The Santa Barbara Volleyball Club 15U squad put together a strong showing at the SoCal Cup Showcase in Los Angeles last weekend, placing ninth out of 42 teams.
The team was seeded 25th in the field and picked up several upset wins throughout the weekend.
“This team has come a long way from where they were at this point last year,” Santa Barbara coach Dillan Bennett said. “We’ve had a few players move from team to team, and this group has transitioned from playing on a women’s net to playing against 16-year-olds on a men’s net.
“I’m so proud of the development of this group and their willingness to buy into what our coaching staff is selling.”
Following a loss to No. 4 ranked Coast 15-Chris, Santa Barbara won four of its next five matches in sweeps and fell to No. 10-seeded Pinnacle 15 Amado.
In the championship bracket, Santa Barbara lost in the opening round to No. 5 Aspire 15 Black 2-0, 26-24, 25-20.
Cash Abbott was a force all over the court for Santa Barbara, ending the weekend with 47 points. Meanwhile, Nathan Biron and Hayes Costner collected 34 and 31 points, respectively.
In the middle, Anders Dietenhofer tallied 24 points while Soren Alldredge chipped in 13.
Keanu Nguyen played every set of the weekend, picking up 56 digs across 16 sets. Meanwhile, Tyler Walker had 132 assists and 23 points as the team’s setter.
“We have a strong core, but we’re also very thankful to have depth for the first time this season with our guys who come in and make a difference,” Bennett said. “Our guys like Tennyson Riley, Drew Miller, Evan Daugherty, Jasper Bell, and Maddox Denver came in this weekend and scored 22 points for us.
“As we prep for Nationals at AAUs in two weeks, we’ll look to refine a few aspects of our team play and our tactical approach to the game.”