The SBCC women’s volleyball team was without a good chunk of its roster once again in dropping matches against Pasadena and San Diego Mesa in the SBCC Quad Tournament on Saturday.
A strong day from sophomore opposite Caroline McCarty nearly pushed Pasadena to five sets, but the Vaqueros fell to the Lancers, 25-19, 20-25, 25-19, 26-24. Santa Barbara was defeated by San Diego Mesa 25-15, 25-12, 25-21.
McCarty tied a career-high with 14 kills against Pasadena (5-2), followed by freshman outside hitter Heidi Collins’ season-best 13 kills on an efficient .355 hitting percentage.
“I was extremely proud of the leadership and all-around game of Caroline during the match. Heidi seemed to always be able to provide a kill when we needed one. She is such an offensive threat,” head coach Kat Niksto said. “We took a game off them with our shorthanded squad due to COVID protocols and almost pushed the match to the fifth set.”
Four Vaqueros went for double-digit digs, led by McCarty’s 16, another personal-best for her as she notched the second double-double of her career. Celia Espinoza (11 digs), Gabby Russell (10) and Mikayla Butzke (10) were the others to reach double-figures.
Libero Celia Espinoza led the way with 19 digs and provided a huge emotional spark for the Vaqueros against San Diego Mesa.
Butzke continued to run the offense with the remaining available hitters. She tallied 14 assists.
With key players expected to return to the lineup, Santa Barbara will head back on the road for its lone match of the week to face Canyons on Wednesday.