SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — On Sunday, the No. 8 Carthage College men's volleyball team concluded their California trip with a commanding straight-set victory, sweeping the tournament host, No. 19 UC Santa Cruz.

• Final score: Carthage 3 - UC Santa Cruz 0 
• Location: Santa Cruz, California - West Field House
• Records: No. 8 Carthage 2-2, No. 19 UC Santa Cruz 1-5

• In the first, Ben Heise secured a crucial kill, propelling the Firebirds to a 13-9 lead. 
• Despite the Banana Slugs keeping pace and tying the set at 19 and 22, the Firebirds clinched the set 25-22 with three unanswered points.
• Moving to the second set, two solo blocks from Drew Jansen gave Carthage a two-point lead. 
• Ethan Sprague contributed a pivotal kill, resulting in a 16-12 score. 
• A sequence of four consecutive kills from Owen Otto, Heise, Ryan Cholewinski, and Jensen widened the gap to 24-16, securing a 25-17 victory for Carthage.
• In the third set, Jansen and Cholewinski combined on a block, providing Carthage with a one-point advantage. 
• Despite UC Santa Cruz taking a brief lead, Carthage responded with a 9-2 run, capped by a block from Sprague and Jansen. 
• The Banana Slugs mounted a rally, narrowing the gap, but Otto sealed the victory with a decisive kill, securing a 25-22 win for Carthage.

• Drew Jansen led the Firebirds in scoring with 12 kills, tying the match-high.
• Gene McNulty recorded 22 assists, and Ryan Morey added 12 assists to the team's success.
• McNulty achieved back-to-back games with 20 or more assists. 
• In addition to his offensive contributions, Jansen excelled in defensive categories: digs: 8 and total blocks: 5
• Owen Otto was named to the All-Tournament team for Carthage.

"I'm proud of our group this weekend. It is really hard to fly across the country and be competitive with some of the best teams in the country. We got better each day and are still working towards finding our identity as a team.

The way this team competes for each other and trusts each other is rare. The support they show to the guys on the court and on the bench is so much fun to be a part of.

It was not one guy that made this trip successful, and it was not the outcome of the matches. This trip was successful because we learned to battle as a unit, trust each other, and give everything to the guy by your side. I'm excited to grind with this team for the rest of the season."

• Carthage returns home for the home opener, facing Aurora on Thursday, January 25, at 7 p.m.