Pacific Falls To UCSB In Three

March 27, 2009

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Pacific men's volleyball team dropped to 3-20 overall (0-14 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) with a 30-26, 30-22, 30-25 loss to UC Santa Barbara (8-13, 4-12 MPSF) on Friday, Mar. 27, at the Alex G. Spanos Center.

In the opening set, Pacific fell behind 8-4, before scoring five of the next six points to knot it up at 9-9. The Tigers got two blocks in that stretch, in addition to a kill from junior Jason Borchin (Roseville, Calif.). UCSB again pulled ahead by five (19-14), but Pacific outscored the Gauchos 9-3 to take a 23-22 lead. Senior Jeff Hendershot (Claremont, Calif.) had three of his team-high 14 kills in the run. Five quick points from UCSB gave the Gauchos a 27-23 lead, and they were able to hold on for the 30-26 win.

The teams battled back and forth in the opening 18 plays of the second set, with the score evened up at 9-9. Freshman Sean Daley (Moorpark, Calif.) had three of his four second-set kills in the early going for the Tigers. Pacific scored the next three points to take a 12-9 lead, but the Gauchos used a 5-0 spurt to take a 14-12 lead. After the Tigers scored on a triple block by Daley, Hendershot and freshman Dylan Walker (La Canada, Calif.), the Gauchos outscored Pacific 7-1 and take command of the second set with a 21-14 lead. UCSB ended up cruising to a 30-22 victory in the second set.

The Tigers pulled out to a 10-8 lead in the third set behind a pair of kills from senior Joe Forbes (Westport, Conn.). After a 7-2 stretch gave UCSB a 15-12 lead, each team answered the other over the next eight points to make it a 19-16 Gaucho lead. After UCSB extended the lead to 28-22, another Forbes kill and a Gaucho attack error made it 28-24. UCSB was able to finish it off 30-25, and took the match in straight sets.

Pacific had 41 kills in the match and tallied nine blocks. Forbes had a team-high five blocks for the Tigers.

The Tigers are back in action on Saturday, March 28 with a home game against Cal State Northridge. First serve is at 7:00 p.m. in the Alex G. Spanos Center.

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