Gauchos eliminated by Tritons in Big West Championship opener

During their final tournament of the season, No. 4 seed UC Santa Barbara men’s volleyball headed to UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center on Thursday, April 23, to face No. 5 seed UC San Diego in the first round of the 2026 Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship. The Gauchos fought hard but fell, losing 0-3. 

This past season, the Gauchos have faced the Tritons twice, on March 6 and April 18, winning both matches 3-2.

Off to a rough start, the Gauchos trailed 2-10 early in the first set. Digging deep, they climbed back to within five at 15-20 but could not overcome the deficit, losing 19-25. Notably, sophomore outside hitter Ethan Saint hit a set high of 5 kills. 

Entering the second set, the Gauchos regained their confidence with a 4-0 lead fueled by kills from Saint, junior middle blocker Josh Aruya and sophomore outside hitter George Bruening. The Tritons resurfaced and tied the game at 13-13. Trading points, the Gauchos held on until the Tritons took a 19-17 lead. 

The Gauchos came back to claim the next 4 points with Bruening at the service line, hitting 2 aces. Ahead 21-19, the Tritons pulled away on a 5-0 streak. With the Tritons reaching set point at 24-21, the Gauchos pushed back with a kill by Bruening. Down 22-24, the Tritons took the victory with a kill, claiming the set 25-22. On a roll, Saint finished the second set with a combined total of 11 kills.

With a spot in the semifinals on the line, the third set began with the Gauchos and Tritons neck-and-neck. Tied until 9-9, the Tritons went on a 4-point streak. Behind 13-16, the Gauchos came back to lead 17-16 with kills by Saint, Bruening and Aruya. Tied again at 17-17, the Tritons fought back, fueling another winning streak. Behind 17-20, the Gauchos fought to gain momentum. With the match on the line, the Gauchos closed in at 21-22 and 22-23 with help from a kill by junior setter Cole Schobel. Winning the next 2 points, the Tritons earned their ticket to the semifinals with a service ace. 

The Tritons then moved on to the second round and lost to No. 1 seed Hawai’i 1-3 on Friday, April 24.

In their final match of the season, Saint led with 13 kills, followed by 9 from Bruening and 6 from Aruya. Schobel reached 9 digs and 25 assists, and sophomore outside hitter Riggs Guy contributed 19 service receptions.  

Despite a tough closing match against the Tritons, the UCSB men’s volleyball team showed its durability during the 2025-26 season in a 3-2 win against No. 5 UC Irvine on March 13.