UC Santa Barbara’s Geste Bianchi opened the 2024 campaign in style to claim a first career Big West Offensive Player of the Week award. 

The redshirt sophomore started the weekend at the Asics Invitational with 21 kills while hitting at a .531 clip (21-4-32) with five total blocks in a four-set win over NJIT.   

On Friday, the opposite hitter contributed 30 kills in just four sets to help his team reverse sweep No. 20 George Mason. Bianchi hit .479 in the match.  

The Laguna Beach, Calif., product finished with nine kills and nine digs in a loss to No. 7 GCU to round out the weekend. Bianchi averaged 5.00 kills, 5.67 points and 1.5 digs in the season-opening weekend for the Gauchos. 

UC San Diego redshirt sophomore Peter Selcho was a force at the net for the Tritons at the Asics Invitational to earn the season-opening Big West Defensive Player of the Week award.  

Named to the all-tournament team, Selcho recorded a team-high 19 total blocks (1.6 per set) to help the Tritons post a 2-1 record with wins over No. 20 George Mason and NJIT.  

Selcho served up the season with eight kills while hitting .429 and adding three block assists against George Mason on Thursday. 

In the win against NJIT, the Fountain Valley, Calif., native accumulated a career-high 12 blocks, to go along with and two digs. Selcho hit .538 (8-1-13) in the five-setter. 

Selcho closed the weekend tallying 19 total blocks, one solo, with 17 kills on .306 hitting. 

Freshman setter Tread Rosenthal entered the starting rotation for Hawai’i with a two-match series split against No. 10 Loyola Chicago to collect the season-opening Big West Freshman of the Week award. 

Rosenthal became the first UH true freshman to start a season at setter since Brian Beckwith in 2004. The Manhattan Beach, Calif., native recorded 90 total assists (11.25 per set) in the series to go along with four kills, six aces, 13 digs, and three blocks. 

In his collegiate debut on Wednesday, Rosenthal finished with 32 assists, two aces, five digs, and two blocks in a straight-set win over the Ramblers. 

Friday, Rosenthal compiled 58 assists, four aces, and eight digs in the five-set loss. The Big West defending champion Rainbow Warriors hit .469 in the five-setter, and .374 on the weekend with Rosenthal directing the offense.