The No. 12 UC Santa Barbara Men’s Volleyball team brought the No. 1 UCLA Bruins to the brink Wednesday night, pushing the nation-leading team into overtime twice and finishing within two points during each set.
Though the Bruins won 3-0 (25-23, 28-26, 32-30) the Gauchos made a valiant effort and proved their spot among the NCAA’s top 15.
UCLA opened the match with a 5-1 head start before widening the gap at 13-6. The Gauchos found their footing and retaliated, however, as they made six of the next seven points and found themselves within reaching distance at 14-12.
Then, Ethan Saint and Dylan Pilkvist put up a well-placed block to tie the nation-leading team at 16-16. Six more ties would find the teams this set, with Riggs Guy landing an ace for 22-22 and Mikey Denver a kill at 23-23 for the final two. UCLA went on to collect the two remaining points and close 25-23.
The Gauchos held the reins for the second set, breaking into a 4-1 start and remaining several points ahead through the first half. George Bruening provided an ace at 15-10 to get the Gauchos their best lead of the match.
UCLA began to gain on the Gauchos, pulling a tie at 17-17. It was once again deadlocked through the twenties, though UCLA reached the first set point at 24-23.
Bruening protested with a kill, then Guy landed one of his own to bring Santa Barbara to a set point at 26-25. But, UCLA once again closed, making the last three points to win the set 28-26.
During the third, the Gauchos forced UCLA into its second-longest set of the season, a 62-point thriller that ultimately ended with the Bruins claiming it 32-30. Neither team managed to lead by more than two until UCLA chiseled a four-point lead at 17-13.
In response, the Gauchos laid down four kills and welcomed a Bruin error to tie it up 19-19. During a play that featured an assist and dig by Bruening, an assist attempt from Guy and a kill by Cole Schobel, the Gauchos reached a two-point lead at 23-21.
UCLA tied it 23-23, then the teams began to jockey. UC Santa Barbara made its way back from four UCLA set points before the Bruins were able to finalize at 32-30. The Gauchos hit a stunning .459 in the third set, making 19 kills from 37 attempts.
Bruening hit a major .412 with 16 kills, giving 5.33 per set. He was critical in bringing the Gauchos back from the brink, finding lines in the most critical moments. He led the team in kills as well as digs with seven. Guy and Saint both dispensed ten kills, while Guy picked up five digs and Saint led the team in block assists with four.
Mikey Denver hit .600, making three kills from five attempts through the middle. Schobel made a legendary 12 assists per set and made the match’s only solo block.
The Gauchos will host No. 9 UC San Diego on Friday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m. in The Thunderdome.