UC Santa Barbara wins Big West title to earn trip to NCAA men's volleyball tournament
Apr. 25—Entering the Big West tournament, UC Santa Barbara coach Rick McLaughlin said the Gauchos probably needed at least one win in Honolulu to put them in consideration for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
They did one better to assure themselves of a trip to Columbus, Ohio, next week.
No. 3 and second-seeded UC Santa Barbara dropped the first set of Saturday's Big West final against UC San Diego and was two points away from going two sets down. The Gauchos rallied to even the match, then surged past the Tritons in a 22-25, 27-25, 25-21, 25-20 win to claim the program's first Big West tournament championship and the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
UCSB senior Randy DeWeese put down 13 kills and Punahou graduate Ryan Wilcox added 12 as the Gauchos (15-4 ) wore down the Tritons (5-13 ), who had played nine sets over the previous two nights in their improbable run to the tournament final.
Wilcox was named the tournament MVP in his homecoming week.
The Gauchos managed to grind out their sixth win over UCSD this season despite hitting.190 with 20 attack errors. UCSD finished the night hitting.173 with 27 errors.
All-Big West setter Casey McGarry had 40 assists and 10 digs and was in on four of the Gauchos' 14.5 blocks. UCSB senior opposite Keenan Sanders was in on seven blocks, teaming with Roy McFarland for a roof on match point.
Kyle McCauley and Collin Shannon led UC San Diego with 13 kills each and Ryan Ka finished with 12.
Powered by four seniors—DeWeese, McFarland, Sanders and McGarry—UCSB spent most of the season ranked third in the AVCA coaches poll behind Hawaii and BYU and strengthened its NCAA resume with a four-set win over two-time defending national champion Long Beach State in Friday's semifinal round.
They were joined in the final by a UC San Diego team that began the week with three wins, a five-match losing streak and little buzz upon arriving in Honolulu. The Tritons earned the program's first postseason win with a four-set win over Cal State Northridge on Thursday and stunned No. 1 Hawaii in five sets on Friday.
UCSD rolled the momentum into a win in the first set of Saturday's final and held a 23-20 lead in the second set. But the Gauchos put together a 3-0 run, tying the set when McLaughlin used UCSB's final challenge and a call was overturned and completed the comeback to tie the match and seize momentum.
UC Santa Barbara then pulled away in the third set and raced out to a 4-0 lead in the fourth. UCSD battled back and led 17-16 when UCSB went on a 4-0 run with freshman middle blocker Donovan Todorov contributing two blocks and a kill that gave the Gauchos a 20-17 advantage.
The teams traded sideouts and the Gauchos earned match point when McGarry put down his lone kill of the night and the block by Sanders and McFarland triggered the UCSB celebration in an otherwise silent arena.
