UCSB hit .440 as a team on Saturday night, committing just seven attacking errors en route to a 3-0 sweep of No. 13 Stanford in the final contest of a four-match homestand at Rob Gym.
The 25-14, 25-20, 25-19 win improved UCSB’s record to 6-4 overall with a 2-4 mark in conference play, while salvaging a .500 record on the spell at home (2-2). Stanford dropped to 3-6, 2-4.
The last time UCSB committed just seven errors was on Apr. 9, 2014 against Cal Baptist. It is only the third time in the past four seasons that the Gauchos have had fewer than 10 errant attacks in a match.
“You could definitely tell we gelled well as a team tonight,” said UCSB head coach Rick McLaughlin. “We passed really well for the match which allowed Jonah (Seif) some freedom to spread the ball around. We were very balanced offensively and its hard to stop an attack when it is getting contributions from everyone on the floor.”
UCSB’s standout pin hitters Jacob Delson and Kevin Donohue scored 11 kills apiece to pace all players. But it was setter Jonah Seif and middle blockers Ryan Hardy and Jake Staahl who helped the team to its second-highest attacking clip of the season.
The trio combined to record 13 kills with no errors on a paltry 15 swings for an .867 hitting percentage. Hardy was the most prolific of the three, finishing with seven kills, including three apiece in each of the match’s first two games. Seif and Hardy both recorded kills on each of their three respective swings.
Seif quarterbacked the UCSB attack, recording 32 assists while ripping another two service aces to give him a co-team-leading 12 on the year (Delson). Staahl and Delson recorded four blocks each to help double up the Cardinal at the net (8.0 team blocks to 4.0).
Stanford was led by outside hitter Madison Hayden, the only Cardinal to reach double-figures with 10 kills. Middle blocker Conrad Kaminski had four kills to go along with team-bests of two aces and three blocks.
The Gauchos will now hit the road for their next three contests, starting this Wednesday, Feb. 4 at Cal State Northridge. They will also take on the Long Beach State 49ers on Friday, Feb. 6 before wrapping up the road swing at UCLA on Feb. 13.
