MALIBU, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Women's Volleyball team (2-7) competed on the second day of the Asics Classic against their toughest opponent of the season in No. 1 Pittsburgh. Even though the Gauchos fought hard throughout all three sets, it was Pitt who came out with the sweep as UC Santa Barbara lost with scores of 16-25, 17-25 and 19-25.
FROM HEAD COACH MATT JONES
"It was nice to see our team adjust and start playing better defense throughout the match. They also got more competitive with Pitt near the end. This was definitely a good learning experience."
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos came out strong, going point-for-point with the Panthers until the score hit 6-5. That's when Pitt started to pull ahead. The Gauchos made one final push to try and make a comeback towards the end of this set, but it wasn't enough as Pitt won 25-16.
The second set was similar to the first. UC Santa Barbara held the lead for a short moment until Pitt came pounding back with a 7-1 that gave them a very comfortable lead. A similar run at the end of the set gave the Panthers all the momentum they needed as the Gauchos dropped the second set with a score of 25-17.
UC Santa Barbara started the third set with a 3-0 run, trying to get the advantage over the top-ranked team in the NCAA. The Panthers quickly battled back, but UC Santa Barbara still wasn't ready to submit. UC Santa Barbara and Pitt tied the set eight times before the opposing team pulled ahead. With the score tied at 17 apiece, the Panthers ran away with it as one player recorded six straight kills. This resulted in Pittsburgh winning the third and final set with a score of 25-19.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will return to the Firestone Fieldhouse for one more match as they take on the hosts, Pepperdine University. First serve will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15. For those who can't make it to Malibu, a live stream will be available through ESPN+.
