No. 15 UCSB Deals 11th-Ranked CSUN Straight-Set Loss

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SANTA BARBARA, CA - Looking to pick up a crucial conference road win, the 11th-ranked CSUN Matadors came up empty in a straight set (25-20, 25-22, 25-21) loss to No. 15 UC Santa Barbara Wednesday night at Rob Gym.

The Matadors (12-8, 5-8 MPSF) had trouble getting on track offensively from the outset as they hit just .130 in dropping the opening set 25-20. Then despite dropping to a .107 clip in set two, CSUN was down by just one point (21-20) late before falling 25-22. The Matadors managed to hit .261 in the final set but saw the set slip away late in a 25-21 loss.

"We've got to figure out a way to compete against a team that's ranked lower than us," said CSUN head coach Jeff Campbell. "We've really competed well against teams that are ranked higher than us but we've really struggled against teams ranked below us. Santa Barbara is a good team but it should have been more competitive tonight for sure, we just didn't execute."

Outside of junior middle Josiah Byers who hit .600, no other Matador starter hit better than Parker Maki's .222. Junior Arvis Greene had a team-high 12 kills but hit just .111 while Byers connected for seven kills on 10 swings with a single hitting error. Senior Jakub Ciesla came off the bench to chip in five kills on .429 hitting.

Ciesla also had one of two CSUN aces with Dimitar Kalchev serving the other, his 52nd of the season.

The Matadors found themselves having to overcome at least four point deficits in each and every set. Leading 9-7, CSUN surrendered a 9-4 run as the hosts opened up an insurmountable 19-14 lead.

In set two, the Matadors overcame an early 11-7 Gaucho lead and eventually pulled even at 19 on a Byers kill. But a UCSB kill followed by a setting error when Schylar Lillethorup couldn't connect with Kalchev gave the hosts a 21-19 lead. A Gaucho hitting error pulled CSUN within one but the Matadors could get no closer.

UCSB scored the first four points of the final set and CSUN again played from behind virtually the entire set. A Ciesla kill helped the Matadors forge a 14-14 tie and CSUN was still within one at 19-18 when the Gauchos closed the match on a 6-3 run.

Jacob Delson had a match-high 13 kills to lead UCSB which improved to 9-10 overall and 5-9 in conference play.

CSUN takes a brief break in the MPSF schedule this weekend as the Matadors travel to Long Beach to meet No. 10 Loyola-Chicago and George Mason.

#GoMatadors

No. 15 UCSB Deals 11th-Ranked CSUN Straight-Set Loss

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Team Stats

Arvis Greene

Josiah Byers

Jakub Ciesla

Parker Maki

Players Mentioned

Josiah Byers

Arvis Greene

Dimitar Kalchev

Parker Maki