No. 12 Gauchos Upset No. 3 UC Irvine in Five Set Thriller

Recap, photo courtesy of UCSB

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Playing its final home game of the regular season, the No. 12 UC Santa Barbara men's volleyball team gave the crowd a lasting memory with a thrilling 3-2 (23-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13) upset over No. 3 UC Irvine inside Rob Gym on Thursday night.

It was sweet redemption for the Gauchos (11-11, 4-5 Big West), who lost both matches last season to the Anteaters (19-8, 5-4 Big West) in five sets. In fact, five of the last nine meetings between these two teams have gone the distance while Thursday's win was just the second for UCSB over UCI during that nine-game stretch.

UC Irvine came out of the gates hot in the first set, tallying a .500 hitting percentage with 13 kills on 22 attempts and just two errors. The Gauchos were hanging around early until, with UCI leading 18-16, the Anteaters scored four straight points to go ahead 22-16. The six-point lead was the largest for either team all night in a closely contested battle and it did not last long.

Kills from Connor Drake and Corey Chavers kept the Gauchos close and gave UCSB momentum despite trailing 24-19. After a service error gave the serve back to UCSB, the Gauchos rattled off four straight points of their own, highlighted by back-to-back kills from Brandon Hopper to make it 24-23. A UCSB service error, however, gave the opening set to UCI.

The two teams battled back and forth in the second set until, with UCI leading 8-7, the Gauchos went on a four-point run behind a pair of UCI attacking errors and a pair of kills from Chavers to put UCSB ahead 11-8. A 6-3 spurt for UCI tied the game at 14-14 before the Gauchos went on a 5-3 run behind kills from Hopper and Casey McGarry. UCI battled back to tie the score at 21-21, but the Gauchos got two clutch kills from Roy McFarland on assists from McGarry to take a crucial two-point lead down the stretch, 23-21. UCI bounced back once more with two straight points, but UCSB turned to Drake for a big kill followed by a UCI attacking error to even the game at 1-1.

The Gauchos outhit the Anteaters .321 to .296 in the second but the third set would see both teams hitting percentages drop significantly.

As the back-and-forth action continued, UCSB pulled ahead 13-10 in the pivotal third set before UCI went on an 8-1 run to take a 19-15 lead. The Gauchos rallied all the way back to tie the score at 22-22 after strong plays from Keenan Sanders, but UCI snagged three of the last four points behind a pair of kills from Aaron Koubi to take a 2-1 lead. UCI hit their lowest percentage of the night in the set, .205, but had their highest kill total of 18 while the Gauchos managed just seven kills in the set on a .133 hitting percentage.

In the fourth, however, the Gauchos would significantly tighten up their accuracy and hit .343 with 16 kills, pulling out another close set 25-23 to force a decisive fifth set. UCSB found itself trailing 21-19 before rattling off four straight points behind two UCI errors and kills from McFarland and Hopper. After a UCI ace tied the set at 23-23, McFarland slammed home a kill for game point and a bad set from the Anteaters sent the game to the fifth.

In the fifth, UC Irvine raced out to a 7-4 lead, but the Gauchos looked to flip the script from the previous season and scored three of the next four points, highlighted by a Drake kill, to get within one point, 8-7, as the teams switched sides. McFarland came through late in the set with a kill to tie the score at 10-10 and moments later giving the Gauchos a 12-10 lead. The two teams traded points until a service error from the Anteaters gave UCSB the 15-13 set and match victory.

McFarland finished with 16 kills on 40 attempts to lead the Gauchos while Sanders also reached double figures with 10 kills. Hopper was close behind with nine while Drake and Spencer Fredrick tallied seven apiece in a well-rounded offensive game for UCSB. McGarry handled most of the setting duties on the night with 34 assists while Randy DeWeese pitched in 10. McGarry also notched 12 digs for the double-double. Fredrick finished with five total blocks at the net while Drake finished with four.

Karl Apfelbach led UC Irvine with a game-high 17 kills and Koubi finished with 16. Setter Dante Chakravorti dished out 57 assists and David Parker tallied a game-high 13 digs.

UCSB rounds out the regular season with another match against UC Irvine on the road this Saturday, Apr. 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the Bren Events Center.

