By: Diego Macaraeg (@DiegoMac_sports) – Spear Reporter | Sophomore middle blocker Learden Lee goes up for a spike on Aug. 29. (Photo by Mohammad Najimi – Spear Photographer)
San Jose State volleyball (0-1, 0-0 MW) dropped its season opener Friday, falling to UC Santa Barbara (1-0, 0-0 Big West) in four sets.
The Spartans stayed close throughout the match but couldn’t sustain momentum after winning their first set, 25-23.
SJSU showed flashes of potential in their debut, but UCSB played a well balanced match that proved to be too much for the Spartans to overcome.
San Jose State received strong contributions from redshirt junior outside hitter Lolo Fonua with 20 total attempts and freshman libero Nazare Judd, who had 25 receptions.
After losing the first set, the Gauchos answered by taking control early in set two with a 5-1 lead.
UCSB controlled the set to win 25-18, which they carried onto set three where their confidence grew as they dominated in a 25-11 set win.
The fourth set was a nail-biter, where the difference in points never exceeded four at a time.
Both teams showed their competitive spirit, with UCSB ever so slightly edging SJSU to win the final set, 26-24 and winning the match, 3-1.
The Gaucho’s redshirt sophomore outside hitter Eva Travis led all players with 25 kills on a .372 hitting percentage.
SJSU head coach Todd Kress said the season opener offered valuable takeaways despite the result.
“Just getting them experience in their first college match, I think that will lead to quality things down the road,” Kress said.
He believes that they have room to improve defensively, with blocking, defensive positioning, and ball control being the key points.
“I think we have a lot to clean up, but with such a young team, I’ll take that as a start, and we’ll move forward,” Kress said.
With the team chemistry continuing to build, the Spartans look to shake off this loss and bounce back in game two against the Gauchos.
The next match is scheduled for 2 p.m. against UCSB Saturday at the Spartan Gym.
