SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (March 9, 2023) — UC Santa Barbara Men's Volleyball (3-9) will play No. 4 Long Beach State (9-2) twice in as many days this weekend, hosting The Beach at Rob Gym on Friday, then traveling to Long Beach on Saturday.

The Gauchos come into the weekend on a two-match winning streak, defeating Vanguard and UC San Diego at home last week, both by a score of 3-1. Owen Birg had big nights in both wins, recording a 19-kill, 10-dig double-double against Vanguard and a career-high 22 kills against UC San Diego.

The Gauchos currently lead The Big West and rank ninth in the NCAA in digs per set, averaging 9.25. UCSB's defensive effort is led by Max Gordon and Jack Walmer, who both rank in the conference's top eight for digs. Gordon's 2.06 per set leads the team.

Long Beach State comes into the weekend with a 9-2 record on the season, riding a three-match winning streak. The Beach currently leads the NCAA in blocks per set, averaging 2.87. Simon Torwie averages 1.66 blocks per set by himself. Long Beach State's only two losses this season came against UCLA, currently the No. 2 team in the nation.

First serve in both matches this weekend will be at 7 p.m. For fans who cannot make it to campus on Friday, the match will be live on ESPN+, as will Saturday's match in Long Beach. Live stats for both matches will be available on ucsbgauchos.com