SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— It was another tough night for host No. 3 UC Santa Barbara men's volleyball as the Gauchos lost their second straight conference match to No. 1 Hawai'i. The Rainbow Warrior defense bent but refused to break, scrapping and keeping plays alive until it found three sets of 25-18, 25-21, 25-20.

As a team, UCSB was held to a .172 hitting percentage and was not is usual self on the defensive end either with a season-low 23 digs.

Keenan Sanders was a bright spot for the Gauchos, finding points early and often as the most reliable scoring option of the night. He collected nine kills on just 16 swings for a hitting percentage of .438. He added a pair of digs and a pair of blocks to that line.

Hawai'i came out hot hitting .500 in the first set and led by as much as eight. UCSB answered late mounting a small run after going cold in the middle points, but could not catch up falling 25-18.

The Gaucho defense picked up the pace in set two but could not pair that with a solid offensive attack hitting just .107 as a team. UCSB would hang around until the middle points when UH posted a quick 6-2 run to gain a late lead. The home team battled and cut it to 23-21 but followed with a service error and an attack error to give Hawai'i a 2-0 lead in the match.

Down two sets, UC Santa Barbara emerged with new life to start the third, playing with intensity and sending harder hit balls over the net. Unfortunately, the nation's top team was still in rhythm and scored points in bunches with an 8-2 run. Down 15-10, the Gauchos planted their feet and mounted a 5-1 run of their own to make it a one-point contest, but once again the Rainbow Warriors would find a way to escape taking the final set 25-20.

No. 3 UCSB will look to take one back from No. 1 Hawai'i tomorrow night in a non-conference contest.