High school boys volleyball will be played in a gym this week as Bishop Diego hosts Santa Ynez on Tuesday night in the Brick House.
“We’re playing in the gym, with referees and fans. We’re moving and shaking,” said Bishop Diego coach Dillan Bennett.
He said a testing system has been put in place and everyone in the gym (players, coaches, referees, fans, staff) will be required to wear a mask.
Under the revised state health youth sports guidelines, for high-risk contact sports like volleyball, “competition between teams is permitted only if the team can provide COVID-19 testing and results of all athletes and support staff within 48 hours of each competition.”
Bennett said his players started practicing outdoors three weeks ago and beat Ventura in a match on the grass last week.
“We’re really excited to play in the gym,” he said. “We’ve been practicing a long time. The boys have the reps, and they want to play.”
He noted that each player can have three household members attend the game.
Bishop Diego last played an indoor boys volleyball match on March 10, 2020.
The boys volleyball team includes basketball standouts Kai Morphy, Matthew Cunningham and Conner Streett, who led the Cardinals to the CIF-SS finals in 2020.
Santa Barbara High, San Marcos and Dos Pueblos boys volleyball teams are expected to be practicing in the gym this week after undergoing COVID-19 tests.
Basketball and wrestling student athletes and coaches will test Wednesday and are expected to begin workouts in the gym on Thursday.
In other sports getting started this week, the Santa Barbara High girls soccer team opened its season Monday with a road game against Buena. The Santa Barbara girls and Dos Pueblos boys golf teams also started playing Monday.
San Marcos and Dos Pueblos kick off their boys soccer campaigns, and the boys and girls tennis seasons begin for San Marcos and Santa Barbara. The teams will play doubleheaders.
San Marcos and Dos Pueblos meet again on the baseball diamond on Thursday at San Marcos. The Royals won the first meeting last week at DP in the Santa Barbara County Tournament, 20-4.
In football this week, two games are being played on Thursday. Carpinteria (0-1) hosts Hueneme (1-1) in its only home game of the spring season, and Bishop Diego travels to Simi Valley for a battle of 2-0 teams.
The Channel League teams play on Friday night. Santa Barbara High (0-1) makes its debut in the renovated Peabody Stadium against Cabrillo (0-1). The last time the Dons played in their home stadium was Oct. 14, 2016.
In other games, Dos Pueblos (0-2) travels to Santa Ynez (1-1), and San Marcos (1-0) visits Lompoc (2-0).
Here is a look at this week’s schedule of high school events:
Tuesday, March 30
Boys Soccer
Ventura at San Marcos, 5:30 p.m.
Girls Lacrosse
Nordhoff at Santa Barbara, 4 p.m.
Boys Volleyball
Santa Ynez High at Bishop Diego, 7 p.m.
Boys Tennis
Foothill Tech at Carpinteria, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 31
Baseball
San Marcos at Righetti, 3:30 p.m.
Boys Soccer
Hueneme at San Marcos, 5 p.m.
Dos Pueblos at Santa Maria, 5:30 p.m.
Softball
Santa Barbara at Bishop Diego, 3:30 p.m.
Girls Soccer
Carpinteria at Nordhoff, 4 p.m.
Girls Tennis
Carpinteria at Hueneme, 3:15 p.m.
Boys and Girls Tennis
Santa Barbara at Santa Ynez, Boys 1 p.m. and Girls, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 1
Football
Bishop Diego at Simi Valley, 7 p.m.
Baseball
Dos Pueblos at San Marcos, 3:30 p.m.
Righetti at Santa Barbara, 3:30 p.m.
Nordhoff at Carpinteria, 3:30 p.m.
Boys Volleyball
Cabrillo at Bishop Diego, 5 p.m.
Boys Tennis
Hueneme at Carpinteria, 3:30 p.m.
Girls Lacrosse
Santa Barbara at Nordhoff, 4 p.m.
Girls Golf
Santa Barbara at Ventura, Buenventura GC
Friday, April 2
Football
San Marcos at Lompoc, 7 p.m.
Dos Pueblos at Santa Ynez, 7 p.m.
Cabrillo at Santa Barbara, 7 p.m.
Boys and Girls Tennis
San Marcos at Santa Ynez, Girls 1 p.m., Boys 3:30 p.m.
Lompoc at Santa Barbara, Girls 1 p.m., Boys 3:30 p.m.
Girls Lacrosse
Oak Park at San Marcos, 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 3
Baseball
San Marcos at Lompoc, 11 a.m.
Bishop Diego at Cabrillo, 11 a.m.
Track & Field
Foothill Tech at Carpinteria, 10 a.m.