SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (March 31, 2023) – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Volleyball team (5-14, 1-5 Big West) was back in Rob Gymnasium as the Gauchos took on the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors in a Big West match. In just three sets, Hawai'i came out victorious as they swept the Gauchos in Santa Barbara (25-22, 25-21, 29-27). 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Like every match between the Gauchos and the Warriors, it was a battle for the Big West win. The score was tied 10 times in the first set as these two teams vied for the lead. This was the trend until the score hit 21-21 as Hawai'i took the lead. Despite UC Santa Barbara making a final push, the first set ended in Hawai'i's favor with a score of 25-22.

The second set began in favor of the Gauchos as Jack Walmer went on a 5-0 run to kick things off. UC Santa Barbara kept the lead until Hawai'i tied up the set at 11's. The Warriors kept this lead until late in the set, when the Gauchos tied it up in hopes of regaining the lead. Even with UC Santa Barbara's best efforts, the Warriors pulled away at the end, causing the Gauchos to drop the second set 25-21.

With the help of Ryan Wilcox's four-point run, UC Santa Barbara grabbed an early lead in the third set to give them the leg up on Hawai'i. This didn't keep the Warriors at bay for long as they battled back to tie the game at 16's. Neither team could pull more than two points ahead in the remainder of the set. However, once the score hit 24-22 in favor of the Rainbow Warriors, the Gauchos were not ready to let the match end. They came back to tie the game at 24 apiece, taking the set into extra points. Neither team would let up as this set went all the way up to 29 points. However, this score was in favor of Hawai'i as UC Santa Barbara lost the third and final set 29-27.

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Nick Amoruso is on a hot streak, leading the Gauchos' offense for the third straight game. He ended tonight's match with 16 kills, contributing to almost half of Walmer's assists.
• Dayne Chalmers had the most well-rounded performance, serving as a leader on both offense and defense. He secured his second double-double of the season with 10 kills and 10 digs while adding on two blocks.
• As always, Walmer commanded the offense as he ended the match with 36 assists. He also showed up big from the service line against his former team as he secured a match-high three aces. 

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will be back in Rob Gymnasium tomorrow, April 1, at 7 p.m. as UC Santa Barbara takes on the Rainbow Warriors for the second match of the series. For those who can't make it in person, the match will be streamed through ESPN+ with live stats available through ucsbgauchos.com.