The Santa Barbara girls water polo team wrapped up the SoCal championships on a positive note by sinking No. 5 Foothill 9-7 to take 15th place in the elite tournament on Saturday.
Leah Gonzales and Charlotte Hendrix scored two goals each to help the Dons rally from an early 3-0 deficit to get the win. Santa Barbara went on a 9-3 run after the first quarter to gain control.
Gonzales and Hendrix did a lot more than just score. Gonzales recorded four steals and three assists while Hendrix drew five ejections and added two assists.
Chloe Brooks made 12 saves in the cage for the No. 10 Dons.
In the day’s first match, Santa Barbara fell to Division II’s fourth-ranked team, Agoura, 7-5 in a game in which the Dons struggled to convert their man-advantages.
Hendrix and Makenzy Fowler drew four ejections each, but Santa Barbara managed to score on only 4-of-10 man-up situations.
Hendrix and Fowler also led the Dons in the Agoura game with two scores each.
Santa Barbara finishes its regular season this week with two rivalry games before playoffs begin. San Marcos is on Tuesday and then No. 1 Dos Pueblos (runner-up to Corona del Mar on Saturday) on Thursday in the Dons’ pool.
