IRVINE, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Women's Volleyball team closes out its regular season on the road this weekend, taking on UC Irvine on Friday, Nov. 21st and Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, Nov. 22nd.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos look to extend their three-game win streak after defeating Cal Poly 3-2 and Hawai'i 3-0 at home last weekend.
After falling to Cal Poly 2-3 earlier this season, the Gauchos won the second Blue-Green rivalry match of the season, led by Eva Travis and Gabi Martinez, who had 19 kills each. Layanna Green notched 13 kills, hitting a blistering .579 against the Mustangs. In a sweep against Hawai'i, Gabi Martinez once again led the way with 10 kills.
After sweeping their matches over the weekend, the Gauchos improved to 12-4 in conference play and currently sit at fourth in the Big West as they prepare for No. 6 UC Irvine and No. 10 Cal State Fullerton.
ANTICIPATING THE ANTEATERS
The Anteaters split their road matches last weekend, losing to CSUN 2-3 and beating Cal State Bakersfield 3-1. They come into Friday's match with a 7-9 conference record.
The Anteaters are led by outside hitter Kendra Duffey, who leads the squad with 2.98 kills per set. Setter and 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year Nicole Feliciano has notched 729 assists on the season and will run the offense for the Anteaters. Middle blocker Sydnee Rowe will look to make a defensive impact, as she sits at 2nd in the Big West with 1.24 blocks per set.
Historically, the Gauchos have a 24-15 record against the Anteaters, with the Gauchos defeating the Anteaters 3-1 in their last meeting earlier this season.
TRACKING THE TITANS
The Titans will look to bounce back after losing to Cal State Bakersfield 0-3 and CSUN 0-3 last weekend. The Titans currently have a 3-13 record in the Big West and will play Cal Poly on Friday before taking on the Gauchos on Saturday.
Setter Kahea Carvalho will look to feed Ketesia Hall, who leads the Titans this season with 2.18 kills per set. With 3.18 digs per set, libero Mia Feldhaus will look to hold down the back court for the Titans.
Historically, the Gauchos have a 31-8 series record against the Titans, with the Gauchos sweeping the Titans in their most recent match up.
FOLLOW ALONG
First serve at UC Irvine is at 6 p.m. on Friday, followed by Cal State Fullerton at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ or follow along with live stats through ucsbgauchos.com.