No. 11 UCSB Drops 3-0 Decision to No. 6 Hawai'i

Corey Chavers (photo by Eric Isaacs)

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The eleventh-ranked UC Santa Barbara men's volleyball team was defeated 3-0 by No. 6 Hawai'i on Friday night at Rob Gym, 25-16, 25-15, 26-24.

With the defeat, UCSB dropped to 10-10 overall on the year with a 3-4 mark in Big West action. Hawai'i, which won its first road match of 2018 in four attempts, improved to 16-6, 4-3. The Rainbow Warriors out-hit UCSB .459 to .173 for the contest, setting a new season-high for an opponents' hitting percentage this year. 

Junior outside hitter Corey Chavers was one of the few Gauchos to have success offensively on Friday, posting a match-high 13 kills with a solid .370 hitting percentage. The rest of UCSB's lineup combined to hit .063.

UH meanwhile was led by middle blocker Dalton Solbrig's 10 kills off 12 swings. His partner in the middle, Patrick Gasman, added five kills on six swings while posting a match-high eight blocks. The Rainbow Warriors had a marked advantage at the net, notching 11.5 blocks as a team compared to UCSB's five. Four of UH's five starting hitters finished at .500 hitting or better. 

Blocking was the difference in the first set, as Hawai'i picked up 5.5 team blocks in the opener. UH created separation early with a 4-0 featuring back-to-back kills from Gasman to make it 8-5. Later on, Gasman's third kill of the set made it 19-13 for UH and forced a Gaucho timeout. However, the Rainbow Warriors kept it rolling, closing the set out on a 6-3 run. 

Despite UCSB hitting at a solid .381 clip in the middle frame, Hawai'i was even more in sync, hitting .684 including a 5-0-6 line from left-hitting opposite Rado Parapunov, who recorded a team-high 11 kills overall for the night. The Rainbow Warriors opened the frame with a 5-2 run and never looked back, Chavers (4-0-7) and sophomore opposite Spencer Fredrick (3-0-4) both had standout offensive performances for UCSB in the second. 

Thanks to a 4-0 run out of the gate behind the serving of sophomore setter Randy DeWeese, UCSB had its best chance to take a game in the third. The Gauchos held close to that early four-point cushion until Hawai'i reeled off four straight points late to take their first lead at 20-19. The two teams would go back and forth, but UCSB last held the lead at 21-20 as UH's Stijn Van Tilburg was whistled for a back row attack. At 24-24, Van Tilburg knocked down his eighth and final kill of the night to send himself to the service line at match point, where he uncorked a jump serve for a match-ending ace. 

The Gauchos and Rainbow Warriors will do battle again on Saturday night at Rob Gym. Fans should be advised that the Thunderdome Lot (Lot 27) will be closed all day Saturday. Instead, fans are invited to park at the Mesa Structure (Lot 18) near the UCSB Rec Center off Ocean Road. 

UCSB Touched Up by USC in Midweek Loss

Clay Fisher (photo by Eric Isaacs)

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara baseball team suffered a 9-3 defeat to visiting USC on Tuesday afternoon at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, dropping a home game to the Trojans for the first time in the Andrew Checketts era.

The Trojans (14-11) scored in five of six offensive innings in the middle portion of the game and had every starter record at least one hit, building up a five-run lead by the seventh inning stretch. UCSB (11-13-1) received a two-run homer from junior DH Clay Fisher in the bottom of the first, but was held off the scoreboard from then until there were two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Catcher Blake Sabol was the top offensive performer for USC, going 3-5 including a pair of two-out singles that drove in a combined three runs. Dillon Paulson (1-3) and Matthew Acosta (2-4) each had a pair of RBIs as well.

Six of UCSB's starters recorded hits on the day, including multi-hit days from Fisher, sophomore center fielder Tommy Jew, and freshman Jason Willow who went 2-2 and reached base four times in his first career start at second base.

USC took the lead for good in the third inning with a two-run rally that was started off with three consecutive singles to load the bases with nobody out. The Trojans cashed in two of those runners with well-struck fly balls that went for sac flies, though UCSB right fielder Michael McAdoo prevented further damage with a diving snag of an Acosta liner for the second out of the frame.

