LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The No. 15 UC Santa Barbara men's volleyball team (5–3) continues its early season slate this week, heading to Thousand Oaks on Thursday for a road matchup with Cal Lutheran. Two days later, the Gauchos travel to the Galen Center in Los Angeles for a significant non-conference test against No. 4 USC. 

COMING OFF LAST WEEK
UC Santa Barbara enters the week looking to rebound after a challenging two-match series against No. 8 BYU in the Thunderdome. Despite competitive stretches in both contests, the Gauchos ultimately dropped each match.

On Thursday, Riggs Guy delivered a standout performance with 13 kills and two blocks, helping UCSB push the Cougars in three tightly contested sets (22–25, 18–25, 24–26). The Gauchos returned on Friday with renewed energy and again battled point-for-point, but BYU prevailed in another trio of close sets, 27–29, 20–25, 20–25.

LOOKING AT THE OPPONENT
Cal Lutheran enters the week in strong form, carrying an impressive 11–1 record and a five-match winning streak. The Kingsmen will aim to extend that success on their home court as they welcome the Gauchos to Thousand Oaks.

USC has also opened its season on a high note, starting 5–0 and earning a No. 4 national ranking. The Trojans will look to continue their early-season surge when they host UCSB at the Galen Center.

FOLLOW ALONG
The Gauchos and Kingsmen will square off at 7 p.m. on Thursday in Thousand Oaks. Santa Barbara then heads to Los Angeles for a Saturday match up against USC at 5 p.m. inside the Galen Center. Fans who can't make the trips can follow along with live stats at ucsbgauchos.com, with streaming information available on each host's website.