DAVIS, Calif. – UCSB played a gutsy game-four to force a fifth set, but ultimately fell to UC Davis 3-2 on Friday night.

Santa Barbara falls to 9-11 overall with a 4-5 record in conference play, while the Aggies improve to 11-11 and 6-3 in Big West play.

Ali Barbeau led UCSB for the second match in a row with 15 kills and also tallied 10 digs. Behind her were Chanel Hoffman (11), Britton Taylor (10), and Jaylen Villanueva (13).

Defensively, Ali Spindt picked up 20 digs, while Allie Sullberg recorded three total blocks.

In the opening set, the Gauchos found themselves down early at 7-2, but a kill from Jaylen Villanueva ignited a 6-1 run to tie the game at 8-8. After forcing the Aggies into an attacking error, Villanueva dished out another kill to put the Gauchos within four points. Phoebe Grunt followed up the junior's score with a big kill, sending a poor Davis scrambling back deep into Aggie territory. Grunt then picked up a block along with Britton Taylor, while Ali Barbeau chimed in with a kill to officially tie the match.

That kill got Barbeau's game rolling, as she recorded two more kills in five plays, giving her team a 13-10 lead. From that point, the Gauchos didn't look back and took off on a 7-2 run in capturing a commanding 20-12 lead. Allie Sullberg got the run going with a pair of kills, and Chanel Hoffman added two of her own.

While the Aggies were able to shrink the deficit to three points at 23-20, the big lead proved too much for them to over come. Barbeau helped the team reach game-point with a kill, while Sullberg closed out the set with a kill of her own.

Davis battled back with consecutive game victories in taking the 2-1 lead, but the Gauchos struck back in the fourth.

While Kaylin Squyres opened the game with a kill, Grunt was quick to respond in connecting on a kill of her own to give UCSB the serve. Barbeau broke the tie with a kill and gave UCSB the lead.

The set itself was closely contested, but the Gauchos never gave up its lead after going up 2-1. Davis even came as close as one point at 17-16, but UCSB's defense forced a pair of Aggie attacking errors, while Barbeau kept UCSB's offense going with four kills. Hoffman added to the UCSB effort with a service ace to put the Gauchos on top 23-20. Barbeau brought the Gauchos to game-point with a kill, which set up Britton Taylor's game-clinching kill in forcing game five.

Thought the Gauchos battled tough in the fourth, the Aggies took hold of the fifth set early at 5-2 and never looked back. While UCSB tied the game at 8-8 off a block from Sullberg and Taylor, Davis closed out the match with a  7-2 run. 

UCSB will be back in action tomorrow night at UC Riverside starting at 7 p..m.