Santa Barbara High made a short stop after a long drive to Palm Desert for its second-round CIF-SS Divison 4 girls volleyball match.
The Dons swept host Xavier Prep, 25-22, 25-17, 25-15, to advance to the quarterfinals on Wednesday. They’ll host Pasadena Poly.
Santa Barbara coach Krsitin Hempy wasn’t sure how her team would do after making the long road trip early Saturday morning for a 2 p.m. match.
“I was a little concerned the almost four-hour drive would result in a slow start for us, but the girls were fired up and ready to go,” she said. “We came out strong and never let up, led by strong serving and consistent serve receive all around.
Setters Gracie Meinzer and Gwen Chenoweth ran a smooth offense, resulting in good production from hitters Shae Delany and Nicole Schuetz.
“Xavier is a consistent team and they were highly motivated, but we didn’t let it shake us and were in control of the momentum of this match,” Hempy said. “The entire squad was focused and on point tonight, and we’re excited to move into the quarterfinals.
“It was a long day, but we’re happy to walk away with the win.”
