SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – UC Santa Barbara Women's Volleyball had yet another impressive home performance tonight, beating UC Irvine 3-1 in The Thunderdome. The Gauchos continue their legendary reign over Irvine, as they now have a 71-18 all-time record against the Anteaters.
HOW IT HAPPENED
A decisive 25-16 win in the first gave Santa Barbara an early advantage. They paced the first, hardly letting the Anteaters make progress. The Gauchos already had a notable lead at 19-14, but they proceeded to make five points in a row to make it 23-14 before clinching the victory.
The second set featured more of a tussle, but the Gauchos held on to their head start and made the match 2-0. UC Irvine had a short lead at 16-13, but Santa Barbara neutralized it after making 12 of the next 16 points. The Gauchos sealed the second at 25-20.
Irvine surged in the third, putting out Santa Barbara 25-19. The Anteaters out-hit the Gauchos for the first time in the match and nearly went straight from 20 to 25.
The Blue and Gold came back with full force in the fourth. By 16-9 they led the way, and Irvine's fate was sealed by 22-11. The Gauchos brought home their sixth conference win by ending the set 25-12.
The Gauchos now have a stunning 35-5 record in The Thunderdome since 2022.
STAT RECAP
- Kiersten Schmitt accomplished her fourth double-double of the season, placing 12 kills and 10 digs
- Gabi Martinez was a force to be reckoned with, annihilating 13 kills and hitting .375 from multiple feet off the floor
- Emma McDermott led for much of the match and closed it out with ten kills
- Sophie Reavis had her season-high kill count tonight, notching ten, and hit .500
- Ayva Ostovar had three service aces and led in assists with 24
- Digs were dug by the team as a whole, with nine players shoveling at least two
- Santa Barbara added 11 blocks and now have over 200 team blocks for the season
NEXT UP
The Gauchos will visit UC Davis on Thursday, Oct. 23. They'll take on the Aggies, who are 8-0 in Big West play, at 6 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 25th, the Gauchos will return home to host UC Riverside at 7 p.m.
