San Marcos girls beach volleyball earned a hard-fought 5-0 sweep of rival Santa Barbara High in windy conditions at East Beach on Wednesday.
The matchup marked the beginning of Channel League action for both the Royals (4-0, 1-0 Channel League) and the Dons (2-1, 0-1 CL).
“Coach Kristin Hempy has the Santa Barbara girls team playing some very consistent volleyball,” San Marcos head coach Tim Loomer said.
“To have our ones and twos both lose in close three-set matches is not exactly ideal, but it does show a lot of potential,” Santa Barbara High head coach Kristin Hempy said. “We’re in a good competitive starting place and I know we’ll continue to build and find more success as league play continues.”
The No. 1 matchup was a heavyweight battle that lived up to its hype, as San Marcos’ Cora Loomer and Evyn Miller pulled out a marathon three-set win over Lola Heckman and Kira Elliott, 24-22, 26-28, 15-10.
“Both teams did a really nice job of siding out at the end of matches,” Tim Loomer said. “Because of the wind it wasn’t the cleanest volleyball, but Loomer and Miller showed grit and determination throughout the match.”
“This was a great high-level, back-and-forth match on both sides,” Hempy said. “All three sets were close from the start, no side pulling ahead more than two or three points, until the very end. Lola and Kira played strong, consistent and in-sync against a solid SM pair.”
At court two, the Royals’ duo of Alina Stapf and Reese Paskin bounced back from a first-set loss to take down Santa Barbara’s Blake Saunders and Stella Peus, 19-21, 21-11, 15-13.
“Stapf’s consistent play and good communication were keys while Paskin found another gear at the critical point in the third game, propelling the pair to victory,” Tim Loomer said.
“Blake and Stella played well with lots of communication, tough serving, and aggressive offense, with just a few unforced errors separating them from getting the win,” Hempy said.
San Marcos’ Jeannie Johnson and Paige Hoadley earned a two-set win at the threes over Paylin Marcillac and Talia Yoshimi, 21-11, 21-17.
“Focusing on aggressive setting, both Johnson and Hoadley had some very nice offense, hitting the corners and using the wind well,” Tim Loomer said.
The No. 4 San Marcos duo of Malia Hetrick and Kesley Rowe continued the winning ways against Jacqueline Durling and Grace Costner in straight sets, 21-16, 21-7.
“They served aggressively when the wind was in their face and they focused on consistently siding out while on the bad side,” Tim Loomer said of his fours.
Lila Westmacott and Isla McClintock rounded out the San Marcos sweep with a win over Gabby Cajuste and Phoebe Peterson, 21-11, 21-8.
“Having played together much of last season, Westmacott and McClintock clicked from the outset,” Tim Loomer said. “Their communication and anticipation on the court make them a very strong team.”
San Marcos will host Rio Mesa on Thursday, while Santa Barbara will welcome Ventura High to town for more Channel League action.