SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Women's Volleyball team swept Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday night, following up on their Friday night win to make their opening conference weekend 2-0.
FROM HEAD COACH MICHAEL HENCHY
"I'm really happy we could start off 2-0 to start Big West Play. Our defensive side of the game stood out to me today. We were able to block the ball well, be disciplined, and pick up tips, and it created offense and transition that we'd been hoping to see and been working on this week," Henchy said. "Looking forward to continuing Big West play on the road, but I'm really happy we could start off 2 and 0 in front of a home crowd."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Santa Barbara led for the entirety of the first set, staying at least one point ahead throughout. The Gauchos began with a 4-0 opening advantage from three kills and a block. They were only a couple of points ahead through 13-11, after which they truly widened the gap. Santa Barbara reached a six-point lead at 17-11, then expanded it to seven points at 23-16. The Roadrunners reclaimed some ground, but they finished still five points behind as the Gauchos took the first 25-20.
Cal State Bakersfield gave the Gauchos more of a run for their money in the second, staying tight and leading for portions. The Roadrunners started with a 3-1 lead, though the Gauchos caught up by 7-7. Cal State Bakersfield attempted another lead, this time reaching 14-10. But Santa Barbara made eight points in a row, going from four points behind to four points ahead at 18-14. The Gauchos then reached 23-19, sitting just two points from victory. The Roadrunners nearly caught Santa Barbara at 23-24, but Bella Mathis slammed a kill to give the Gauchos their second set win.
The third set once again favored the Gauchos, who took it 25-20. Ties were present through 8-8, after which Santa Barbara picked up its pace. The Gauchos made it 15-10, then 17-11, not backing down from their three-set-win goal. At 22-15, the match was all but decided. Last-minute additional points from Cal State Bakersfield were made, but the Gauchos kept their eyes on the prize and took home their second home conference win.
STAT RECAP
Gabi Martinez made 12 kills to once again lead the offense and secure her tenth match with double-digit kills. Emma McDermott continued her support, making another nine lasers from the outside.
Emery Tubbs secured four blocks, while Sophia Wendlick made a career-high three. Milan Rex averaged 5.33 assists per set after dishing out 16 total.
UP NEXT
The Gauchos are back on the road, first with a visit to Utah Valley on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. PT. On Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. the Gauchos will play at Sacramento State.
