SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – In their first Thunderdome match of the 2026 season, the UC Santa Barbara Men's Volleyball team swept The Master's University to start their season 4-0. 

The Mustangs, who went 27-0 in 2025, were taken down 3-0, 26-24, 25-28, and 25-23.  

HOW IT HAPPENED 
The Master's had an early advantage in the match and nearly took the first set, though the Gauchos powered on at the last minute to clinch it 26-24 in overtime. After an initial tie at 7-7, the Mustangs inched ahead. They eventually led by as many as six points at 20-14, and set a match point at 24-20. Facing defeat, the Gauchos rallied six straight points, with George Bruening making four of them, and won the set 26-24. 

The Gauchos were massively successful in the second, leading by several points for the majority of the set. They pulled ahead to have their first significant lead at 10-4, which they maintained throughout the teens. The Gauchos held at least a four-point advantage for the rest of the set and closed it easily, 25-18. Riggs Guy sealed the set with an ace. 

The Master's gained more momentum in the third and kept up with the Gauchos through the set. The teams saw multiple ties and lead changes before the Gauchos made it to a 24-22 set point. The Mustangs threatened to overcome their deficit at 24-23, but Ben Pearson came to the Gauchos' rescue with his 11th kill of the match and settled it 25-23. 

Bruening led the team in kills again, nailing 16 for 5.3 per set. Ben Pearson also entered double-digit kills, hammering 11 and hitting .500. Dylan Pilkvist had four kills from the middle, and Cole Schobel averaged 10.6 assists per set. Both Schobel and Joe Wallace led the team in digs, each scooping six, while the team made eight aces as a whole. 

UP NEXT
The Gauchos are headed to the Bay Area for a two-game stint against No. 11 Stanford. They will take on the Cardinal on Thursday, Jan. 22 and Friday, Jan. 23 in Maple Pavilion, with both games beginning at 6:00 p.m.