Schedule
Friday, November 4
at CSU Bakersfield (4-17, 2-10) - 6 PM
Icardo Center – Bakersfield, Calif.
ESPNU
Saturday, November 5
At Cal Poly (12-10, 9-3) – 7 PM
Mott Gym – San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Gauchos on the Air
Friday's match at CSU Bakersfield will be aired on ESPN+ but there will be no stream for Saturday's contest at Cal Poly. Live stats will also be available for both matches.
Ma'a Earns 2022 Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship
The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced the recipients of the 2022 Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarships naming Mehana Ma'a from the UCSB women's volleyball team as one of the 14 scholarship winners this season.
The 14 winners will be given a chance to attend an AVCA Convention in Omaha, Nebraska this coming December where they will have the opportunity to network with successful coaches from all levels and take part in a diverse group of educational opportunities as well. The fund will coevr the registration and travel costs for this select group of future, and up-and-coming volleyball coaches to their first ever AVCA Convention.
Down the Stretch
As The Big West season comes down the stretch, every conference match is incredibly important for the Gauchos. UCSB currently sits in second place with a 10-2 conference record behind Hawai'i which leads at 11-1. Long Beach State (10-3) is in the race as the team has defeated both Cal Poly and UCSB and currently sits in third, and Cal Poly (9-3) is just behind in fourth with a key win over the first-place Rainbow Wahine.
The Big West will likely be a one-bid conference for the NCAA Tournament, so winning the regular season title is the only chance for entrance.
ROOF!
The Gauchos are the top blocking team in The Big West as they currently pace the conference and rank 12th in the nation with a 2.70 blocks per set average. Much of this
success can be attributed to Deni Wilson (1.35 b/s) and Nia Correal (1.10 b/s) who rank first and sixth in the conference, respectively. Wilson's average is good for 27th in the country.
Slowing the Competition
In addition to leading the conference at the net, the Gauchos' overall defense should alos be credited for the team's success. UCSB leads The Big West in opponent assists (11.03 a/s), opponent kills (11.64 k/s), and opponent aces (0.91 sa/s) and is second in opponent hitting percentage (.178).
Ohwobete Bringing the Heat
The reigning Big West Freshman of the Year, Michelle Ohwobete, is once again proving to be an effective all-around player at the outside hitter position. She currently leads the team and is ninth in conference with a 3.09 kills per set average and is second behind only starting libero Macall Peed with a 2.44 digs per set average. She is also tasked with a bulk of the team's passing duties and does so brilliantly as she only has 12 receiving errors this season on 454 attempts for a .974 percentage. If that weren't enough, Ohwobete also leads the team with 29 total aces and is second with a 0.40 per set average that's good for third in the conference.
Froley is Feeling It
Tallulah Froley has been effective and efficient from the right side this year as she currently ranks tenth in The Big West with a .282 hitting percentage and is the only player in the top-10 that isn't a middle blocker. She ranks second on the team and tenth in the conference with a 2.82 kills per set average, has collected double-digit kills on 12 occasions, and has hit above .300 on nine occasions.
Peed Plays D
2021 First Team All-Conference selection Macall Peed is once again getting it done on the defensive end for the Gauchos leading the team with a 4.16 digs per set average, which ranks third in The Big West. She has notched double-digit digs on 18 occasions already including a career-high 30 against UC San Diego, which is the second-best performance by any player in the conference this season. Peed currently rides a double-digit digs streak of 14 straight games that dates back to non-conference play in September. In situations that call for it, she has also been a reliable setter tallying 1.12 assists per set.
Dishing It Up
Early on this season the Gauchos have filled their setter needs by committee in their 6-2 offense as Mehana Ma'a and Megan Shimoda have shared the duties so far. After missing the first weekend of competition, Ma'a has solidified herself as the starter putting together a 6.33 assist per set mark which now paces the team and ranks ninth in The Big West despite playing in a 6-2. Shimoda, who has played the most sets (71) ranks second with a 4.41 average.
