Dos Pueblos boys volleyball battled to a three-set sweep of Santa Ynez in its home opener on Thursday night inside Sovine Gym, 25-23, 25-21, 26-24.
“The Pirates had run a very intricate offense that took us a while to adapt to, but I’m proud of my players’ relentlessness on defense,” Charger head coach Ehren Hug said. “They kept their eyes on the attacker as well as blockers and we were picking up lots of off speed and tip shots off the net.
“I love to see us get on the floor and scrap for points.”
Ben Wojogbe was a force on the outside for Dos Pueblos with a match-high 15 kills, while opposite Luca Shields ended the night with seven kills.
“Those two looked great tonight, taking big cracks at the ball,” Hug said of Wojogbe and Shields. “It was fun to see them balling out with their boys tonight.”
Meanwhile, Keenan Bower and Kevin McGibben facilitated the offensive effort with 20 and 15 assists, respectively.
The Chargers will compete in the second annual Bishop Quad on Saturday inside the Brick House. Dos Pueblos will take on Laguna Blanca at 10 a.m., then face off against Bishop Diego at 12 p.m.
Bishop Diego 3, Cate 0
The Cardinals rolled to a three-set sweep over local rival Cate in Thursday’s season opener in Carpinteria, 25-16, 25-20, 25-14.
“We are thrilled to get the regular season underway,” Bishop Diego head coach Dillan Bennett said. “After a strong preseason this winter, the team is well-positioned to make an impact. Although our roster doesn’t consist of club players, we have talented athletes who are learning quickly and blending well with our veterans.
“Six of our 12 players are playing the sport for the first time, so we’ll need some time to find our rhythm. There’s plenty of room to grow, but it was great to finally see the guys perform in a match.”
John Michael Flint delivered an efficient performance for the Cardinals with 12 kills on 13 swings. Meanwhile, Sui Faialuama (14 assists, 5 digs) and Kingston Bustos (6 kills) recorded solid volleyball debuts.
Luke Walters shared the setting duties and ended the night with 13 assists, four kills, two aces and two blocks.
Bishop Diego (1-0, 1-0 Tri-Valley League) will host Bishop Diego Quad on Saturday. The Cardinals will host Oxnard at 10 a.m. and Dos Pueblos at 12 p.m. inside the Brick House.
Orcutt Academy 3, Carpinteria High 0
The Warriors fell in sweeping fashion to Orcutt Academy in their season opener on Thursday, 21-25, 12-25, 22-25.
“Being the first match of the year, we were still working through rotations, communication, and overall rhythm as a team,” Carpinteria High head coach Favian Muralles said. “It was a bit of a rough start, especially with a dip in the middle of the match, but the boys are taking this as motivation moving forward.
“We’ll learn from our mistakes, continue building chemistry, and use this experience to improve as the season progresses.”
Rafael Cintura led the Warriors with six kills, while Alan Maya dished out eight assists.