Santa Barbara High girls beach volleyball opened its CIF-SS Div. 2 playoff run with a 5-0 sweep of Foothill Tech on Tuesday at East Beach.
“Despite the cold and wind, all our pairs executed well, served tough, and played consistently to move us onward in the playoffs,” Dons head coach Kristin Hempy said.
The Dons will now hit the road for a second-round matchup against St. Joseph of Lakewood on Thursday.
The top Santa Barbara High duo of Keenan Engebretson and Lola Heckman led the charge with a 21-10, 21-11 victory.
“Keenan served especially tough and had numerous aces,” Hempy said. “Lola was very smart at the net and responsible for many kills.”
At the twos, Paylin Marcillac and Kira Elliot took care of business with a 21-11, 21-15 win.
“Paylin had a good defensive day, and Kira was able to get some strong swings on offense,” Hempy said.
The No. 3 duo of Blake Saunders and Stelle Peus continued the winning ways in two sets, 21-13, 21-11.
“Blake and Stella played smart and took advantage of openings their opponents left with excellent shot selection,” Hempy said.
At court four, Gabby Cajuste and Madi Priess made quick work of their opponents with a 21-12, 21-16 win.
“Madi and Gabby did a nice job being aggressive offensively and with their serving in the windy conditions,” Hempy said.
Grace Costner and Jaqueline Durling rounded out the victory with a two-set win at the fives, 21-13, 21-10.
“Grace had good control on defense and strong serving today, and Jacqueline performed well at the net,” Hempy said.
Laguna Blanca 5, Bell Gardens 0 (Div. 3)
The Owls also opened their playoff run with a sweep over Bell Gardens.
The No. 1 pairing of Danica Rux and Sage Holcombe led the way with a two-set win, 21-18, 21-13.
Meanwhile, Chloe Gidney and Ginger Finney battled their way to a three-set victory on court three, clinching it with a 15-8 win in the third set.
Laguna Blanca will host Pacifica Christian in the second round on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.
Dos Pueblos 4, Hillcrest 1 (Div. 2)
The Chargers kicked off the playoffs with a road victory over Hillcrest on Tuesday.
The Dos Pueblos winning teams were Allie Ben-Yaacov/Char Welch, Carly Letendre/Ruby Streatfeild, Eleni Becker/Ella Payne and Maggie/Abby.
The Chargers will remain on the round for a second-round matchup with Long Beach Wilson on Thursday.