San Marcos girls volleyball dropped a five-set battle with a strong Oaks Christian squad on the road on Thursday, 17-25, 20-25, 25-11, 25-19, 2-15.
“We started off slow in games one and two, and made some changes in game three and came out more aggressive,” Royals head coach Erica Downing said. “We took control from the serve receive and passed much better.
“Game five was unfortunate. We just couldn’t get out of one rotation and went down quickly in a quick game to 15.”
Gracie Stone had a strong night on the outside for the Royals, leading the charge with 20 kills. Meanwhile, Charlotte Hastings recorded 10 kills and Samantha Fallon added five kills of her own.
Libero Alina Stapf was all over the place defensively with a team-high 15 digs, while Lila Westmacott set a balanced attack for San Marcos.
“Overall, I’m really happy about how we played. We scrambled and had great defense in all five games,” Downing said. “Oaks Christian is a very good team, and they played a well-balanced attack.”
The Royals will roll out the welcome mats for Royal High on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. inside the Thunderhut.
Villanova 3, Laguna Blanca 0
The Owls suffered a sweep on the road to Villanova Prep on Thursday, 13-25, 24-26, 19-25.
“We continue to get better each time we step on the court, which is all we can ask for this early in the season,” Laguna Blanca coach Tanner Stevens said.
“Playing veteran teams like Villanova is a good test for our girls and they are improving with each opportunity they get.”
Maritt Blabey turned in a strong all-around performance with a team-high eight kills and 10 digs.
Meanwhile, Lolayna Redmond ran a consistent 5-1 offense and Vivi Keister tallied six blocks at the net.
The Owls will compete in the Cardinal Classic on Saturday.
Royal 3, Dos Pueblos 0
The Chargers fell in straight sets at home to Royal High on Thursday, 12-25, 8-25, 13-25.
Addie Low hammered a team-high nine kills to go along with seven digs, while Moana Martinez collected seven digs of her own. Faith Harrison ended the night with three kills and one block.
Dos Pueblos (0-4) will now head into the Cardinal Classic on Saturday.
Pacifica 3, Carpinteria 0
The Warriors opened their season with a three-set loss to the Tritons on Thursday. in Oxnard.
“We started off a little slow, but once we found our groove, the team showed great fight and energy,” Carpinteria head coach Favian Muralles said. “I’m proud of the way we competed and I believe we can build on this momentum as we begin our volleyball season.”
Evelyn Aviles filled up the stat sheet for the Warriors with 25 assists, 12 digs and one ace, while Leona McClellan was strong on both sides of the net with seven kills, 13 digs and two aces.
Harper Rowbottom chipped in five kills, 10 digs and three aces, and Yazmine Herrera added four kills from the front row.