The UC Santa Barbara Women’s Volleyball team opened their 2026 season undefeated by shutting out the University of Arizona 3-0 and picking up the third win of the tournament.

The Gauchos emerged as the top team, as Arizona was undefeated coming into the match after going 3-0 against both Tarleton State and Prairie View A&M and had received votes in the AVCA National Collegiate Preseason Poll.

Three Gauchos were named to the All-Tournament Team – Sophia Wendlick, Gabi Martinez, and Cortni Youngblood, with Wendlick being named MVP of the tournament.

“I’m really proud of the resilience we showed across the entire weekend,” UCSB head coach Mike Henchy said. “There were important moments for us in each match, and I thought collectively they made intentional decisions and found their way back to our standard.

“We were able to learn a lot and I’m excited for us to get a chance to host two more great programs this week in the Thunderdome.”

The Wildcats and Gauchos traded the lead early in the match, staying tied through 11-11. Santa Barbara took a small lead on a kill from Wendlick, then took the first lead at 15-12.

The Gauchos kept ahead for the remainder of the set, though Arizona never strayed more than four points behind. The Wildcats crept up to just one point behind at 20-19, but Santa Barbara never lost their lead and ended the set at 25-22, giving Arizona their first set loss of the tournament.

Arizona threatened to win the second set, but the Gauchos pushed it into overtime and took it 29-27. The two were consistent throughout the set, with ties appearing at 10-10 and 15-15. The tie stood until 19-19, when Arizona reached slightly ahead at 21-19.

The Wildcats reached a 23-20 advantage, but the Gauchos came back to tie it 23-23. Both battled through five set points, but kills by Martinez and Bella Mathis tipped the scales for the Gauchos, bringing them to a 2-0 match lead.

The third set was equally tight, as ties once again characterized the competition. It was neck and neck through 15-15 until Arizona reached forward at 21-17. The Gauchos were then down once again at 23-20, but they made five points in a row to take the set, match, and leave the weekend undefeated.

Wendlick was the engine behind the victory effort, giving the Gauchos the best game of her career. She made an outstanding 19 kills, the most made by any player in the tournament, and beat her previous best of 13 kills, which she made just Saturday against Prairie View. 

Wendlick also hit an astronomical .394 from just 33 attempts. Youngblood made a weekend record of 17 digs, the most made by anyone across the tournament’s six matches.

Martinez scooped 12 digs for the first double-digit count of her season, while Sandrea Thomas made a career-high five digs. Bella Mathis made seven total blocks, including two solos. Milan Rex and Ayva Ostovar both made double-digit assists, reaching 22 and 20 for the match.

The Gauchos will open their home season on Sept. 3 against Iowa State.Â