Santa Barbara High girls beach volleyball kicked off league action with a sweeping victory over Oxnard on Thursday.
“All our pairs delivered solid performances, everyone winning in two sets for a team sweep,” Dons coach Kristin Hempy said. “Tough serving, good communication and smart shots led the way to our win.”
At the No. 1 matchup, the Dons duo of Gwen Chenoweth and Keenan Engebretson took down Ava Ordonez and Leila McDougald, 21-10, 21-13.
Santa Barbara High’s Lucy Fisher and Stella Borgioli dominated at the No. 2 court, defeating Salma Macias and Aleyna Renteria by scores of 21-7 and 21-6.
The pairing of Lola Heckman and Lexi Horton routed Val Ibarra and Jess Camarillo at matchup three 21-6, 21-19.
With Oxnard having to forfeit the No. 5 matchup due to a lack of players, the No. 4 duo of Christa Moellekan-Lezama and Madi Priess took care of Alexa Babauta and Bailey Ganes, 21-11, 21-16.
The Dons (2-0, 1-0 Channel League) will take on Laguna Blanca in a non-league matchup on Friday.
Ventura 4, Dos Pueblos 1
The Chargers picked up just one win in a loss to Ventura on Thursday.
“It was a tough night for the Chargers as they were missing go-to 1s team Addie Low due to illness,” Dos Pueblos coach Nate Holmes said. “This sent ripples through most of the starting partnerships forcing the Chargers to adapt at the last minute.
“We had most of our players playing with new teammates or punching up a seed from their usual starting spot.”
Jayden Jones and Halle Rillie earned the victory for Dos Pueblos at the No. 1 court, bouncing back from a 21-14 loss in the first set and winning the final two sets, 21-18, 15-12.
The Charger pairings of Maddy Jones/Layla McQuiggan and Eleni Becker/Ella Payne fell in three sets.
“I am incredibly proud of how the girls came out and played hard despite the last-minute change of plans,” Holmes said. “Beach volleyball is a game that requires constant adaptation, and I think all our girls got better last night as a result of this lineup change. That’s the most important thing.”
Dos Pueblos is now 1-2 overall and 0-2 in league action.