Santa Barbara High girls volleyball went on the road and earned a three-set sweep of Arroyo Grande High on Tuesday in Arroyo Grande, 28-26, 25-19, 25-23.
“This was an all-around team effort, our bench had infectious energy tonight and helped buoy us to a comeback in the first set,” Dons head coach Kristin Hempy said. “The momentum from that win carried us into the second set.
“Arroyo Grande had some good arms and smart placement, and both our front row and back row worked hard tonight through lots of long rallies.”
Blake Saunders was in the middle of the action for Santa Barbara High’s offense, racking up a team-high 15 kills. She was closely followed by Lola Heckman, who hammered home 13 kills and added two blocks/
“Blake was a workhorse, leading our kills yet again. She is really hard to stop when she finds her spots around the block/holes in the defense,” Hempy said. “Lola also performed really well tonight, going in hard and fast with some exciting plays.”
Eloise Becker and Jules Horton split the setting duties for the Dons with 14 and 13 assists, respectively. Meanwhile, Paylin Marcillac racked up 12 digs and Jacqueline Durling chipped in six kills.
“Both Jules and Eloise did a nice job setting and spreading the ball around,” Hempy said. “Paylin led the way in the back row, refusing to let the ball drop and extending rallies. Jacqueline also had a nice night in the middle with six kills, a strong net presence, and tough, smart serving during key red zone moments.
“It’s great to see all cylinders firing at this point in pre-season, and a road sweep is a nice confidence boost before hosting Royal on Thursday (at 6:30 p.m.).:
Bishop Diego 3, Malibu 0
The Cardinals remained undefeated in Tri-Valley League action with a sweep of the Sharks on Tuesday inside the Brick House, 25-21, 25-17, 25-6.
Karina Urzua once again led the offensive attack with 15 kills and five aces to go along with eight digs. Meanwhile, Natalie Chan had 13 digs and nine kills, and Ella Fuentes tallied three kills, two blocks and two aces. Abbie Hubbs chipped in eight digs as well.
“We got off to a bit of a slow start, but we were able to find our hitting and serving rhythm near the middle of game two,” Bishop Diego head coach Dillan Bennett said. “Ella had her best match of the season, and we’re hoping to get more points out of her as the season progresses.”
The Cardinals (9-3, 3-0 TVL) will host Foothill Tech on Thursday at 5 p.m. back inside the Brick House.
Carpinteria High 3, Channel Islands 0
The Warriors battled to a three-set sweep of the Raiders on Tuesday in Oxnard, 25-23, 30-28, 25-17.
“We are off to a great start to the season, and we are learning at each game that every single point counts,” Carpinteria High head coach Evan Rowbottom said. “Once warmed up, the Raiders came on strong and gave us a thrilling ride as the home court crowd went wild for the back-and-forth rallies.
“Once the Warriors had those two close sets to really get warmed up, the third set showed true composure and walked away with the win.”
Cora Simmons turned in a strong offensive performance, while Katia Nikolov contributed on both ends. In the back row, Samantha Sanchez collected 18 digs and went on several service runs.
Carpinteria High will be back in Oxnard to take on Del Sol on Thursday at 6 p.m.
Villanova Prep 3, Laguna Blanca 2
The Owls dropped a five-setter with Villanova Prep on Tuesday, 25-26, 25-21, 9-25, 25-19, 15-13.
“We struggled to find any kind of consistency tonight, especially at the service line,” Laguna Blanca head coach Tanner Stevens said. “It was one of our best offensive nights of the year, but unfortunately we couldn’t serve or pass, which made it hard to get into any kind of rhythm.
“We continue to have to find ways to close out games, and as a young team we’re still learning that right now.”
Lauren Kenny flirted with a double-double and ended with 17 kills and nine digs, while both Hadleigh Bolton and Vivi Keister had five kills.
Santa Ynez 3, San Marcos 0
The Royals fell on the road to the Pirates on Tuesday night in the valley, 17-25, 23-25, 19-25
Selah Wheeler continued to run a 5-1 offense for San Marcos, which is rostering a team with all first-time varsity players after graduating 15 seniors last season. Wheeler ended with 14 assists.
“We’re finally close to finding our groove, and that is great to see,” San Marcos head coach Erica Downing said. “I’m really impressed with those that are stepping up, and every night it’s been someone different
“We had some great serves from Isla Barat. She came in and kept our defense really steady… It was great to see her engagement in the game.”
Harper Dees paced the Royals’ offensive effort with seven kills, while Anja Firestone scooped up 12 digs.
“I’m proud of this team, and every time we get out there we’re learning and having fun, which is all that matters,” Downing said.
San Marcos (1-7) will host Westlake on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. inside the Thunderhut.
Ventura 3, Dos Pueblos 0
The Chargers suffered a sweep at the hands of the Cougars on Tuesday in Ventura, 21-25, 14-25, 20-25.
Dos Pueblos will look to bounce back at home against Buena on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
