Box Score HONOLULU, Hawai'i – Hawai'i outside hitter Sinisa Zarkovic recorded 17 kills and a match-high 15 digs to lead the Rainbow Warriors to a 3-1 win (22-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-19) over No. 3 UC Santa Barbara on Sunday evening.
The Gauchos (4-2, 0-2) claimed the first set of the match behind senior outside hitter Kevin Donohue's four kills, but went on to surrender the next three games in the final match of the season series with Hawai'i.
With 18 kills, Donohue was the most productive Gaucho hitter of the night. Weston Nielsen and Jacob Delson (nine kills apiece) each approaced double figures, while junior setter Jonah Seif (44 assists) had another effective match.
On the other side of the net, Hawai'i had five hitters register 10 or more kills, led by Zarkovic. As a team, they hit .357, eclipsing the .300 mark for the second consecutive match. Brook Sedore, Kupono Fey, Taylor Averill, and Davis Holt all joined Zarkovic in the double digit kills club.
Despite trailing 6-1 at the outset, UCSB was at its very best in the opening game. From that initial deficit, Delson registered a kill and then followed that up with a kill to start a 9-4 Gaucho run that would even the score at 10-10. The teams would remain close, being tied as late as 21-21, but Donohue and Nielsen had two kills apiece as part of a 4-1 UCSB run from that point to clinch the set.
The Gauchos will open their conference home schedule next weekend as they host BYU on Friday and Saturday. UCSB will be looking to remain hot at home, where they are 17-2 since the beginning of last season.
