Gauchos fall to Mustangs in hard fought 3 set game

With over 950 spectators in attendance, UC Santa Barbara Women’s volleyball (10-10,6-3 Big West) hosted the highly anticipated rivalry game against Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo (13-6, 9-0 Big West) on October 22. Having to overcome an in-game injury, the Gauchos fought hard but fell short to the Mustangs in a 0-3 game. 

The Mustangs came out strong in the first set, mustering up an 11-4 lead on the Gauchos. A shift in offense came when sophomore setter Ava Zamora was subbed into the game. Her assist paired with sophomore opposite Avery Gibbs’ kill, and back to back kills from sophomore outside Gabi Martinez led to a trickle that narrowed the score to an eventual 18-16 two point deficit. As the first set came to an end, Cal Poly’s .308 hitting in comparison to the Gauchos’ .121 resulted in a 25-19 victory for the Mustangs.

The second set began with the Mustangs quickly reestablishing control in a 7-3 lead. This only grew with Cal Poly’s Alexis Haury anchoring in a 10-0 run in a single service turn that pushed the score to 18-4 in favor of the Mustangs. The Gauchos fought back with a kill and ace from senior opposite Auburn Tomkinson [[ok]], however the deficit proved to be too large. With a final service error, Cal Poly took the second set 25-13. 

The Gauchos came back strong in the third set starting off with an aggressive kill from outside hitter Martinez resulting in an early 1-0 lead for UCSB. The Mustangs remained diligent, fighting to an 8-4 advantage. The Gauchos, however, refused to back down as service aces from Tomkinson, and Martinez kills successfully tied the game at 12-12. 

Down 12-16 to the Mustangs in the third set, a frightening collision occurred on the court between UC Santa Barbara players junior outsides Sophia Wendlick and Gabi Martinez. Wendlick sustained a significant injury, appearing to be to her left knee. Martin was able to walk off of the court, although she suffered a visible bloody nose from the impact. Both were tended to by medical staff before the match proceeded. 

In an emotional end to the last set, the Gauchos came together to play for their teammates. Cal Poly continued to a 21-13 advantage before UCSB junior outside Danica Rach stopped the run from growing. As points continued to trade between teams, The Mustangs claimed the game with a 25-17 victory. 

In the Thursday game, Martinez led UCSB with 10 kills, followed by Wendlick’s 6 and 5 from Tomkinson. Senior defensive specialist Cortni Youngblood secured 6 digs for the Gauchos along with senior setter Milan Rex obtaining 20 assists. 

Despite the difficult match and loss against the Mustangs, the UC Santa Barbara women’s volleyball team has consistently demonstrated their grit throughout the 2026 season, a trait highlighted by a previous 3-2 win against California Baptist on Oct. 16, a result the Gauchos look to carry forward as the season continues.