Oct. 1, 2005

Box Score

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - For the first time in 2005, the UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team can boast back-to-back sweeps, thanks to Saturday's 30-28, 30-19, 30-19 Big West Conference victory over UC Irvine in the Thunderdome.

UCSB also hit .319 for the second straight night en route to improving to 6-7 overall and 2-1 in league play. Meanwhile the Anteaters suffered their third straight loss, falling to 6-9 and 0-2.

Much like Friday's upset of No. 25 Long Beach State, the Gauchos came out tentative in game one, allowing UCI to build an early 5-1 lead following Amanda Vazquez's kill. The home team quickly called timeout and regrouped with four straight points to even the score, two coming on back-to-back put aways by freshman outside hitter Lauren McLaughlin. Neither team allowed the other much breathing room until Santa Barbara rebounded from a 20-18 deficit with a 4-0 run to take a lead it would never relinquish. The visitors were able to catch UCSB at 28-28, but the three-time defending Big West champs secured victory with Janine Sandell's kill and Megan Blackshire's ace.

Serving would prove to be a Gaucho asset as well in the second game as they racked up five more aces while never trailing. UCI got as close as 10-9 but Santa Barbara was firing on all cylinders, hitting a sparkling .412 in the second frame.

The visitors were also unable to muster a lead in game three, but closed within 12-9 following three straight Santa Barbara attacking errors. UCSB then emerged from its timeout with consecutive slams by Sandell and McLaughlin and never looked back. A late 5-0 run included three more McLaughlin put-aways as she established a new career-high kill total of 13.

For the 12th time this season, Sandell paced the Gauchos in kills with 19, hitting .385 in the process. Sophomore opposite hitter Brett Quirarte also had an efficient evening, connecting at a .467 clip while matching her personal best of nine put-aways. UCSB junior libero Emily Hendrickson led all players by racking up 16 digs, while Blackshire served up a career-best five aces, the most by any Gaucho in a match this year. Sophomore setter Alshey Dutro enjoyed a nice all-around performance with 40 assists, seven scoops and three kills without an error.

Vazquez and Whitney Pavlik slammed home 13 ball apiece for Irvine, although Vazquez was the more effective of the two by hitting .414. Libero Keegan Featherstone tallied 11 digs.

Its right back out on the road for UCSB, which continues Big West play at Cal State Fullerton on Friday, Oct. 7 at 7:00 p.m.