Box Score SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – For the second consecutive Friday, the UC Santa Barbara men's volleyball team defeated the No. 4 ranked team in the nation, this time doing it in a dominant home sweep over Penn State, 25-13, 25-21, 25-21.
ON THE STAT SHEET
- The Gauchos (3-3) enjoyed what was easily their most efficient offensive night against a ranked opponent this season, posting a .471 hitting percentage while holding the Nittany Lions (4-3) to a .247 clip.
- Junior outside hitter Ryan Wilcox made a strong case for the best attacking player on the court, crushing his previous season-high with a .611 hitting percentage (12-for-18).
- Middle blockers Donovan Todorov and Brandon Hicks made big plays on both sides of the ball all night. Todorov finished with seven kills (.667) and three blocks, while Hicks had six kills (.556) and two stuffs.
- Relentless hustle followed by precision passing told the story for setter Patrick Paragas, who averaged over 10 assists per set (11.3) for the first time this year. He also had six digs, tied a season-best with three blocks, and flexed his reflexes with a one-handed reaction save that turned into a kill late in the third set.
- UCSB finished with a 4-0 advantage in aces and 6-4 in blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
1st Set (25-13 UCSB)
- Fresh off last week's five-set win at Pepperdine, the Gauchos picked up right where they left off, jumping out to a 9-4 lead.
- Hicks and sophomore outside hitter Dayne Chalmers provided a huge spark midway through the set as UCSB began to pull away. Hicks went 2-for-2 in the set and Chalmers turned it on to score four straight Gaucho points, including back-to-back aces to put the home side up 18-8.
- The Gauchos hit at a .625 clip before Xia ended the one-sided opening game with an offspeed ace, his team-leading eight of the season.
2nd Set (25-21 UCSB)
- Set two provided more of a battle as Penn State's offense got going. Despite the Nittany Lions posting their match-best .400 hitting percentage, the Gauchos topped them with their own best of .667, tallying 13 kills on 18 attempts with just one attacking error.
- Xia once again ended things with his fourth kill of the set, matching Wilcox who also had four.
3rd Set (25-21 UCSB)
- Neither team held more than a two-point advantage for most of what proved to be the closest game of the night. Leading 18-17, the energized Gaucho squad continued to show off its recently heightened level of play, meeting everything at the net and diving to make the plays they were missing to start the season.
- Another Wilcox kill led to outside hitter Dominic Lang being subbed in to man the service line. The sophomore's solid serving set the stage for a decisive 5-0 run capped by an incredible hustle scoop by Paragas that brushed over the net and turned into an unexpected kill.
- Xia eventually made it 3-for-3 as he put yet another set on ice with a powerful spike that went out off a Penn State defender despite being in the right position to make the play.
NEXT UP
Tomorrow night, the Gauchos will look to make it three straight wins over top-9 opponents as they host Ohio State at 7:00 p.m. at Rob Gym.
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