Laguna Blanca played its first Frontier League girls volleyball match against Providence and romped to a 25-5, 25-11, 25-16 victory at the Page Center on Tuesday.
Ella Delwiche paced the Owls (3-2, 1-0) with nine kills, while Audrey Murphy, Paige Levinson and Amelia Fowler each had five kills. Libero Bea Lujan picked up 11 digs.
Caitlin Racich, Providence’s first-year coach, praised the play of Avala Elwood and Kaitlyn Tang.
“Avala was a huge asset tonight across the board, contributing consistent passing, strong serving and hitting,” Racich said. “Kaitlyn Tang continued her strong service runs, totaling four aces for the match.
“Our team came out quieter in the first game but built momentum as the match went into the second and third games,” she said of the match. “I am proud of our girls for improving as we achieved both team and individual goals tonight.”
Laguna Blanca was coming off winning the title at the Bishop Diego Classic on Saturday. Providence was playing its second match of the season. The Patriots are 1-1.
“It was a fun experience for myself tonight coaching in a match against my previous club coach Jason Donnelly,” Racich said. “That is the beauty of small-town Santa Barbara, everyone is connected in some way or another. Great teams take building and I’m proud of my players and happy to be apart of this program.”
— Noozhawk Sports Editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.