Santa Barbara High girls volleyball completed a season sweep of crosstown rival San Marcos with a four-set victory on Thursday night at J.R. Richards Gym.
After the Royals came out of the gates strong, the Dons regained control in the second set and cruised to the four-set win from there, 19-25, 25-8, 25-16, 25-13.
“It took us a set to wake up, but once we got our passing and serving down, the offensive plays and defensive rhythm got flowing from there,” Santa Barbara High head coach Kristin Hempy said.
The Dons were led by their senior captain duo of Paylin Marcillac and Blake Saunders, who have been at the center of the team’s success all season long.
Marcillac totaled 27 serves and ended the night with six aces without making a single error. Meanwhile, Saunders tallied 19 kills, 21 receptions, three aces and six digs.
“They have been setting the tone for us all season, and when they’re on, they lift the rest of our team up with them,” Hempy said of Marcillac and Saunders.
Santa Barbara High’s Kira Elliot also had a strong offensive performance with 12 kills, while Jules Horton collected 41 assists in the win.
On the other side, Aeryn Alexander recorded six kills and 11 digs for the Royals, while Harper Dees led the team with eight kills. Anja Firestone was a force on the defensive end with 26 digs, and Sophie Morris turned in a strong performance as well.
“Unfortunately, we just don’t have that go-to player, so we’re still trying to figure out a way to get kills,” San Marcos head coach Erica Downing said. “I’m really proud of them for taking a game off of a very, very good team. They are just bigger, stronger, faster, and we did the best we could.”
The Dons (22-10, 5-1 Channel League) will be on the road against Buena on Tuesday, while San Marcos (3-22, 1-5 CL) will host Ventura on Tuesday.
Dos Pueblos 3, Rio Mesa 1
The Chargers continued their undefeated Pacific View League season with a four-set win over the Spartans on Thursday in Oxnard, 27-25, 25-18, 20-25, 25-20.
“Rio Mesa made us work for it tonight,” Dos Pueblos coach Emily Curry said. “I loved seeing our girls fight to keep rallies alive and find ways to win points when things weren’t perfect.
“Faith (Harrison) and Athena (Bardakos) were incredibly efficient at the net, and our defense made some huge saves when we needed them. It was a great team win on the road.”
The duo of Harrison and Bardakos combined for 30 kills, with Harrison leading the way with 18 and Bardakos ending the night with 12. Harrison also added five blocks at the net.
On the defensive side, Mia Taylor and Allie Berrett each made several saves to preserve rallies throughout the night.
Dos Pueblos is now 11-11 overall and 6-0 against league opponents.
Carpinteria High 3, Hueneme 0
The Warriors cruised to a Senior Night sweep of Hueneme on Thursday in Carpinteria, 25-7, 27-25, 25-13.
The almost all-senior lineup for Carpinteria set the tone with a dominant win in set one, and the home team soared to the win from there.
Cora Nimmons totaled 13 kills and 12 digs for the Warriors, while fellow seniors Leona McLellan, Kelly Dominguez, Nelly Dominguez and Vicky Martinez all made their impacts felt as well.
“I am so proud of this team,” Carpinteria High head coach Evan Rowbottom said. “Everyone gets along on and off the court, and all the laughs and focus shared at practice has truly fueled their success this season.”
The Warriors will be on the road against Santa Paula on Tuesday.
Foothill Tech 3, Laguna Blanca 0
The Owls fell in straight sets to Foothill Tech on Thursday, 21-25, 15-25, 21-25.
“We struggled in a lot of aspects tonight and couldn’t find any momentum,” Laguna Blanca head coach Tanner Stevens said. “I was proud of the way we responded and stayed aggressive when we could have folded, but it was too little too late.
“Bad nights happen, and we’ll reset for our last league match on senior night next Thursday.”
Lauren Kenny recorded a double-double with 14 kills and 10 digs, while Emma Bouvat-Merlin scooped up 12 digs to lead the Owls’ defense.
