Gauchos battle but lose in 4 sets to #2 Stanford

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Gauchos unveiled their 2023 Big West Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance banners ahead of their home opener against #2 Stanford.

Although UCSB lost in four sets to the Cardinal, they hope their difficult nonconference schedule will prepare them for another run at the NCAA Tournament.

The Gauchos lose 22-25, 20-25, 25-21, 15-25 to fall to 2-5 on the year but four of those matches are against top 25 teams.

Eva Travis led UCSB with 13 kills and Andi Kreiling added a team-high 6 blocks.

Stanford moves to 5-0 after getting 13 kills from Elia Rubin and a match-high 10 blocks from Sami Francis.

UCSB will play top-ranked Pittsburgh on Saturday at the Pepperdine Tournament.