Sabol made the Gauchos pay for a two-out error in the fifth, lining a base hit to right field moments later to bring in a pair and stretch USC's lead to 5-2.

USC lefty John Beller, making his first career start, earned the win with six solid innings for the visitors. He held UCSB to just four hits in five innings after Fisher's round-tripper in the first inning.

On the other side, junior right-hander Kevin Chandler had a solid relief performance for the Gauchos, facing the minimum over two shutout innings. The rest of the staff combined to allow five earned runs over seven innings.

The Gauchos conclude a six-weekend homestand with a three-game set against UTRGV starting on Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.

UCSB Upsets No. 49 Washington to Tally First Road Win of the Season

SEATTLE, Wash. - Sixth times the charm. At least, that's all the UC Santa Barbara can think, and be thankful for, following a win against No. 49 ranked Washington to give the 'Chos their first road win of the season. With the win, UCSB (9-6) improves to 1-5 on the road and picks up its first win against a ranked opponent this season.

"It feels great to celebrate a road win, I really feel like we needed it. This is our biggest win of the year so far." Head Coach Marty Davis said. "It was a really close match as the score would indicate and we have to tip our cap to Joey [Rotheram] who clinched the match at No. 6."

For Washington (10-8), it now falls to 8-8 at home and suffers just its third loss to a non-ranked opponent this season.

Jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead in the match, the Gauchos looked as though they would seal the deal early, but a late rally by the Huskies certainly made things interesting. The match was decided by redshirt freshman Joseph Rotheram who stepped up big time delivering UCSB its first road win after earning a big final victory at the No. 6 spot.

"That was a statement win for him today. There is a lot of stress that comes with being in that last match and clinching so it was an impressive win," Davis said. "It will still be competitive at the No. 6 spot but it was a huge win today."

The match began as all college tennis does, with doubles. At No. 1 doubles, the UCSB duo, juniors Nicolas Moreno de Alboran and Anders Holm, led from the start and never looked back, winning 6-1. At the No. 2 court, senior Simon Freund and Rotheram bounced back from a 3-1 deficit to win five straight points and take the match 6-3 giving the Gauchos the 1-0 lead.

In singles, Santa Barbara picked up two straight-set wins on courts two and three to take the 3-0 advantage.

Making his first appearance on the No. 2 court this season, Moreno de Alboran certainly did not have an easy match. The No. 94 ranked New York native took on the No. 82 ranked player in the country, Jake Douglas. The junior won the match 6-3, 7-6 (4) to improve to 8-5 on the year. 

On court three, senior captain Freund bounced back from a nasty 6-0, 6-0 loss versus Oregon to defeat Washington's Enzo Summer 6-3, 6-3.

Washington's Jack Davis began the Huskies rally from a 3-0 deficit with a win against Victor Krustev 7-5, 6-3.

UW would cut the deficit to just a one-point lead following a win on court one.

With Moreno de Alboran being bumped a spot down to court two, sophomore transfer standout Joseph Guillin made his second appearance at the top court and put his 12-game winning streak on the line.

Guillin played his heart out, taking the match to three sets, but would ultimately lose against Washington's No. 80th ranked Mitch Stewart 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. The loss was only the former Florida Gator's second loss of the year as he is now 13-2 on the year.

With the match being tied, all eyes moved to Rotheram's match at the No. 6 court. Rotheram took the first set 6-4 before losing the second 3-6. By the time Guillin's match was over, Rotheram had the advantage in the third and won the set 6-3 to seal the win for the 'Chos.

The match ended with Washington earning a win on court four over Holm to make the final score 4-3.

Finally picking up its first road win of the year, UCSB can finally breathe a little easier especially considering the caliber of team it beat. Defeating a Pac-12 school is always impressive, and Santa Barbara did so in wonderful fashion.

"It is enjoyable to get wins against these schools with huge funding. It has a David vs Goliath feel to it so it's super gratifying to get these wins," Davis said. 

Now, the Gauchos can focus on keeping their home record perfect before heading into conference play.

UCSB takes on the University of Denver at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 1st at the Rec Cen Courts.

