FULLERTON, Calif. – The No. 25 UC Santa Barbara Women's Volleyball team (21-3) wrapped up this weekend of play in Fullerton, California as they took on the Titans of Cal State Fullerton. In just three sets, the Gauchos secured the win over the Titans (25-18, 25-22, 25-16).
 
FROM HEAD COACH MATT JONES
"The team bounced back nicely with a clean, resilient win. We did a great job from the service line and that made our defensive task much easier. We had a couple sloppy moments, but overall, I'm proud to see us dial in after a tough loss."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
From the moment the first set began, the Gauchos were in control. It started with a service run from Briana McKnight before Michelle Zhao followed her up, giving the Gauchos an early 8-4 lead. They didn't stop there. Last night's loss fueled Santa Barbara all the way to the end of this first set as the Gauchos took down the Titans in the first set 25-18.
 
Once the second set began, the Gauchos continued in their pursuits of a win with a 6-1 run to start the second set. This gave UC Santa Barbara the cushion they needed to stay on top. Even with Cal State Fullerton making a push in the back half, the Gauchos ended this set on top with a score of 25-22.
 
UC Santa Barbara could not be stopped from here. The offense lit up for their most efficient offensive performance of the match as the team collectively hit at a .333 clip to take an early, dominant lead over the Titans. The Gauchos kept pressure on their opponent, not giving them any chances to make a comeback as Santa Barbara took the third and final set 25-16.  
 
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Michelle Ohwobete led all players on the court today in kills as she ended the match with 13. Not only that, but she also put up eight digs and an ace.
• Grace Wuischpard had a successful outing for the Gauchos. She hit at a .385 clip, grabbing six kills and only one error on 13 swings. Along with that, she contributed three blocks.
• Macall Peed had a phenomenal afternoon in the back row. She finished today's match with 18 digs in just three sets while adding on two aces.
• Grace McIntosh and Zhao set up the offense for the Gauchos. McIntosh ended her time in Fullerton with 15 assists to go along with 10 digs and three aces while Zhao contributed 12 assists, eight digs and three aces.  

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will continue this stretch of road matches up in San Luis Obispo as the Gauchos face the Cal Poly Mustangs for the second leg of the Blue-Green Rivalry. First serve will be at 7 p.m. with a live stream through ESPN+.