SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Volleyball team will once again open their 2026 season at home, serving as the customary hosts of the ASICS Invitational. The Gauchos have hosted this tournament every year since 1965, with the exception of 2021's cancellation, marking this the 61st annual competition.
The Gauchos will welcome five additional teams for the three day tournament, including Big West competitors UC Irvine and CSUN, as well as Kentucky State, Maryville University, and Harvard. Santa Barbara will play Kentucky State on Thursday, Jan. 8 at 2:00 p.m., Maryville on Friday, Jan. 9 at 4:30 p.m., and Harvard on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 7:00 p.m.
A LOOK AT THE GAUCHOS
Santa Barbara returns eight rotational starters from the 2025 season, including George Bruening, who was named to the 2026 All-Big West Preseason team. Also returning are Riggs Guy and Josh Aruya, who won gold at the 2025 Pan American games while playing for U21 USA Volleyball.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Kentucky State University faced a challenging start to their 2025 season, however sees the return of key players. The Thorobreds will feature libero Jamal Grey, who led his team in digs, assists, and service aces. Offensively, Kentucky will have junior attacker D'Angelo Coleman back on the court who tallied 38 cumulative kills.
The Crimson concluded the 2025 season with a 9–15 overall record, including a 5–7 mark in EIVA play. Despite graduating several team leaders, Harvard returns junior outside hitter Zach Berty, who recorded 151 kills, 19 aces, 90 digs, and 21 blocks last season. The Crimson will also feature middle blocker Brian Thomas and libero Thomas Phung, who totaled 118 digs in his first collegiate season.
Maryville finished the 2025 season with a strong 19–9 overall record. Junior Makai Scott ranked second on the team with 307 kills and 211 digs, while setter Jake Usher returns after posting 106 assists and 16 service aces for the Saints.
The Anteaters put together a strong 2025 season, finishing with a 15–4 overall record and advancing past CSUN in the first round of the Big West Championships. William D'Arcy returns as Irvine's top attacker, tallying 143 kills last season. Sophomore middle Micah Gross will also return to the court, putting up an impressive 92 blocks in 2025.
CSUN had a strong non-conference showing last season, going 18-11 in the regular season, however finishing 3-7 in Big West Conference play. Senior Jalen Phillips and Lorenzo Bertozzi are returning as CSUN's top offensive players, putting down 453 and 247 cumulative kills respectively. Defensively, redshirt junior Chris Karnezis will be returning as libero for the Matadors with leading digs, as well as middle Stillian Delibosov who put up a noteworthy 162 blocks in 2025.
FOLLOW ALONG
The ASICS Invitational will take place this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with each day having three matches apiece at 2, 4:30, and 7 p.m. The games will be streamed on ESPN+, and live stats will be available at https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=625825
To view the full schedule for the invite and to purchase tickets, visit the tournament web page.
