Rustlers Upset #4 Santa Barbara, Advance to SoCal Regional Finals

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The 13th-seeded Golden West College Rustlers continued their postseason surge on Tuesday night, knocking off #4 seed Santa Barbara City College in a thrilling 3–1 victory (25-21, 12-25, 25-17, 26-24) in the 3C2A SoCal Regional Second Round on the campus of UC Santa Barbara in Robertson Gym.

With the win, Golden West (19-4) advances to the SoCal Regional Finals, moving just one victory away from securing a berth to the 3C2A State Championships at Folson Lake College. 

Golden West opened the match with confidence, controlling the tempo in a 25-21 first-set win. Santa Barbara responded with a dominant performance in set two, handing the Rustlers a 25-12 setback to even the match.

But Golden West regained its rhythm in set three, flipping momentum with a 25-17 victory fueled by clean ball control and timely swings from both pins. The fourth set delivered postseason intensity at its finest, with the teams trading points deep into extra play. The Rustlers closed the door with a clutch 26-24 win.

The Rustlers go on the road to #5 seeded Santa Monica College on Saturday night with a 6pm start.