RESULTS
#49 Washington – 3
UC Santa Barbara – 4

Doubles (Order of finish: 1, 2)
1) Moreno/Holm (UCSB) def. Lam/Sommer (UW) 6-1
2) Freund/Rotherom (UCSB) def. Foley/Stewart (UW) 6-3
3) Davis/Douglas (UW) vs. Guillin/Krustev (UCSB) 5-5 DNF

Singles (Order of finish: 3, 2, 5, 1, 6, 4)
1) #80 Mitch Stewart (UW) def. Joseph Guillin (UCSB) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
2) #94 Nicolas Moreno (UCSB) def. #82 Jake Douglas (UW) 6-3, 7-6(4)
3) Simon Freund (UCSB) def. Enzo Sommer (UW) 6-3, 6-3
4) Amit Batta (UW) def. Anders Holm (UCSB) 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-1
5) Jack Davis (UW) def. Victor Krustev (UCSB) 7-5, 6-3
6) Joseph Rotherom (UCSB) def. Piers Foley (UW) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2

Gauchos Cruise Past Keydets, 12-3

Shannon Moran scored two goals to go with a game-high four steals in a 12-3 win over VMI on Tuesday afternoon at Campus Pool. (Photo by Eric Isaacs)

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Playing its first match in over two weeks, and first home match since January, the No. 17 UC Santa Barbara women's water polo team did not miss a beat as they took control early and cruised to a 12-3 victory over visiting Virginia Military Institute on Tuesday afternoon at Campus Pool.

Despite a slow start offensively for both teams, UCSB (13-9) got on the board with 1:40 remaining in the first period after Sarah Snyder dumped it in to Sarah Kreiser, who battled for good position in front of the goal.

On the very next possession, Kate Pipkin fired a laser into the back of the net from beyond five-meters to give the Gauchos an early 2-0 lead.

The Keydets responded quickly with a five-meter goal of their own to cut the UCSB lead in half, 2-1, before the end of the opening period.

In the second period, it was all Gauchos as Shannon Moran, Pipkin, Mollie Simmons and Emily Martin all scored a goal apiece while holding VMI scoreless, giving UCSB a 6-1 lead at the half. Martin highlighted the scoring run with a nifty backhanded goal on a nice find from Kate Coski.

UCSB continued its scoring pace with two more goals in the third courtesy of Pipkin and Moran before pouring in four goals in the final period to seal the victory.

Pipkin led the way offensively with four goals while Moran, Simmons and Kreiser tallied two goals apiece. Amelia Meckelborg dished out a game-high three assists and Moran came away with four steals. Kenzi Snyder and Becca Buck shared time in front of the cage, finishing with five and seven saves, respectively.

Emma Perez led VMI with two goals.

The Gauchos turn right around to host No. 1 Stanford (12-1) tomorrow, Mar. 28 at 12:00 p.m. at Campus Pool.

UCSB 12, VMI 3

	1	2	3	4	Final
Virginia Military Institute	1	0	1	1	3
UC Santa Barbara	2	4	2	4	12

VMI Goals: Perez 2, Barkley
VMI Saves: French 10

UCSB Goals: Pipkin 4, Kreiser 2, Moran 2, Simmons 2, Martin, Mortimer
UCSB Saves: Buck 7, K. Snyder 5

No. 13 UCSB Edges Pepperdine for 30th Win of Season

James Carter (photo by Eric Isaacs)

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Sophomore shortstop Clay Fisher had three hits and an RBI out of the two-hole while James Carter and Kyle Hatton teamed up to limit Pepperdine to two runs over seven innings as No. 13 UC Santa Barbara bested the Waves 4-3 on Tuesday afternoon at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium to earn its 30th win of the season. 

Making his season debut after a long recovery from Tommy John surgery, Carter started the game for UCSB (30-10-1) and pitched a scoreless first inning before being removed due to a pitch count.

Carter was lights out in 2015 as the Gauchos' closer before going down for the year, recording five saves and a perfect ERA over eight appearances. He showed some of that potential when he punched out Manny Jefferson on four pitches to end the frame. 

"It was fun to see Carter back out there," said UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts. "It's a long road