Bishop Diego girls volleyball secured a runner-up finish at the second annual Del Sol Invitational over the weekend in Oxnard.
“Once I realized we were going to roll out with seven players this season, I was a little bit nervous about playing not only two tournaments on back-to-back weekends, but playing two league matches this week in addition to this two-day tournament had me pretty nervous. Not only did our kids respond, but they also got better as the week went on,” Bishop Diego head coach Dillan Bennett said.
The Cardinals began the tournament with a 2-1 showing on Friday, securing victories over Beacon Hill and Oxnard before falling at the hands of Castaic.
Bishop Diego then kicked off bracket play on Saturday with a three-set victory over Foothill Tech, which was followed up by a semifinal win over Oxnard in three sets.
The Cardinals then dropped a three-set battle in the tournament championship to Castaic.
“We got pretty crushed by Castaic on Friday night, and to come back the next day after two three-set matches to take the first set from them in the final was our championship moment,” Bennett said.
“Yes, we eventually lost in the final, but to get to the final of any tournament with essentially no subs and the workload resting solely on those seven players was such a testament to their hard work and effort.”
Karina Urzua filled up the stat sheet for Bishop Diego, ending the tournament with 83 kills, 89 digs and seven aces. Meanwhile, Natalie Chan totaled 38 kills, 78 digs and seven aces.
Brighton Montag (24 digs), Abbie Hubbs (60 digs, 10 aces) and Abby Walters (79 assists, 18 digs) were all standouts as well, while Ella Fuentes and Danica Douglas combined for 32 digs in their first varsity tournament action.
“We played three teams this weekend with 13 or more players, and there were several coaches and players who would come over and share compliments about our kids’ play,” Bennett said. “I’ve never had that happen before in my 16 years of coaching high school teams. To say I’m proud of this group is an understatement.”
The Cardinals (8-3, 2-0 Tri-Valley League) will host Malibu High on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
