Santa Barbara Girls Volleyball fell in the championship matchup of the Oaks Christian tournament on Saturday.
After going 3-0 in pool play, the Dons earned the second seed and a bye in the first round of the playoffs. In the semifinals, they took down Ventura before their run came to an end in the finals against Oaks Christian.
In pool play, Santa Barbara took down Bishop Diego 25-21, 25-20 to open up the tournament. The Dons then battled with Notre Dame, eventually coming out on top 17-25, 25-11, 15-10.
To round out the opening matchups, Santa Barbara beat Bishop Montgomery with set scores of 25-20, 25-21.
The Dons made quick work of Ventura, cruising to a 25-18 first-set win and clinching a spot in the finals with a tight set-two victory by a score of 26-24.
In a one-set final, Santa Barbara fell to the tournament’s host, with a final tally of 25-18.
“We had a strong performance from up and down the roster today,” Dons head coach Kristen Hempy said. “The girls had energy, lots of communication and really gelled.”
Playing outside hitter, Augustine Wooten had a breakout performance to lead the Santa Barbara offense. Tessa de Albergaria and Emmy Werner also made their impact felt, making plays all around the court.
“As a team, we looked very strong and in sync today – a great place to be going into a big week,” Hempy said.
The big week for the Dons includes a matchup with Oxnard on Tuesday and a rivalry meeting with San Marcos on Thursday.
