Slugs Defeat Little Giants, Fall to Kean in Doubleheader

Wednesday, March 11

Santa Cruz, Ca.

11:00 AM

UC Santa Cruz Athletics

12-4,0-0DIII Independent

Kean University

14-7,1-0CVC

Kean

UC Santa Cruz

3/11/2026 11:01:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

SANTA CRUZ, Ca. – The No. 9 UC Santa Cruz men's volleyball team started their day with a five set loss to Kean University, falling 3-2 (19-25, 20-25, 25-23, 27-25, 15-13). The Banana Slugs had four players in double digits on offense with Drake Harris leading the team with 20 kills while Kyle Owneby, Nick Nayak, and AJ Contreras recorded 14, 12, and 11, respectively. The Banana Slugs bounced back in their evening contest, earning a 3-1 (21-25, 25-11, 25-18, 25-20) victory over the Wabash Little Giants. Nick Nayak led the team with 13 kills while Riley Norman and Drake Harris added 11 and 10 kills, respectively. The Banana Slugs will be back in action on March 23 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time in a rematch against Aurora University in Naperville, Illinois.

UC Santa Cruz 2, Kean 3

The opening set of action featured a tight back and forth battle with UCSC working to a narrow 11-9 lead before using a 6-3 run to extend the gap to 17-12.
UCSC outscored Kean 8-7 down the stretch to take set one 25-19.
The Banana Slugs coasted in set two, using a 9-3 run to take an early lead with kills from Drake Harris and AJ Contreras.
Kean closed the gap to 12-10 and later 14-12 but UCSC closed out the set with an 11-8 advantage with kills from Kyle Ownbey, Evan Erickson, AJ Contreras, and Noy Fisher to take set two 25-20.
The Slugs were in the driver seat early in set three with a 4-1 lead and later held a 9-5 edge. Kean rattled off a 12-2 run to take momentum and a 17-11 lead. UCSC countered, working to a tie at 23-23 but Kean earned back to back kills to take the set 25-23.
Set four featured a tight back and forth battle, resulting in another late tie at 23-23 with UCSC working to a 24-23 lead thanks to a kill from AJ Contreras.
A block from Kean tied the game at 24-24 but Contreras recorded another kill to put the Slugs ahead 25-24. Kean managed to score the next three points to take the set 27-25 and force a decisive fifth set.
Kean jumped out to an early 5-2 lead, but the Slugs countered with an 8-5 run with kills from Drake Harris, Nick Nayak, and Riley Norman, tying the game at 10-10.
The two teams worked to a 13-13 tie, but a kill and a service ace gave Kean the 15-13 victory, handing the 3-2 loss.