May 20, 2021 at 6:36 am by Preston Espar
Even with a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Hawaiâi in the NCAA Tournament semifinals that saw their incredible run come to an end, the UC Santa Barbara menâs volleyball team had a year to remember, as they had one of the most successful seasons in program history as winners of the Big West Championship for the first time in school history.Â
The Gauchos finished the regular season holding the No. 2 seed in the Big West rankings with a 13-4 record, while only losing three conference games the entire season. UCSB continued their success into the postseason, defeating Long Beach State and UC San Diego en route to the Big West Championship. The Gauchos had one more victory in the tank as they defeated Pepperdine 3-1 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to their conference rival and eventual NCAA champion Hawaiâi. Â