SAN JOSE, Calif. – UC Santa Barbara Women's Volleyball served off their 2025 season with a lively victory over San Jose State, winning their Friday contest 3-1. 

FROM HEAD COACH MATT JONES
"We definitely had first-match jitters to start the match, which is normal, but we worked through it in set 1 and almost stole it," said Jones. "After that, I felt good about how we played. We were able to use our depth to give us some different looks and spark our team. Nice start, and now we have to get some rest and take on the challenge of beating a team twice on their home floor." 

HOW IT HAPPENED 
San Jose State initially led the match, reaching a lead of 18-11 during the first set. The Gauchos fought their way back to bridge the gap and shrink the Spartans' 9-point bank, as SJSU only claimed the set 25-23. 

The Gauchos surged in the second set, taking an early 5-1 lead and eventually reaching a 12-4 advantage over the Spartans. SJSU protested with several points of traction, but the Gauchos maintained their head start throughout the set and dominated it 25-18. Eva Travis had an outstanding showing, having hit .450 with 12 kills by the end of the second set. 

During the third, the Gauchos once again took the early lead, beginning the set 3-2. They then blasted ahead, administering a ten-point run that led to a 12-2 deficit. The Spartans gained only three of the next 13 points, leading to a 22-5 Gaucho run. Santa Barbara wrapped the set 25-11. 

The Spartans revived in the fourth set, putting up a similar effort to the Gauchos to earn a mid-set score of 13-9. A tense tie occurred at 20-20, but the Gauchos ultimately claimed the match with a set four score of 26-24. Ema Petkovic landed the final blow and totaled 11 kills throughout the match. 

Travis finished the match with a career-high 25 kills, while Layanna Green and Emma McDermott both put up six block assists. Cortni Youngblood placed three aces, and Ayva Ostovar and Milan Rex put up 25 and 21 assists, respectively. 

NEXT UP
The Gauchos will rematch the Spartans on Saturday, August 30 at 2:00 p.m. at San Jose State. Then, from Sept. 5-7, they will participate in USC's Trojan Invitational.