SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Santa Barbara Women's Volleyball took down Vanderbilt University on Friday evening, defeating the Commodores 3-1.
The Gauchos are now 2-0 at the Thunderdome Classic after taking down two Power Four schools. Additionally, the Gauchos became one of the five non-SEC schools to play Vanderbilt in its first season of play since 1980, with the team having been reestablished this season after 45 years.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a thrilling match, with the Gauchos pulling off incredible plays and forcing Vanderbilt to do gymnastics to cover their side of the court. Emma McDermott led in kills after the first set with 4, having dominated during the plays. Freshman Gabi Martinez, however, would end up having the most total kills for the Gauchos tonight, with 10.
The first set was even through 12-12, after which the Gauchos began to pull away. The Commodores were unable to come back from a 20-16 deficit and scored only one more point before the Gauchos closed out the set 25-17. Grace Wuischpard finalized the Gaucho win with a solo block.
By the middle of the second, Santa Barbara was hitting .273 to Vanderbilt's .038. The Gauchos beat the Commodores to the media time out, 15-10.
Jordyn Johnson made a habit of nonchalantly tossing the ball onto the Commodore's floor, giving her a mid-match percentage of .429. Martinez raked across this set, hammering multiple kills. Furthermore, Kiersten Schmitt had four solo blocks by the end of the second set, which finished as 25-16 Gauchos.
Johnson led the team in kills with eight by the beginning of the third. Unfortunately, Vanderbilt took its vengeance in the third, getting a lead after 16-15 and closing it out 25-20.
It was tight through the fourth, with Vanderbilt managing another tie at 12-12. Kiersten Schmitt kept kills coming, however, and Martinez stepped up to land the ultimate blow against Vanderbilt. The Gauchos took the third set 25-21 and the match 3-1.
STAT RECAP
- Freshman Gabi Martinez led the team in kills, dishing a season-high 10 against the Commodores.
- Santa Barbara out-blocked Vanderbilt 16-5
- Layanna Green nailed nine out of 14 kill attempts, bringing her day's average to .500.
- The team's kills were well distributed, with Emma McDermott, Eva Travis, Johnson, Green, Martinez, and Schmitt all having 7 to 10 kills.
- Milan Rex put up a career-high 27 assists and three aces
- Schmitt had five solo blocks tonight, rocketing her to the number two spot in the Big West for total season solo blocks with eight. It was also a career-high stat for her.
- Cortni Youngblood had 14 digs
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will take on the University of Northern Colorado for their final match of the Thunderdome Classic, playing them at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13.
