For the second straight year, Santa Barbara High girls volleyball had its season come to an end in the CIF-SS Semifinals.
The Dons suffered a sweeping loss to Glendora High in the Division 4 semifinal matchup on Saturday in Glendora, 22-25, 17-25, 17-25.
“Glendora showed up with a big block and a few heavy hitters, and their defense was pretty scrappy and dug us consistently,” Santa Barbara High head coach Kristin Hempy said. “I’m proud of our girls for battling through lots of long rallies.
“One thing about this group is they never give up – they kept staying positive, strategizing and believing in each other up to the very end. Though it stings to lose in the semifinals again, we’ll be in the state tournament.”
The Dons will now look ahead to the CIF State Tournament beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Meanwhile, Glendora will take on Vista Murrieta for the CIF-SS Division 4 title next Friday or Saturday.
In Saturday’s Halloween showdown, Blake Saunders led the Santa Barbara High offense with seven kills, while Lola Heckman and Kira Elliot tallied four kills apiece.
Jules Horton was in the middle of the action with 19 assists, and Paylin Marcillac shined on the defensive end with 10 digs.
Santa Barbara High won the Channel League championship in the regular season and holds a 26-11 record heading into the CIF State Tournament.
