In playing a powerhouse team like Mira Costa, the young Santa Barbara High boys volleyball team got a lesson on what it takes to compete at an elite level.
The Mustangs got 18 kills from explosive outside hitter Victor Loiola and swept the reschedule non-league match at J.R. Richards Gym, 25-17, 25-19, 25-21 on Wednesday night.
The match was originally slated last Friday but was postponed due to the stormy weather and flood warnings.
With a lot of new players in the lineup, including basketball standout Luke Zuffelato at outside hitter, Santa Barbara (1-1) showed it is a work in progress. In each set, the Dons battled to keep the score close before Mira Costa (3-0) ran off a string of points to extend a lead or finish the set.
“We’re lucky to play a team like Mira Costa every year,” said Santa Barbara coach Chad Arneson. “And to play them early is a good stepping stone for our team to see where we’re at and where we want to be.
“They obviously were playing better, but our guys were in the games at times. I thought we lacked hitting smart at certain times and our serving wasn’t the greatest. The boys know they didn’t play their best but they gotta keep their heads up and keep grinding and working hard. Mira Costa is pretty good team that returns most of their players from last year.”
That team reached the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinals.
Loiola is one of those returnees, and he’s just a junior. The son of former USC indoor and AVP beach volleyball star Jose Loiola put on a high-flying performance.
In the first set, he reeled off four straight kills to extend a 12-9 Mustangs’ lead to 16-9. He finished the set with a booming, straight-down kill off an assist from 6-foot-8 setter Tread Rosenthal.
Raglan Kear delivered some heat for the Dons. In an impressive performance, the 6-foot-6 junior put away 11 kills and excelled in the passing department, recording a 2.8 passing average out of 3.0.
Kear ripped a kill and followed with a service ace to pull Santa Barbara within two (21-19) in the third set.
Mira Costa outscored the Dons 4-2 down the stretch to complete the sweep.
“Raglan was great,” said Arneson. “If we could maybe set him every ball, we probably would have been in the match the whole time. He’s a special kid and he can do a lot for us. This match shows what he’s capable of doing for our team.”
Middle Mikey Denver played well, recording five kills and a pair of blocks.
Wednesday’s match was the start of a busy stretch of competition for the Dons to end the week. They’re back on the court Thursday for their Channel League opener against Oxnard and then head to San Diego for the Best of the West Tournament on Friday and Saturday.
“It’s a grind but I think our kids can pull it off,” said Arneson.