DAVIS, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Women's Volleyball team visited UC Davis tonight to play in their ninth Big West match up of the 2025 season. The Gauchos ended just a few points away from blemishing the Aggies' perfect  conference record, falling 3-2 to their hosts. 

Santa Barbara is now one of only three teams to win two sets during a loss to the Aggies this season. Davis' remaining nine victims won one to zero sets. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos came out swinging, clinching the first set of the match 28-26. Layanna Green and Gabi Martinez both put up six kills to fund Santa Barbara's first set victory. 

Davis championed the second set, taking it back 25-10. The third set went back to the Gauchos, as they reinstated themselves and put up a score of 26-24. Santa Barbara hit .419 as a team in the third to hand Davis another set loss. 

The Gauchos came incredibly close to winning the match in the fourth set with a 24-21 lead, but the Aggies dug deep and made five more points to finish it 26-24. Davis proceeded to claim the fifth and final set 15-8. 

STAT RECAP
- Kiersten Schmitt led the Gauchos tonight in kills with 15 and picked up a double double with ten digs
- Layanna Green to hit exceedingly well, finishing the match with a .435 percentage from 12 kills
- Michelle Zhao, Milan Rex, and Ayva Ostovar split assists tonight with 17, 14, and 12
- Jordyn Johnson had six block assists
- Cortni Youngblood and Zhao had 18 and 17 digs to add to the teams' total of 74

NEXT UP
The Gauchos will host the only Big West team they have yet to face this year, UC Riverside, on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7:00 p.m. in Robertson Gymnasium.