The UCSB men’s volleyball team is much improved this season.
The Gauchos will be seeking revenge on Friday when they play host to No. 5-ranked UCLA in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match at Rob Gym. First serve is at 7 p.m.
UCLA outlasted the Gauchos in five sets when the rivals met in the opening match of UCSB’s Asics Tournament two weeks ago.
The Gauchos won three in a row after that loss before falling at Cal State Northridge last Friday in five sets.
A big part of UCSB’s improvement is the play of freshman setter Jonah Seif of Thousand Oaks. At 6-8, Seif is the tallest setter in Gaucho volleyball history. He had his first career double-double in the match at Northridge with 50 assists and 12 kills.
Here are some other events worth checking out:
FRIDAY
Foresters Hot Stove Banquet: At Earl Warren Showgrounds, 5:30 p.m. — The two-time defending National Baseball Congress champions host this annual event in conjunction with the UCSB baseball team. It is a fundraiser to upgrade facilities at UCSB’s Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
This year’s keynote speaker is Milwaukee Brewers manager Ron Roenicke, whose son, Lance, played at UCSB.
The night will also feature the Foresters inducting new members into their Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees are former major leaguer Ryan Church and Andre Miller, a member of two Forester NBC World Series title teams.
Tickets are available at sbforesters.org.
BOYS BASKETBALL:
Buena at Santa Barbara, 7 p.m. — Dons won a close one at Buena in the first round of Channel League play.
Ventura at San Marcos, 7 p.m. — The Royals play host to the Cougars in a Channel League game.
Cate at Laguna Blanca, 6 p.m. — Condor League rivals clashSATURDAY
Men’s Basketball: Cal Poly at UCSB, 4 p.m. — The Central Coast rivals meet in a n important Big West game at the Thunderdome. UCSB is 2-3 in league while Cal Poly is 3-2. The Mustangs own a victory over UCLA this year. They’ll be playing a Gaucho team that is led by powerful Alan Williams, who is coming off 28-point, 11-rebound perfornance, his ninth double-double of the season.
