IRVINE, Calif. (April 21, 2023) – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Volleyball team (8-17, 3-7 Big West) made it past the quarterfinal round of The Big West Championships and were ready for the semifinals tonight against the first-seeded Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors. After three sets, it was Hawai'i who came out victorious and earned a spot in tomorrow night's championship game (25-18, 25-19, 25-18). 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Rainbow Warriors came out as strong as the top team in the NCAA would, not giving the Gauchos much room to work with. UC Santa Barbara stayed within arms' reach for the first eight points before Hawai'i went on a run that gave them the advantage. The Gauchos weren't able to chip away at the lead, resulting in them dropping the first set 25-18.

The second set started similarly to the first as the Gauchos took the very first point of the set. But that didn't stick for long. Hawai'i shot back right away and pulled ahead with the lead. The Gauchos grinded out the set and attempted a comeback numerous times, but it wasn't enough to finish the set out with the win as the Gauchos lost the second set 25-19.

The third set started in favor of the Gauchos as these two teams went back and forth up until the score was tied at 11's with Hawai'i calling a timeout. Once both teams returned to the court, the Rainbow Warriors picked up the pace. Despite the Gauchos' best efforts, they weren't able to keep up with the Warriors as they lost the third and final set 25-18.

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Middle blockers Donovan Todorov and Dain Johnson set up a wall in the front row. Johnson put up a team-high four blocks while Todorov added two in just two sets played. Ryan Wilcox and Nick Amoruso also helped with the defensive efforts up front, adding three blocks apiece.
• Dayne Chalmers continued to embrace his position as the team's libero, leading the team's back row defensive efforts with five digs.
• The middle blockers were also efficient on offense. Johnson finished the game hitting .750 while Todorov hit at a .375 clip. 

IN CONCLUSION
The Gauchos finished the 2023 season tonight with this game, earning a 8-17 overall record while playing 19 of those matches against Top 15 opponents.