The Master’s University men’s volleyball team lost in three sets to the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Friday night, Jan. 16 in an exhibition match played in Santa Barbara.

UCSB came from behind to win the first set 26-24 before taking the next two 25-18, 25-23.

The Mustangs, defending NAIA National Champions, hit .303 for the match. But the Gauchos, ranked No. 17 in NCAA Division I, hit .395 and had a 44-33 advantage in kills.

The first set stayed tight until a 5-1 run by The Master’s opened up a 12-8 lead. TMU then opened up as much as a six-point lead, getting to set point at 24-20.

But UCSB closed out the set on a 6-0 run to win by two.

“The team jumped out really well from the start of the match and just unfortunately couldn’t finish,” said TMU Head Coach Jared Goldberg.

The second set was all Gauchos, jumping out to a six-point lead that blossomed into a 21-12 advantage. TMU closed to within five before a service error was followed by a UCSB ace to seal the set.

The Mustangs started the third set proving the team could compete on the road. TMU held the lead until midway through the set when the Gauchos went on a 6-1 run to go up 15-12. The Mustangs were able to fight back and tie the set at 18-18, but a 4-1 run by UCSB gave the Gauchos a cushion the team rode to the end to get the two-point set win and the match.

“After the tougher set two, I thought they did a great job of continuing to battle against a really high-powered offense,” Goldberg said.

Isaac Seltzer led the team with 13 kills, with Matthew Hamm dishing 23 assists. Seltzer, Ezra Vlad and Trace Oswald each had a pair of blocks.

On Thursday, Jan. 22 The Master’s will host the Saint Xavier Cougars in a rematch of the national championship match last May. The game will start at 1 p.m. in The MacArthur Center.

For more information visit GoMustangs.com.