SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – To wrap the 2026 Gaucho Invitational, the UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team hosted Utah State Saturday night. Despite a lull in the third set, double-digit kills from three players and 20 digs from defensive specialist Cortni Youngblood gave the Gauchos their first home win of the season (3-1).
FROM HEAD COACH MIKE HENCHY
"It was a nice weekend for us overall against some very strong teams," Henchy said. "I'm happy to see the growth in our group week to week, and they showed a ton of grit through the 8 sets we played. This Gaucho team is a ton of fun to coach and watch, and I'm proud of their commitment to each other!"
FROM CORTNI YOUNGBLOOD
"I think we responded really well after the third set," Youngblood said. "I think there was a little bit of a pushback, but I think what we were most happy about as a team is how we responded, and Mike was super happy with that. Just a lot of improvement, and then a win at home – first one."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Each set had a decisive winner, as each ended with a difference of at least six points. The Gauchos opened the match with a 25-17 win of set 1. Utah State placed the first point, but Santa Barbara quickly reached a 9-5 lead over their guests. The Aggies responded, tying it at 12-12, but that would be the closest they would get. Santa Barbara immediately ramped up production, making it to a 21-15 lead. They kept on pace, making four more points, with Auburn Tomkinson dealing the final blow.
Santa Barbara won with a similar score of 25-19 in the second set, with Gabi Martinez and Sophia Wendlick making five kills each. The Gauchos put an early lead on the board and never looked back. They pulled away to 10-4 then 17-9. Utah State reclaimed four points at 23-19, but the Gauchos had the set in the bag. Martinez put the Gauchos up 24-19, then Tomkinson hammered the set-winning point once again.
Utah State made a complete turnaround in the third, this time taking the set 25-16. The Gauchos stayed just two points behind through 12-10 Utah State, after which the Aggies ran away. They made six points in a row to take it from 16-12 to 21-12. The Gauchos threw in a couple more points, but the set would go to Utah State.
The Gauchos were back to regularly scheduled programming in the fourth set, finishing out the match with a ten-point difference at 25-15. It was deadlocked through 9-9, but two consecutive kills by Emma McDermott sparked a flame and the Gauchos made five points in a row to make it 14-9. From there, the Gauchos were home free. After reaching an 18-12 lead, the Gauchos stayed at least six points ahead for the rest of the set.
STAT RECAP
Wendlick led the effort once again, making 16 kills and hitting .367. Martinez continued her streak with 12 kills, while Auburn Tomkinson administered 10. Emma McDermott laid down another nine kills alongside a season-high four blocks. Emery Tubbs had a career- leading night, as she reached new highs in several categories, including seven total blocks and three digs.
Youngblood averaged five digs per set to total 20 – the most she's made in 20 matches. The Gauchos prevented any individual Aggies from reaching 10 kills, holding them all to nine or fewer. Santa Barbara also made 17 more kills than Utah State and outhit them .262 to .101.
UP NEXT
The Gauchos head to the Mountain West, where they will take on Wyoming on Thursday, Sept. 10, followed by Colorado State and North Dakota on Friday and Saturday.
