SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — In one of the No. 8 UC Santa Barbara Men's Water Polo team's biggest games of the season, co-captain Finn Genc led from the front, putting home four goals, assisting two more and making five steals to power the Gauchos past then-No. 8 UC Irvine, 11-10, last Friday night. On Wednesday, he was recognized for his efforts as The Big West Player of the Week. It is the first weekly honor of Genc's career and the fifth by a Gaucho this season.
 
The senior out of Newport Beach made a triumphant return to Orange County on Friday night, scoring a game-high four goals on six shots, while also assisting two of his teammates' scores. On the defensive end, he racked up five steals as Santa Barbara once again smothered their opponents en route to a third consecutive top-10 upset. The Gauchos' big win not only rocketed them up to no. 8 in this week's national rankings, it also put them within touching distance of a first Big West Championship of any kind since 1990. Entering the weekend at 3-1 in conference play, Santa Barbara can claim a share of The Big West Regular Season Title with a win at Cal State Fullerton, and with a UC San Diego win over California Baptist, the Gauchos would be the no. 1 seed for the conference championship.
 
That pivotal meeting with the Titans in Fullerton is but the second of two matches on Santa Barbara's schedule this weekend. First, the Gauchos will host No. 4 USC at Santa Barbara High School on Saturday, Nov. 7 for Senior Day. Then, the Gauchos will head to Fullerton for the title-deciding game on Sunday, Nov. 8.