IRVINE, Calif. – The No. 11 UC Santa Barbara Men's Volleyball team took on No. 4 UC Irvine on Wednesday night for their first of two match ups this week. The Gauchos pushed the Anteaters into overtime and claimed a set from the top five-team before falling 3-1.
Ethan Saint tallied a personal record of 20 kills and hit .472, averaging five kills per set in the best offensive game of his collegiate career. His performance marks the second time this season that a Gaucho has reached 20+ kills and is tied for the sixth-highest count in the Big West.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Anteaters led by several points for the duration of the first set, which they took 25-20. Santa Barbara tied it at 5-5 and led once at 6-5, but UC Irvine set the pace for the set. Until the final moments of the set, the Anteaters never advanced more than four points ahead of the Gauchos.
The second set progressed incrementally and featured 13 ties. The Anteaters and Gauchos would each take the lead before the other would recover and take it for themselves. The largest gaps occurred with the Gauchos' momentary 20-17 lead and the Anteaters final 25-22 lead.
The Gauchos came back to claim the third set, preventing a shut out by winning 25-21. Santa Barbara led until they were caught at 11-11, then UC Irvine led until they were caught at 20-20. George Bruening secured a 21-20 advantage for the Gauchos with a kill, then four errors from Irvine gave the third to the Gauchos.
Santa Barbara pushed Irvine into overtime during the fourth and final set, finishing just two behind at 28-26 Irvine. It was another close set through 12-12, the Irvine began to peel ahead again. The Gauchos closed an 18-13 lead of Irvine's with two kills from Riggs Guy and two from Saint, bringing it to 19-17. Santa Barbara tied it up in the last stages at 23-23. It was tied again at 24-24, then the Anteaters kept the home win with two more points.
Bruening also flew offensively, demolishing 16 kills for four per set. He also hit .344 and picked up six digs. Cole Schobel tossed 36 assists with nine per set and made four kills of his own.Joe Wallace was back in action to record his third-highest dig tally of the season with seven.
Guy led in digs with nine and put up a career-best six blocks. Dylan Pilkvist also placed six blocks for a career-best.
The Gauchos hit .312 to the Anteaters' .217. It was a close match, with UC Irvine only making six more points than the Gauchos. They also totaled 11 blocks for their second-highest total of the season.
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will host the Anteaters on Friday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. in The Thunderdome.
