Pepperdine Asics Classic Schedule
Friday, September 2
at (RV) Pepperdine – 6 PM
Saturday, September 3
vs No. 9 Baylor (neutral) – 10 AM
vs San Diego State (neutral) – 7 PM
All matches will be played at Pepperdine's Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, CA.
Gauchos on the Air
UCSB's Friday night matchup with the host Waves will be aired live on the WCC Network. It has not yet been determined if live streams will be available for the tournament's neutral matchups, but live stats for all matches will be available via Statbroadcast.
Last Time Out
UCSB had a tough start to the new season last week going in 0-3 in the Northern Colorado/Colorado State Tournament to a trio of NCAA regulars in North Carolina and the two hosts sharing the tourney's name. Junior right side hitter Tasia Farmer had a great start offensively tallying two 12-kill matches and currently leads the team with a 2.70 kill per set average. She added 11 blocks on the weekend as well. On the defensive end the Gauchos are currently led in digs per set by reigning Big West Freshman of the Year, Michelle Ohwobete, with a 2.82 mark.
Scouting the Field
The host Waves, who are receiving AVCA Top-25 votes, come into the field with a 2-1 record after a successful outing at the Ameritas Players Challenge where their only loss came to No. 1 Nebraska, the reigning NCAA Champion. Ninth-ranked Baylor comes into the weekend even at 1-1 having topped No. 3 Wisconsin in five sets but falling to No. 5 Minnesota in four. SDSU boasts a 2-1 record picking up wins against Army and UC San Diego in their own tournament last weekend. The Gauchos and Aztecs faced off last year in the Gaucho Invitational where San Diego State picked up a 3-0 win.
Gauchos Tabbed to Place Second in Preseason Coaches' Poll
The Big West Conference announced its 2022 Preseason Women's Volleyball Coaches' Poll tabbing UC Santa Barbara to finish second this season in the conference race. The Preseason Coaches' Team was also announced with senior middle blocker Deni Wilson representing the Gauchos.
UCSB earned 94 total points in the poll and five first-place votes, and was only edged out by reigning champion Hawai'i, which garnered 96 points and six first-place votes. This is the highest finish for the Gauchos since the poll began in 2015 and the most first-place votes they have earned. The team was selected third in each of the last two seasons.
Last season the Gauchos finished second in the Big West with a 17-3 conference record and handed both losses to the 18-2 Rainbow Wahine. One was a sweep a home and the other a five-set thriller on the island to close out the season.
Making her first ever preseason team was Wilson, who comes into the season as one of the leaders of the team and is looking to follow up a 2021 campaign that saw her named First Team All-Conference and AVCA All-Region. During that year she topped the Big West with 26 solo blocks and ranked 22nd in the nation with a .391 hitting percentage.
UCSB Earns Eighth Straight USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award
The United State Marine Corps (USMC) and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its yearly USMC/AVCA Team Academic Awards, naming the UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team to its ranks for the eighth consecutive year. A total of 1,213 programs were honored across all levels of the sport from high school to Division I.
UCSB is one of just 38 DI programs to have made the list the last eight years in a row and are the sole Big West team to make the list eight times.
The award honors volleyball programs that maintain a year-long grade-point average (GPA) of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale, or 4.10 on a 5.0 scale. The Gauchos posted a 3.525 this past Spring Quarter.
Blue-Green Rivalry Coming to ESPNU
The Big West Conference has announced that the Blue-Green Rivalry will be brought to television this fall. ESPNU is set to broadcast the matchup between UCSB and Cal Poly slated for Friday, September 30 in The Thunderdome.
The two central coast rivals have split their regular season meetings in each of the last two seasons including a unique series in 2021 that saw both road teams pick up the win. The Gauchos swept the Mustangs in their own Mott Athletics Center in San Luis Obispo last October, a feat that had not been achieved by any team since 2016.
By season's end UCSB sat one spot ahead of Cal Poly in second place in the conference race with a 21-11 overall record and 17-3 Big West mark. The Mustangs finished in third with records of 15-16, 13-7.
