PALO ALTO, Calif. – On Thursday night, the No. 17 UC Santa Barbara Men's Volleyball Team opened its two-match weekend series at No. 14 Stanford. The Gauchos were just points from pulling off an upset and kept pace with the Cardinal throughout a grueling five-set battle. Despite career-best performances from multiple players, Stanford managed to eke out the win in the final moments of overtime.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos opened the match on top, securing the first set 25-22. Both teams stayed within four points of one another for the entirety of the set, though Stanford held the lead for the first half. Santa Barbara did tie it up several times, and, after 16-16, it took the advantage. The Gauchos were just a couple of points ahead of the Cardinal for the remainder of the set, but that was all they needed. Santa Barbara made their opening mark.
The Cardinal reversed the score exactly in the second, taking it 25-22 themselves. The competitors stayed close to each other during the second, coming to a tie 11 times. Following one such tie at 20-20, Stanford edged out the set win after reaching a 24-22 lead.
The Gauchos put on their best performance of the match in the third set, finishing seven points ahead at 25-18. They stayed multiple points ahead of the Cardinal throughout the set before pulling far ahead at 21-15. There was no comeback for Stanford, and the Gauchos claimed a 2-1 match lead.
In the fourth, Stanford once again returned a set win, this time finishing four points ahead of Santa Barbara at 25-21. The Gauchos and Cardinal were just as even through the fourth, with the only meaningful lead from either side emerging with the final score.
The fifth and final set was fraught, with the Gauchos leading by a couple of points through the first half. Stanford tied it up at 10-10, and from then on, the set was a step-by-step battle into overtime. The Gauchos equalized each time Stanford advanced and fought back from several match points, up until 16-15 Stanford.
It was a Stanford ace that ended the night, completing the set, and the match, in their favor 17-15. The Cardinal thwarted the legitimate fifth-set Gaucho threat 17-15 and the match 3-2.
Riggs Guy led the Gauchos on the offense, offering a season-high 15 kills. Ben Pearson and Cole Schobel both achieved career-high kill counts against the Cardinal, notching 13 and nine, respectively. George Bruening also reached double digit kills and led the team in blocks with eight assists.
Schobel had a match-high and first double-digit dig count of the season with 15, while Guy followed up with nine. Pearson and Wallace both shoveled eight, while Dylan Pilkvist had his best career showing yet with five.
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will return to Maples Pavilion for a Friday night rematch against the Cardinal at 6:00 p.m. on Jan. 23.
