tritons ended the set.

Each team had 11 kills in the set, but the Tritons had just two attack errors to nine by Mids.

Set Three
Much like the opening set, what would prove to be the final set was close for a little more than half of play.  Neither team led by more than two points until UCSD used a 4-0 run to open up an 18-13 lead.

Navy had its best hitting performance of the match with 13 kills and a .286 hitting mark, but so too did UCSD with 16 kills and a .560 hitting percentage.

Inside the Numbers
The Tritons held a narrow lead of 41-34 in kills, but the Mids finished with 21 attack errors to surpass the 10 committed by the Tritons. That resulted in Navy finishing on the short end of a .373-.138 difference in hitting percentage.

Lilly Lutz posted eight kills for Navy while Paige Buzzerio and Ava Toppin each recorded seven kills.  Toppin shared the team lead for digs with Hannah Hoover as each corralled six.  Setter Isa Boyd dished out 16 assists for the Mids.

"Paige really found some range on her swings and used creativity when the play demanded it," said Labrador.  "Ava has had back-to-back nights of terminal swings and a presence at the net.  Isa had her best night yet as a new setter in our program.  Her sets led to kills on 42 percent of her efforts, which is very solid for a freshman setter.

"We are excited to keep taking on new challenges tomorrow as Cornell has one of the top hitters in the Ivy League."