SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Women’s Volleyball team returned home Friday night to defeat Cal State Fullerton 3-1 in a rematch of their October bout that Fullerton took 3-2. The Gauchos remain third in The Big West with a 9-4 record. 

The Gauchos had a commanding opening set, taking it from the Titans twelve points ahead at 25-13. Santa Barbara led for the entirety of the first, opening 2-0 and later widening to 4-1.

Fullerton came back to a minor trail at 6-7, but the Gauchos made ten of the next eleven points to sit ten points ahead at 17-7. A service ace by Milan Rex put the Gauchos up eleven points at 19-8, then the Gauchos continued with six more points to give them the first. 

Fullerton found their footing in the second set, though the Gauchos stayed ahead at 25-23. Santa Barbara led all the way to a 10-5 gap, but Fullerton came up with five straight points to tie it 10-10. The Titans were leading by 16-13, then kept ahead to 18-15.

The Gauchos made four straight to retrieve the lead at 19-18, but Fullerton tied it again 19-19. The match was tied until 22-22, when a kill from Auburn Tomkinson put them at a 23-22 advantage. Two kills by Bella Mathis won the set 25-23. 

The Titans were dominant in the third set, winning it 25-18. They opened it 8-4, but the Gauchos tied it 9-9. Fullerton caught a 13-10 lead and expanded upon it, later reaching 20-15 and 25-18. The Gauchos were more successful in the fourth and final set, pulling out an extra-point 26-24 victory.

Fullerton had a disquieting 7-2 initial lead, though the Gauchos were able to tie at 12-12 with a kill from Gabi Martinez. Fullerton then pulled ahead by multiple points until the Gauchos equalized once more at 18-18.

Two more points from the Gauchos in the form of an Emma McDermott kill and Biana Nistor service ace gave them back the lead at 20-18. They held onto the lead for most of the remaining set, but Fullerton stayed on their tail. Finally, at a 24-24 tie, a kill from Tomkinson and a Titan error clinched the Gaucho win.  

Martinez showered a stunning 20 kills as the only Gaucho to hit double-digits. She also lifted 13 digs for her sixth double-double of the year. McDermott followed with nine kills, while Tomkinson and Bella Mathis followed with seven.

Both Mathis and Emery Tubbs made three solo blocks, with the total being a career-best for the latter. She also made a record three kills. Milan Rex and Ayva Ostovar both reached 11 digs for their second double-digit dig counts of the season. 

The Gauchos host Long Beach State on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 7:00 p.m.