This past weekend several Santa Barbara Volleyball Club girls teams hit the court for their third and final Southern California Volleyball Association qualifying tournament for the 2016 season.
On Saturday, the 15 Blue team battled through several close matches to finish 1-2 and will start their regular season in Gold – Division 3. After opening the day with a back to back close losses to Temecula Viper 15-Kevin (25-19, 21-25, 12-15) and La Jolla 215 Michelle (19-25, 25-19, 13-15) the team rebounded with a victory over LAVA North 15 Adidas (25-17, 25-12).
Coach Justin Hertlein noted the standout play of Jane Wood who hit the highest percentage (over .400) on the team this weekend and whose aggressive attacking “bailed us out of many tough rotations.” Additionally, Taylor Robertson’s serve receive consistency “helped our team remain stable” while Georgia Brace and Josie Ulrich’s aggressive serving (averaging more than 3 aces per set) “were a big part of our positive offensive play.”
The 15 White team also faced a tough day of competitive play; going 0-3 they dropped matches versus Supernova 15 All Stars (16-25, 25-21, 8-15), SVVC 15 Justin (20-25, 25-12, 9-15), and NLSC Protégé 15 Sam (13-25, 18-25). Coach Katie Julien said, “middle blocker Isabel Gira was our ace leader with 6 aces, while libero Cat McQueen had 18 digs. Outside hitter Hannah Fabbre had a good day with 8 kills and 7 digs. We struggled with being consistent, but our passing was better which allowed our setters to set a more diverse offense. Our two setters, Caitlin Gainey and Bailey Steelman, are playing much smarter and really improving with each tournament.”
This finish places them in Silver – Division 8 to start the regular season.
On Sunday, the 12 Blue team had a fantastic weekend, battling hard to win some tough matches! Going 3-0 on the day, SBVC posted wins against 949 Athletics 12 White (20-25, 25-19, 16-14), Mavericks 12 Green (25-23, 25-10) and Wave 12 Binh (27-29, 25-13, 15-7).
Coach Tina Brown said of her team: “Behind some strong overall play by our three middles, Caroline Mikkelson, Riley Green and Katarina Erickson, we were able to keep our opponents on their toes. The team has a “never give up” mentality and that proved to be key all day long. Mary Johnson continues to be a key player for us all around the court; hitting, passing and most formidably from the service line. Another true team effort for the weekend!”
This places the team in Bronze – Division 9 to start the regular season.
Also competing on Sunday were the SBVC 13’s age group. The 13 Blue team battled all day long, pushing every match to the limit at 3 sets. They defeated Offshore VBC 13-1 (17-25, 25-23, 15-4), before falling to Vision Zone UA 13 Kelly (25-21, 19-25, 13-15) and San Clemente 13 Erica (22-25, 25-11, 6-15).
Coach Ed Gover highlighted the play of, “Riley Borchardt and Paige Doughty did a great job in the setting department. While Summer Nestlerode and Maddie Oriskovich played well at the net, Grace Johnson and Madelon Gunderson were solid in the back row.” This places the team in Silver – Division 7 to start the regular season.
The 13 White team, “played great Sunday!” said Coach Andrew Grimes. They lost their first match of the day versus SG Elite 13 Premier (14-25, 25-21, 5-15) in a tough 3 set battle; but then bounced back with wins against Beach Cities 13 Playa Vista (25-16, 25-16) and OCVBC 13 White (20-25, 25-22, 15-8).
Coach Grimes credited a big part of the turnaround due to “the consistency of Ellie Largura’s hitting and passing. Bella Carlson was second on the team in scoring, but lead the team in aces; while Kaiya Peters played excellent after moving from the libero spot to opposite.” This 2-1 finish on the day places the team in Copper – Division 14 to start the regular season.
Next up is a quick turnaround for the 12’s and 13’s, as they play in their first Mandatory tournament this upcoming weekend; along with the 14’s who travel to San Diego for their first Mandatory of the season.