San Marcos didn’t have its “A game” on Thursday night but still had enough to sweep Santa Ynez 25-20, 25-14, 25-11 in a Channel League boys volleyball match at Santa Ynez.
Middle blocker Parker Bittner pounded 12 kills in 14 swings to pace the Royals (11-2, 3-0).
“We did not play our best volleyball tonight,” said San Marcos coach Roger Kuntz. “Our passing was mediocre and we made too many hitting errors on the outsides. Our middles were consistent and once again Parker Bittner led us with 12 kills. Senior setter Tanner Stevens had four ace serves and ran a solid offense.
“We did not create enough energy on our side of the net. Hats off to Santa Ynez, they played hard and were effective with their blocking.”
The Pirates were led by Nate Rogers with five kills, two aces and a block. John “LJ” Wright chipped in four kills and a block
The Pirates played a strong first set before fading in the the last two sets, said coach Craig Scott.
“The difference in the first set was our intensity combined with strong net play from both our middles and we were able to keep the Royals off balance,” Scott said. “The last two sets we were unable to keep pressure on the Royals defense and they were able to run their offense, particularly their middle attack.”
The Royals will compete in the Dos Pueblos Tournament on Saturday at UCSB with their first match at 8 a.m.