Box Score SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – UCI dropped the first match of a non-conference doubleheader with UC Santa Barbara at Robertson Gym, 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-19).

The fourth-ranked Gauchos go to 3-0 on the year while the No. 11 Anteaters go to 0-3.

COACH KNIFFIN SAID
"Santa Barbara is a top offensive team that has a real polished and smooth way they play the game and slowing them down will always be a challenge. I think we did it well in moments and we had moments where we were really tough to slow down. We were playing a team that is locked in their identity and we are still working on ours."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Freshman Francesco Sani led the team with a career-best 13 kills. He also added six digs and two block assists
>Junior Jonny Bowles made the start at opposite and recorded 10 kills and a team-best seven digs
>Senior Joel Schneidmiller tallied nine kills, six digs and two aces
>Freshman Dylan Zhai made his first career start and totaled 32 set assists and three digs
>UCSB's Randy DeWeese had 21 kills to lead all players. He hit .576 (21-2-33). Setter Casey McGarry posted 35 set assists, match-high eight digs, two block assists and two kills
>The Gauchos out-blocked (6.5-4.0) and out-hit (.378-.267) UCI. The teams each had three aces

FIRST SET
>The teams remained within two points of each other until UCI had consecutive kills by Joel Schneidmiller, Francesco Sani and Jonny Bowles to take a 19-16 lead
>Following a Gaucho timeout, UCSB went on a 5-1 run which included two blocks to take a 21-20 advantage
>A UC Santa Barbara attack error put the set back at even (21-21)
>UCSB won a joust at the net then had a service ace to take the set, 25-23

SECOND SET
>A kill by Randy DeWeese pushed the Gaucho lead to 8-5
>A 3-1 spurt, the last a block, gave UCSB a 16-11 lead
>UCI tried to rally on a kill and ace by Schneidmiller and again on a pair of kills by Patrick Vorenkamp, but UCSB would go on to take the set  25-19

THIRD SET
>UCI held an early 3-1 lead on a Sani kill
>A kill and ace by Schneidmiller was followed by a block by Sani and Scott Stadick, 6-2
>Following a timeout, UCSB responded knotting the score at 7-7
>A block, kill and UCI attack error was all the Gauchos need to sneak ahead 20-18
>UCSB would win the final four points, three on UCI errors to win 25-19 and the match 3-0

UP NEXT
The teams will return to action at 4:00 p.m. for the second match of today's doubleheader