MALIBU – The start of the 2015 season could not have gone much better, as UCSB swept its way through two matches to open at 2-0. The Gauchos tipped off the Pepperdine Asics Tournament with a 3-0 match against Utah Valley (25-19, 25-22, 26-24) and followed that up by blanking Incarnate Word (25-20, 25-22, 25-14) later in the afternoon.
Senior Ali Barbeau shined in both matches, as she finished the day with 28 kills, including 17 against UVU. Looking impressive in her first matches in a UCSB uniform, middle blocker Elizabeth Sheffield tacked on 18 kills with a .457 hitting percentage along with a team-high eight total blocks.
Handling setting duties were Hanna Nielson and Annie Hasselmann who completed the day with 32 and 31 assists, respectively. On the defensive side, freshman Emilia Petrachi made the start at libero and led the Gauchos with 19 digs, while Jaylen Villanueva was right behind her with 18 scoops.
Overall, the Gauchos swung at a .226 clip as a team and picked up 86 total digs in limiting their opponents to just .088 hitting percentage.
The Gauchos will conclude tournament play against Pepperdine at 12 p.m. at the Firestone Fieldhouse. A video stream will carry the match, which will also feature live stats.
