It was an up-and-down regular season for the Santa Barbara High boys volleyball team.
But timing is everything in sports, and the Dons found their groove at the right time, elevating their game to a championship level for the postseason. After losing two of their last three matches to end the regular campaign, they’ve stepped up and reeled off four playoff wins to reach a CIF-Southern Section division final for the 10th time in program history.
Santa Barbara (18-10) faces Newport Beach-Sage Hill (17-10) for the Division 4 title on Saturday at 1 p.m. at J.R. Richards Gym.
Santa Barbara is seeking its fourth CIF-SS championship (previous titles in 2021, 1992, 1978). In 2021, the Dons played at home and won a five-set epic against Huntington Beach for the Division 2 title.
Sage Hill is going for a second straight crown. The private school won the Division 5 title last year, their first-ever CIF championship in boys volleyball.
The Lightning are led by 6-foot-10 senior outside hitter Jackson Cryst, who has committed to newly crowned NCAA champion Long Beach State. He had a monster match in last year’s final, racking up 54 kills in a five-set win over San Marino; he was named as the Division 5 Player of the Year. The team also returns All-CIF players Connor Gapp (a setter this season after playing opposite last year) and outside hitter Dylan Han.
Santa Barbara went through lapses of out-of-sync play during big matches this season. In the crosstown battles against Dos Pueblos and San Marcos, the Dons went 1-3, losing both meetings against DP and falling to San Marcos at home, with a chance to earn a share of the Channel League title.
The defeat in the league finale was the pivotal moment of the turnaround. The Dons, who were ranked 68th in the final CIF-SS boys volleyball power ranking and placed in Division 4 for the playoffs (Sage Hill was 65th), finished the regular season with a non-league win at Santa Ynez before beating Elsinore, Santa Ana-Foothill, Sherman Oaks-Notre Dame and Corona-Santiago in their playoff run.
“I definitely think there’s a calmness throughout the matches now,” said Chad Arneson of his team’s play. “We’re all kind of trusting each other out there and realizing that, ‘Hey, it’s a team sport, and not one guy is going to (win the match).’ I think having that positive energy has helped the boys pick it up.”
Senior setter Chase Holdren credited a new-found energy for the team’s resurgence.
“Since the first round of CIF, we’ve, all been so much better,” he said. “All of our energy has been high, something clicked. We just have a lot more energy, and we’ve been great throughout CIF. Everyone’s been hitting well, passing, well, we’ve all just clicked.”
The play of senior outside hitter Benicio Duarte is a perfect example of the Dons’ upturn. He dealt with the loss of his grandfather and suffered a back injury during the season and it affected his play.
“It was a hard time for me, so I had to take a step back from volleyball and kind of just figure out some stuff,” said Duarte. “And now that I’m back, I think I’m a lot more open minded and ready to bring home the CIF championship.”
Duarte has been a force during the Dons’ run-up to the final. In a tense five-set win at Foothill in the second round, he had a huge night, blasting 17 kills, with sizzling .517 hitting percentage. He had a team-high 11 kills in a quarterfinal sweep of Notre Dame and put down 12 kills to share high honors with Luke Zuffelato in the semifinal victory at Santiago.
“It’s like a day and night difference. He’s flipped the coin and, yeah, it’s cool,” said Arneson. “I’m really proud of him, and I’m also just proud of the rest of the team. The kids have worked so hard. It’s great to see, Benicio and Chase do so well but, overall, it’s been all the players on the team too.”
Holdren, who also played a stellar match at Foothill (59 assists, 11 digs, three kills and a key block) is pumped to see Duarte burying balls on a consistent bases.
“It gives me another good option,” he said. “I mean, we had a lot of injuries throughout the middle of the season. I feel like now everyone’s back. We got a very talented six guys out there on the court, and we have very good hitting options. Everyone’s a weapon, so having Benny is just another great weapon.”
Chase Holdren and Benicio Duarte are part of Santa Barbara’s rich volleyball history. Chase’s father, Clay, played middle blocker on San Marcos’ first CIF championship team in 1991. Benicio’s dad, Marcelo, was an All-CIF player at Santa Barbara High in 1989 and later played on the AVP pro beach volleyball tour.
Asked about the reaction of their fathers on playing for a CIF championship, Chase Holdren said: “He told me it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get out there. ‘The lights are bright, but you gotta just take advantage of it and you want to go win it.’”
Making the CIF final was like a blessing for the Duarte family. Benicio said his father “was really excited, especially because my grandfather just passed away, and we were all dealing with that. He always watched me play volleyball, so he always wanted to see me do that, he always wanted to see me go to a CIF final.
“So, I feel like I’ve just gotta make it happen…gotta win it.”
Arneson, who will be coaching in his fifth CIF final for the Dons, called it a “special time,” seeing the sons of local volleyball fame play for a CIF title.
“That’s what’s so great about the volleyball culture in Santa Barbara, is having past players, and now dads, that have been such a huge part in the Santa Barbara volleyball community,” he said. “And, it’s an honor to be able to coach their sons, and the parents have been so great and supportive. It’s pretty special to see their sons do so well and have an opportunity to win a CIF title.
(Clay and Marcelo) were great players, they had that refuse-to-lose mentality. And, our boys, and their sons, are doing so well throughout these rounds of playoffs. There’s so much maturity and growth, and for myself, too. I always want to get better as a coach. I feel like I got these kids in the right mind frame and, and they rose to the occasion. So it’s really fun, and I’ve been enjoying this moment.”
