Santa Barbara High girls beach volleyball completed the rivalry season sweep of Dos Pueblos with a 5-0 victory on Thursday in Goleta.
“Much credit to DP, their pairs looked strong and their girls battled well,” Santa Barbara High head coach Kristin Hempy said.
The Dons’ top duo of Lola Heckman/Kira Elliott soared to their win in two sets in the No. 1 matchup over Allie Ben-Yaacov/Char Welch, 21-14, 21-9.
“Lola had some nice big blocks at the net, and Kira made some smart plays as well. These two are continuing to look strong and lead the way as our 1’s pair,” Hempy said.
On court two, Santa Barbara High’s Blake Saunders/Paylin Marcillac battled to a three-set victory over Ruby Dunlop/Gia Gaas, 21-12, 12-21, 15-6. Meanwhile, Grace Costner/Stella Peus picked up a win for the Dons via a forfeit at the threes.
“Blake and Paylin did a nice job battling through some DP momentum to cinch the win. Blake in particular served very strongly, especially in the third set,” Hempy said.
In the No. 4 showdown, Talia Yoshimi/Gabby Cajuste came from behind for a three-set win over Mia Taylor/Marley Wilcher, 14-21, 21-12, 15-7. At the fives, Phoebe Peterson/Delilah Ficker rounded out the sweep with a 24-22, 21-15 win over Athena Bardakos/Moana Martinez.
“Tali and Gabby had great energy and communication, going for every ball and putting in 100% effort,” Hempy said. “[Peterson and Ficker] had so many long rallies in this match, it was a very well-fought game.”
San Marcos 5, Buena 0
The Royals’ perfect Channel League season rolled on with a sweep of the Bulldogs on Thursday in Ventura.
San Marcos’ Cora Loomer/Evyn Miller (21-13, 21-7) and Alina Stapf/Reese Paskin (21-5, 21-14) set the tone with victories on court one and two, respectively.
“Celebrating her birthday, Miller displayed some refined offense, delivering a deceptive mix of shots and swings. Loomer’s setting was consistent and she had a few rocket kills of her own,” San Marcos head coach Tim Loomer said. “Stapf played some exceptional defense and Paskin was solid in all phases of the game.”
On court three, Charlotte Hastings/Paige Hoadley combined for a 21-14, 21-4 win, and Lila Westmacott/Isla McClintock kept it going with a 21-19, 21-9 win at the fours.
“Execution in the setting phase was really the backbone of [Hastings and Hoadley’s attacking,” Tim Loomer said. “After getting into a groove, Westmacott and McClintock took control of the match. When things are clicking for the pair, they are tough to side out.”
Jordan Schmoller/Malia Hetrick dominated the No. 5 matchup to complete the sweep, earning a 21-8, 21-4 win.
“While ball control was the foundation of their success, it was fun to watch both Jordan and Malia attack the ball. Some of their best offense of the season,” Tim Loomer said.
The Royals (17-1, 9-0 Channel League) will take on Laguna Beach, Notre Dame Academy and Redondo Union in a four-way tournament on Saturday at East Beach beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Laguna Blanca 5, Santa Clara 0
The Owls went on the road and came away with a sweep of Santa Clara High on Thursday.
The Laguna Blanca pairing of Violet Archibald and Julia Probstal turned in a strong performance in their 21-10, 21-11 victory.