Saturday, April 13
Northridge, CA
6:00 P.M.
California State University at Northridge
12-15,3-7Big West
3
vs
1
UC Santa Barbara
9-17,2-8Big West
1
2
3
4
F
UC Santa Barbara
25
21
19
22
1
CSUN
23
25
25
25
3
Photo by: Steve Fitzgerald
CSUN Defeats UC Santa Barbara on Senior Night, 3-1 to Cap Regular Season
4/13/2024 8:41:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – Senior Kyle Hobus capped his CSUN home career with a match-high 18 kills to lead the 14th-ranked Matadors to a 25-23, 25-21, 19-25, 25-22 victory over UC Santa Barbara in the regular season finale for both teams Saturday night at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
With the win, CSUN closes the regular season with a 12-15 overall record while finishing fifth in the Big West at 3-7. The Matadors have secured the No. 5 seed in next week's Outrigger Big West Championship in Honolulu.
In his final home match, Hobus hit .333 on 33 swings while also matching his career high with four aces. Jalen Phillips added 14 kills (.391), two digs, two blocks, and one ace while senior Griffin Walters chipped in nine kills on .533 hitting with four digs and one ace. CSUN setter Donovan Constable set a new career high with five aces while also recording 38 assists and five digs.
CSUN hit .360 as a team, its best since hitting .387 in a 3-1 win at No. 2 Hawai'i on Mar. 23. The Matadors also out-blocked the Gauchos, 11-7 and had a 23-19 edge in digs. After being out-aced 14-6 in Santa Barbara on Friday, CSUN had 12 aces to UCSB's four on Saturday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
HEAD COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"Exciting win tonight for our team, and especially for our seniors. What an awesome way to end their final regular season match. Jano (Tello) had some late blocks, and both Griffin and Kyle had some really great production. I thought Donovan (Constable) did a tremendous job as well and Jalen (Phillips) continued his great play over the last couple weeks. We've learned a lot over the course of the season and now we'll take those lessons to Hawai'i and see if we can make something special happen."
UP NEXT
All six Big West teams will head to the Outrigger Big West Men's Volleyball Championship which begins next Thursday, Apr. 18 at SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center.
#GoMatadors
With the win, CSUN closes the regular season with a 12-15 overall record while finishing fifth in the Big West at 3-7. The Matadors have secured the No. 5 seed in next week's Outrigger Big West Championship in Honolulu.
In his final home match, Hobus hit .333 on 33 swings while also matching his career high with four aces. Jalen Phillips added 14 kills (.391), two digs, two blocks, and one ace while senior Griffin Walters chipped in nine kills on .533 hitting with four digs and one ace. CSUN setter Donovan Constable set a new career high with five aces while also recording 38 assists and five digs.
CSUN hit .360 as a team, its best since hitting .387 in a 3-1 win at No. 2 Hawai'i on Mar. 23. The Matadors also out-blocked the Gauchos, 11-7 and had a 23-19 edge in digs. After being out-aced 14-6 in Santa Barbara on Friday, CSUN had 12 aces to UCSB's four on Saturday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Matadors trailed early in the opening set, ultimately going down 15-11 at the media timeout. A 7-2 run out of the break, capped by a Hobus kill, gave CSUN its first lead at 18-17. The Gauchos would battle back to take a 21-20 lead before another Hobus kill and a Hobus ace put the Matadors back in front. Still clinging to a 23-22 lead, a Matador hitting error and a UCSB kill sent the visitors to the 25-23 win.
- Neither team led by more than two to start the second set until Phillips' ace put CSUN up three at 9-6. The Matadors would extend the lead to four at 12-8 when UCSB rallied behind a 4-0 run to force a CSUN timeout. The Gaucho run would extend to six as the visitors opened up a 14-12 cushion. Another Hobus kill would cap a 6-0 Matador run that put CSUN back on top 18-14. UCSB would battle back to within one on three occasions down the stretch, the last at 22-21 when a Gaucho hitting error, a CSUN block and an Owen Douphner kill sent the Matadors to the 25-21 win.
- After the Gauchos held an early lead, CSUN would race out to an 11-6 lead and never look back. The Matadors maintained a five-point lead at the media timeout (15-10) before leading by as many as six following a Hobus ace. That would turn out to be final margin as CSUN won the set, 25-19.
Jalen Phillips with AUTHORITY. ??
— CSUN Men's Volleyball (@CSUNMensVB) April 14, 2024
CSUN takes set three and now leads 2-1 overall.#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/DXFY1SM5Eh
- The Matadors trailed by two early on before scoring four straight to open up a 9-7 lead on a Walters kill. The Gauchos were still within two at 16-14 when CSUN claimed three of the next four to open up a 19-15 lead. UCSB would rally to within one at 23-22 when a Gaucho service error and a Walters kill clinched the 25-22 win.
MATCH. MATADORS.
— CSUN Men's Volleyball (@CSUNMensVB) April 14, 2024
CSUN beats UC Santa Barbara 3-1 to end the regular season.#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/NiXQqvtuEQ
HEAD COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"Exciting win tonight for our team, and especially for our seniors. What an awesome way to end their final regular season match. Jano (Tello) had some late blocks, and both Griffin and Kyle had some really great production. I thought Donovan (Constable) did a tremendous job as well and Jalen (Phillips) continued his great play over the last couple weeks. We've learned a lot over the course of the season and now we'll take those lessons to Hawai'i and see if we can make something special happen."
Head Coach Theo Edwards shares his thoughts following No. 14 #CSUN's 3-1 win over UCSB on senior night#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/EyKcTObIq3
— CSUN Men's Volleyball (@CSUNMensVB) April 14, 2024
UP NEXT
All six Big West teams will head to the Outrigger Big West Men's Volleyball Championship which begins next Thursday, Apr. 18 at SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center.
#GoMatadors
Team Stats
UCSB
CSUN
Kills
48
47
Errors
20
16
Attempts
99
86
Hitting %
.283
.360
Points
59.0
70.0
Assists
45
45
Aces
4
12
Blocks
7
11
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
18
Aces
4
Blocks
3
Kills
14
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
9
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
2
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
S
/ Men's Volleyball
S
/ Men's VolleyballOH
/ Men's VolleyballOPP
/ Men's VolleyballOH
/ Men's VolleyballCalHOPE Award Nathan Merren
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