HONOLULU, Hawai’i – The sixth-seeded UC Santa Barbara Men’s Volleyball team (9-17) hit the court at Simplifi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center for The Hawaiian Islands Presents The 2024 Outrigger Big West Championships. The Gauchos took on the host team in third-seeded Hawai’i in the quarterfinal round with the winner moving on to play UC Irvine in the semifinals. By the end of four sets, it was Hawai’i who came out on top as the Gauchos fell just short of winning this match with scores of 25-23, 20-25, 17-25 and 23-25.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos started off hot against the Rainbow Warriors, going up by three early on. It didn’t take long for the home team to rally back as they tied up the score at 13-13. From there, it was a back-and-forth battle between these two teams until UC Santa Barbara lit up the stat sheet while Hawai’i could not get in a rhythm. Even though the Rainbow Warriors tried to make one last push, they were not able to as the Gauchos took the first set 25-23.
Hawai’i wanted revenge as they came out swinging in the second set. They went up by three points early on, not giving the Gauchos too many opportunities through the first seven points. That was until Geste Bianchi went off, notching three kills within five points to help tie things up at 6-6. Even though the Gauchos stayed close throughout the remainder of this set, Hawai’i did not allow UC Santa Barbara to get any closer than that as the Rainbow Warriors took the second set 25-20.
From the start of the third set, it belonged to the Rainbow Warriors. They came out with a fiery start while the Blue and Gold could not come up with a solution. Hawai’i’s .474 hitting percentage in this set carried them to a 25-17 victory, adding pressure on the Gauchos as they looked to keep their season alive.
The fourth set was a chippy battle between these two teams as the score was tied 18 times throughout this set. With the match tied at 22-22, it was time to make a final push. Unfortunately for the Gauchos, it was Hawai’i who completed that finish as the Gauchos dropped the fourth and final set 23-25.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
· Geste Bianchi led the Gauchos yet again as he finished the night with 24 kills while hitting at a .314 clip. Not only that, but he helped the team’s defensive efforts with seven digs and three blocks.
· Jack Walmer was the playmaker for the Gauchos. He notched 33 assists on the night while contributing an ace. As if that wasn’t enough, he was crucial to the team’s defensive efforts with eight digs and three blocks.
· Owen Loncar had a great defensive performance in the front row. He finished the night with a match-high six blocks.
· Ben Coordt was the other Gaucho to finish with double-digit kills this evening. He ended the season with 11 kills while adding on an ace and a block.
· Sam Meister was extremely efficient in the middle. He ended his time in Honolulu with eight kills and only two errors on 11 swings, resulting in a .545 hitting percentage.
IN CONCLUSION…
The Gauchos finished the season with a 9-18 record overall and 2-8 in Big West play. The team thanks everyone for supporting them this season.
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