The Santa Barbara girls took seven of nine doubles sets on the way to an 11-7 Channel League victory over Dos Pueblos Thursday.
Dons senior Charlotte Ryan and sophomore Caitlyn Buist swept their three sets as a double team to lead the way.
“In the last few matches, Charlotte’s volleys have picked up quite a bit; she is becoming a more active net player and keeping her opponents on defense,” Santa Barbara coach Danny Echt said. “That coupled with Caitlyn’s excellent balance of solid backcourt game and knifing volleys, round out the impressive performance of the Dons No. 1 doubles team.”
At No. 2 and 3 doubles, the Dons won four of six sets, with Esme Landeck Lopez, Lucia Dipadova, Mary Moses, Ella Weathers and Juliana Aviani playing consistently in that effort.
“I was very pleased with our team’s focus from start to finish today,” Echt said. “DP challenged us well in a very closely contested match today.”
Meanwhile, the Chargers came away with a 5-4 edge in singles sets.
Ellie Triplett and Mel Mayo, Dos Pueblos’ No. 1 and 2 singles players, went a combined 5-1 on the day.
The doubles team of Romy Greenwald and Isla Herrera went 2-1.
“Santa Barbara is a really good team,” Dos Pueblos coach Rob Schiff said. “They were very solid and definitely earned the win.
“I was very proud of how we competed. We are improving, and I think our players are realizing we have a ton of potential as a team. I’m excited to see what we can do the rest of the season.”
Santa Barbara is now 3-1 in league play and 7-4 overall. Dos Pueblos is also 3-1 in Channel League, and 4-1 overall.
Providence 12, Villanova Prep 6
Playing without star No. 1 singles player Avala Elwood, the Providence girls beat Villanova Prep 12-6 Thursday.
“Winning 12-6 without our number one singles player was truly impressive, given four of the nine starters today were freshmen,” Patriot coach Evan Covell said. “I am proud of the way we handled adversity and winning all four of the close sets to seal the match.”
Among highlights, freshman Amber Regan had her singles debut and won a critical point for the team. Aza Elwood and Sarah Monroy won two of three in singles, with Elwood beating Villanova’s No. 1 in a thrilling tiebreaker.
In Doubles, the Pryko sisters, Jacky and Janelle, also won two of three sets. Jane Krautmann and Mia Vandever dominated three straight, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. The Freshman duo of Abby Gobbell and Annie Haugen won two of three doubles sets.
The Patriots have a 4-0 record going into their first league matches against Cate and Laguna Blanca next week.