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University of California, Santa Barbara

MVB Huddle
3
Winner BYU BYU 5-1,0-0 MPSF
0
UC Santa Barbara UCSB 2-5,0-0 Big West
Winner
BYU BYU
5-1,0-0 MPSF
3
Final
0
UC Santa Barbara UCSB
2-5,0-0 Big West
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
BYU BYU 25 25 27 (3)
UC Santa Barbara UCSB 23 20 25 (0)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball |

No. 15 Gauchos Fall In Three Sets To No. 9 BYU

UC Santa Barbara Men's Volleyball fell to the BYU Cougars with scores of 23-25, 20-25, 25-27.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The No. 15 UC Santa Barbara Men's Volleyball team (2-5) was ready for a rematch against the No. 9 BYU Cougars. The Gauchos were hoping for a different result than last night, but their best efforts weren't enough to come out with the win as they dropped this match in three sets with scores of 23-25, 20-25, 25-27.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
This first set started with an even battle between these Top 15 teams. When one team would get ahead, the other team would come right back. This carried through the entire set even with Geste Bianchi and George Bruening going off on offense. But in the final three points of the set, the Cougars pushed ahead to come out with the first set win over the Gauchos with a score of 25-23.
 
BYU picked up where they left off in the second set while UC Santa Barbara couldn't find a rhythm. The Cougars started with just a two-point advantage, but that continued to grow as the set went on. By the time the set was over, BYU extended their lead to five, resulting in UC Santa Barbara dropping this one 20-25.  
 
The Blue and Gold put a new lineup on the floor as they needed to get themselves back in this match. It started a little slow, but soon enough, UC Santa Barbara started to rally back. With back-to-back aces from Ben Coordt, the Gauchos took over the lead late in the third set. It didn't take long for the Cougars to battle back, but UC Santa Barbara's defense stepped up to keep them in this set for a few extra points. Despite this push, this third set didn't end in favor of the Gauchos as BYU won the third and final set 27-25.
 
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
  • Geste Bianchi led the offense tonight. In the two sets he played in, he contributed seven kills with only two errors to hit at a .333 clip. He also added an ace and two blocks.
  • Josh Aruya's efforts in the front row helped change the momentum on multiple occasions. He led the team in blocks with five while hitting at an .833 clip, securing five kills on six swings.  
  • Owen Birg was a big part of the team's efforts. He put up six kills with only one error to hit at a .417 clip. 
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will head south on the 101 as they make the trip to the historic Pauley Pavilion to take on the No. 1 UCLA Bruins. First serve will be at 7 p.m. with a live stream available through the Pac-12 Network.
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