Box Score BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Women's Volleyball team (4-9) opened Big West play on the road in Bakersfield, California as they battled with Cal State Bakersfield. By the end of three sets, the Gauchos fell short to the Roadrunners as they recorded their first conference loss with scores of 17-25, 22-25, and 18-25.
 
FROM HEAD COACH MATT JONES
"Credit to Bakersfield. They played a very nice match tonight. Unfortunately, that was paired with us not finding any rhythm offensively or defensively. We need to dust ourselves off and get back to work tomorrow night."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC Santa Barbara came out strong as Bakersfield made several errors to start the first set. But even with that start, the Gauchos didn't have an answer to the Roadrunners offense who rallied back quickly, tying up the match and staying within two of the Gauchos. This continued for a good portion of the set, but it was ultimately UCSB who recorded too many unforced errors and lost the first set 17-25.
 
From there, the Gauchos were determined to fight back. They stayed within one point of Bakersfield up until the 9th point where Bakersfield started to respond. The Roadrunners then went on a 4 point run before the Gauchos sided out. The teams continued to exchange points until 17-18 where Bakersfield went on a 3 point run, and then the Gauchos fought back to within one, with help from Andi Kreiling and Sophie Reavis. Ultimately, it was Bakersfield who came out on top, largely due to Samia Bhakta who posted 12 kills at the end of set 2, leading the Roadrunners to a set 2 victory of 25-22. 
 
The third set started similarly to the second as the Gauchos stayed within one point of the Roadrunners until some unforced errors caused Bakersfield to jump to a 4 point run before UCSB could respond. The Gauchos then started to fight with a balanced offense lead by Michelle Zhao, but Bakersfield responded accordingly. The Gauchos continued to fight to bridge the gap in score, and made it within one with help from Emma McDermott and Andi Kreiling before the Roadrunners pulled away and UCSB ultimately fell to Bakersfield 18-25 in the 3rd, and straight sets overall.
 
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Emma McDermott had a great showing for the Gauchos. She recorded 9 kills in tonight's match, leading the team overall. Not only that, but she was crucial in the momentum shift of the team to stay competitive with the Roadrunners.
• Sophie Fisher had a steady game for the Gauchos as she concluded play with 6 kills and 5 digs, helping the team stay balanced and motivated. 
• Layanna Green and Andi Kreiling made an impact in the middle for yet another game. Green had the most aces on the team recording 2, and hit at an impressive .625 clip with 5 kills on 8 attempts. Kreiling was also steady on offense recording 5 kills on 12 attempts, hitting at a .417 clip with several block touches to help the defense. 
• Michelle Zhao, Harper Hall, and Grace McIntosh split time as the team's setter. Zhao concluded the match with 6 assists, Hall with 18, and McIntosh with 6.
• Harper Hall was the best defensive player for the Gauchos. She wrapped up the match with 6 digs. 

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will continue Big West play as they stay on the road to take on the Matadors of CSUN. First serve will be at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28. Fans who can't make it to Northridge can watch online through ESPN+.