The UC Santa Barbara women’s volleyball team matched up against UC Irvine on Saturday, Oct.18 resulting in a 3-1 win for the Gauchos. This is not unfamiliar winning territory for the Gauchos, as they have a 71-18 all-time record against the Anteaters.

UCSB dominated the first set with a 25-16 win to put them up 1-0 early on. The Gauchos were already up 19-14 when they scored 5 straight points unanswered, putting them up 23-14 over the Anteaters. The second set was a bit more competitive as the Anteaters started strong with a lead of 16-13. UCSB then scored 12 of the next 16 points to pull out the second win with a score of 25-20. 

In the third set, the Anteaters came out competitively and outhit the Gauchos to win with a score of 25-19. After losing a set, the Gauchos entered the fourth set motivated, capturing a lead of 16-9 and finishing the set with a score of 25-12. Junior outside hitter Kiersten Schmitt and freshman outside hitter Gabi Martinez were both a huge part of this win, combining for a total of 25 kills. 

The Gauchos are now 6-2 in Big West competition this season and 35-5 at home in the Thunderdome since 2022. They will look to extend this winning record on Saturday, Oct. 25 against UC Riverside.