Competing in the 14’s age bracket, Santa Barbara Volleyball Club’s 13-White team won its second tournament in a row, which will move them up to Division 8 for their next round of competition this coming Sunday.
The team beat Desert Sports, Protégé, and Mavericks all in 2 games. Coach Jessie Fahey gave kudos to her team:
“The girls were unstoppable, and every single person contributed to this victory! Chloe Richman had a near perfect day, dominating the front row with effective tips and swings while picking up numerous tips in the back row with ease. Melissa Scott was unstoppable with her dumps in the middle and never failed to rally her team back when behind. Clara Madsen stepped in as a right side hitter, and was a natural. She was a leader on the court and showed aggression and intensity all day. We had our best day yet!”
The 14 Blue team once again grinded it out all day and managed to keep itself in Division 1 with a 2-4 record, winning the right match at the right time. In pool play, the team lost to Orange County 14-Blue, Mizuno Long Beach 13s, and So Cal Elite 14s in very closely contested games.
“We were right there with each team, just couldn’t close it out,” commented Coach K.C. Collins.
The team moved on to playoffs, having to play the division deciding match against Wave 14-Janna Spalding. After losing the first game, the team battled back and won the match 15-10 in the third game to keep them in Division 1. The team went on to win another one-game playoff match against Rancho Valley 14-Mark, but ultimately lost to Epic 14-1 (23-25) finishing 10th for the day.
“We continue to compete well in the top competition of our age bracket, it’s just a matter of reducing our errors.” Collins continued. “We had a few comeback sparks in the pool play matches with the much improved blocking by Mady Simon and some great defensive digging by Sierra Hofstatter, while Rachel Smith continues to be a threat with her quick attacks in the middle. Frankie Lewis made some key blocks in a new position as middle blocker, along with some heated attacks by Emma Mascari, which were a critical factor in our quarter-final match we won. Mariah Bell stepped up her all around play at the end of a long day and was integral to our semi-final match win. In all, the girls continue to improve and show a great capacity to maintain composure under pressure and keep up the fight on these long tournaments days!”
The 14 White team coached by Matt Schroeder and Connor Hastings went 1-2 losing to T-Street and Conejo Crush but beating Rancho Valley 14-Shannon in three games.
Hastings provides his colorful wrap up on they day, “The 14-White had another trying day of competition … going the distance in each match, with every game essentially a coin flip as to who would emerge the victor. Collective team spirit and enthusiasm were alarmingly scarce, with both coaches agreeing they’d seen zombies show more personality on the court. Without injured libero Mia Cattaneo, passing was at a premium…Grace Halleck filled in admirably in her first performance at the position. Tala Hishmeh was able to conjure up an ace at 14-13 to win the last match against Rancho Valley by directing her serve to the back edge of the line. Amy Davis made significant contributions in the front row by putting numerous overpasses and tight sets to the floor. Lauren “The Zenmaster” Underwood recorded a couple of sky-walking kills and the most sensational block of the year, an emphatic hanging rejection of an opponent’s tip attempt.” The team will remain in Division 5.
The 13 Blue team battled solid pool play competition in Division 4 and ultimately finished 0-3 for the day which will move them to Division 5 for this Sunday’s play.
In San Diego, the 18 Blue team took care of business placing 2nd in pool play to keep them in Division 1 competition, beating Coast 18-Ohzan and Sunshine 18-Roxy and losing to Laguna 18-MS. They went on to lose the first playoff round in a close contest to Sunshine 17s. Both the Sunshine 17s and Laguna went on to battle in the finals, while the Santa Barbara 18-Blue team finished 5th for the day and will continue to compete in Division 1 at the next Mandatory tournament.
The 18 White team, also competing in Division 1, finished 13th which will put them in Division 2 for the next Mandatory. Also, having a tough time securing match wins, the 17-Blue team went 0-3 for the day in Division 5.
This weekend the 12s, 13s, 14s and 15s teams all compete in Los Angeles, while the 16s teams will head down to San Diego for their next round of competition.
