Several local high school boys volleyball teams descended upon the Thunderdome at UCSB on Saturday to compete in the 49th annual Dos Pueblos Invitational.
San Marcos and Santa Barbara High paced the local squads, finishing in second and third place overall, respectively. The Royals fell to Camarillo High in the championship.
A total of 28 teams competed in the tournament, which is one of the longest-running high school volleyball tournaments in the nation.
“This event has such a rich tradition, starting back when Coach (Mike) Beresford got it all started,” Bishop Diego head coach Dillan Bennett said. “I’m fortunate to have had the experience as a young player coming to watch, playing in it as a Charger, and coaching in it over the last few years.
“Kudos to Coach Hughes, who kept the event going, and to Coach (Ehren) Hug for continuing the tradition with his players and staff. We look forward to this tournament every year, and we were grateful to win a few matches for the first time today.”
San Marcos
The Royals were making a run at their fourth consecutive Dos Pueblos Invitational title and came up just short.
In the championship matchup, San Marcos dropped a thrilling battle with Camarillo by a score of 26-24.
“It was a terrific final match with great energy from both teams,” San Marcos head coach Dave Goss said of the championship.
The Royals went 5-1 on the day, defeating Hart, Crossroads, Malibu, San Juan Hills and Valencia along the way. Meanwhile, Tyler Walker and Owen Willer were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Santa Barbara High
The Dons had a stellar team performance, coming in third place out of the 28 teams on Saturday.
“Playing in tournaments is the best experience for all players and the team showed what kind of talent they have and I look forward to seeing what the rest of the season brings,” Santa Barbara High head coach Chad Arneson said.
The Dons went 3-0 in pool play with victories over Sunny Hills, Pacifica Christian and Canyon. Santa Barbara continued to roll in the playoffs by taking down Crossroads and Newbury Park.
However, the Dons’ run came to an end with a loss to Camarillo in a one-set match to 25 points.
Hayes Costner was the Santa Barbara High kill leader with 53, while Kristian Dybdahl and Jasper Bell finished the day with 25 and 24 kills, respectively. Maddoxx Denver tallied 104 assists, and Jackson McDermott had a strong day.
The Dons (9-3, 3-0 Channel League) will be on the road against Oxnard on Tuesday.
Bishop Diego
The Cardinals fell in the consolation bracket semifinals to place 18th in the DP Invitational on Saturday at UCSB.
After Bishop Diego fell to Royal and Saugus to begin pool play, it bounced back with a three-set win over formerly-undefeated San Luis Obispo High.
In the consolation bracket, the Cardinals rolled to a sweep of Lancaster before dropping the semifinal matchup to Sunny Hills.
“I was very pleased with our guys and their ability to perform at a high level against strong teams,” Bennet said. “We played three programs that have won CIF championships in their respective divisions in the last four seasons.
“Saugus and Royal have always been tough to beat, and SLO is having a great season so far. So for our team to compete and win sets against those programs is a huge feather in the cap for our guys.”
Bishop Diego leaned on John Michael Flint (61 kills, 6 aces, 5 blocks) and Damien Krautmann (26 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks) throughout the day, while Luke Walters collected 112 assists, 18 digs and four blocks.
“John Michael and Damien continue to be our go-to guys offensively, and it’s been nice to see them get going out of the back row today,” Bennett said. “Luke did a nice job distributing the ball and his decision-making is getting better.
“I thought Nico DeRosa did a nice job coming in and serving well, building off his performance on Thursday at Del Sol. Tua Rojas continues to improve and his athleticism and willingness to fill in wherever the team needs him are a wonderful addition to our team.”
The Cardinals (9-3, 3-0 Tri-Valley) will be on the road against Foothill Tech on Thursday.