SANTA BARBARA, Calif. –The No. 17 UC Santa Barbara Men's Volleyball team (3-0) continues their season Friday, hosting the Master's University Mustangs in the Thunderdome for their lone match this week.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos opened their season on a high note by hosting the 61st annual ASICS Invitational last weekend, going undefeated against Kentucky State (3-0), Maryville (3-1), and Harvard (3-1) in Rob Gym.
LOOKING AT THE GAUCHOS
The three-match weekend allowed Head Coach Rick McLaughlin to give court time to a wide range of players, and the opportunity for the Gauchos to polish as they enter into the 2026 season.
George Bruening was a force on the attack, totaling 41 kills over the weekend. Ethan Saint delivered a standout performance in the third set against Maryville, recording seven kills during a decisive 10-point stretch. Saint landed six consecutive kills, added a block assist, and finished the run with another kill to help the Gauchos to a 21–7 advantage.
Cole Schobel established himself as a key all-around contributor, leading the team in assists (101), digs (23), and service aces (9) across the weekend.
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
The Master's University, located in Santa Clarita, California, is a small private institution with an enrollment of around 1,900 students.
On the court, the Mustangs have yet to open their season, but are coming off of a dominant year in which they went undefeated for the entirety of the 2025 season. This winning streak carried the Master's program into the NAIA championships, where the Mustangs defeated St. Xavier for the national title.
Sophomore Trace Oswald was a driving force behind his team's success, finishing among the program's top five in kills, service aces, digs, blocks, and assists. Primary setter Mathew Hamm will also return to the court, joined by Preston Schmidt, a versatile player listed at libero, setter, and opposite, who led the team in digs
FOLLOW ALONG
First serve between the Mustangs and Gauchos is scheduled for 7 p.m. For those unable to attend in-person, the match will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available at ucsbgauchos.com.
