Santa Barbara High’s boys volleyball team was swept at CIF-Southern Section Division 1 fourth-ranked Mira Costa on Friday night, but Dons coach Chad Arneson liked the way his team competed against the Mustangs on the road.
Very proud of how the boys battled and didn’t back down tonight,” he said after the 25-16, 25-17, 25-17 loss. “We showed that we can compete at this level as long as we correct our mental errors.”
Santa Barbara struggled with its passing and serving, Arneson said.
Middle Cooper Johnson had six kills to lead the Dons. Freshman Will Rottman had five kills and senior Blake Kelley had five kills and four blocks. Senior setter Cord Pereira dished out 20 assists.
Santa Barbara returns home for a match against Valencia on Wednesday.
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.