LONG BEACH, California – The Penn State men's volleyball team dropped its second-straight match on its California road trip with a 3-0 loss (20-25, 23-25, 21-25) to sixth-ranked UC Santa Barbara Saturday evening at the AVCA Showcase.
The Nittany Lions now stand at 4-6 overall after a four-game losing skid. UCSB improved to 11-3.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
- UCSB sped out to a 6-1 lead early before Jason Donorovich stopped the run with the Nittany Lions' first kill.
- Penn State scored four of the next six points to crawl back within three at 8-5.
- Back-to-back aces for UCSB's Brandon Hicks forced a Nittany Lion timeout down 11-5.
- Penn State cut back the deficit to as low as four with back-to-back aces from Luke Braswell at 18-14.
- The Gauchos never let their lead slip below four, however, as they ended up taking the first set.
- Set Score: UCSB 25, Penn State 20
- Match Score: UCSB 1, Penn State 0
Second Set
- Henrik Falck Lauten gave Penn State an early 4-3 edge and later added Penn State's third service ace of the match to put the Nittany Lions ahead 8-7.
- The Gachos rallied and built a two-point lead at 11-9, but kills by Matthew McLaren and Braswell tied the score and the two teamed up with Donorovich for a block to retake the lead.
- Falck Lauten had another service ace to build a 18-16 lead, but UCSB scored four straight to go back in front by two.
- McLaren rattled off three-straight kills for Penn State and the Nittany Lions held a 23-22 edge late in the set.
- UCSB found the points it needed to win the next three points to clinch the set behind a kill, a block, and a PSU error.
- Set Score: UCSB 25, Penn State 23
- Match Score: UCSB 2, Penn State 0
Third Set
- The Gauchos took an early lead in the third set that they would never give away, but Penn State didn't let UCSB get too far in front. When UCSB led 7-3, Penn State scored three-straight points to pull within one.
- UCSB led 15-10 to force a Penn State timeout, but the Nittany Lions came out of the timeout firing on all cylinders with four-straight points on three kills and an ace from Flack Lauten and the Gauchos took a timeout of their own.
- Penn State wouldn't draw back within two for the rest of the set however, as UCSB scored eight of the next 13 to complete the match.
- Set Score: UC Santa Barbara 25, Penn State 21
- Match Score: UC Santa Barbara wins 3-0
STAT STANDOUTS
- Matthew McLaren led Penn State with 10 kills while hitting .240 (10-4-25) for the match. McLaren also had eight digs.
- Henrik Falck Lauten set a career high with three services aces while adding nine kills and six digs.
- Luke Braswell saw his first game action since Jan. 18 and spent the majority of the match at setter for the Nittany Lions. He had 22 assists and tied McLaren with eight digs.
- UCSB's Corey Chavers led the Gauchos with 14 kills and swung .429 (14-2-28).
NEXT UP
- The Nittany Lions return to State College and EIVA play with two matches against conference foes Harvard and Sacred Heart next Friday and Saturday, Feb. 15-16.