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Gauchos Lose Thrilling Blue-Green Rivalry to Mustangs in 3 Sets

Gauchos Lose Thrilling Blue-Green Rivalry to Mustangs in 3 Sets

Santa Barbara Battles Back but Drops Heartbreaker to Cal Poly

UCSB Drops to 1-3 in Big West Play, Mustangs Improve to 3-1

The UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team dropped a thrilling five-set match to rival Cal Poly in a Blue-Green Rivalry showdown on Thursday night inside the Thunderdome.

The Gauchos (7-8, 1-3 Big West) battled back from a 2-0 deficit to force a fifth set, but the Mustangs (10-5, 3-1 Big West) ultimately prevailed 25-23, 25-21, 21-25, 22-25, 15-11.

Despite the loss, UCSB showed tremendous resilience and determination throughout the match. The Gauchos never gave up and fought until the very end.

## Gauchos Rally from 2-0 Deficit to Force Fifth Set

The Gauchos fell behind early, dropping the first two sets to Cal Poly. However, they refused to go down without a fight.

In the third set, UCSB stormed back from a 17-12 deficit to win 25-21. The Gauchos then took the fourth set 25-22 to force a decisive fifth set.

## Mustangs Prevail in Fifth Set

The fifth set was a back-and-forth affair, but Cal Poly ultimately pulled away to win 15-11.

The Mustangs were led by junior outside hitter Maia Dvoracek, who had a match-high 22 kills. Senior middle blocker Meredith Phillips added 13 kills and 10 blocks for Cal Poly.

## Gauchos Look to Rebound Next Week

The Gauchos will look to rebound next week when they host UC San Diego on Thursday, October 6 and Cal State Northridge on Saturday, October 8.

UCSB will need to regroup and refocus if they want to get back on track in Big West play.