First-year volleyball player Kevin Davis racked up seven blocks, but it was going to take big performances from more than just the 6-foot-7 middle blocker if San Marcos’ boys volleyball team was going to upset Santa Barbara on Tuesday night at J.R. Richards Gym.
Maybe next time.
After a hard-fought first set, things got considerably less interesting in the Dons’ 25-23, 25-10, 25-19 crosstown victory.
Santa Barbara coach Chad Arneson felt like his team could have used a bit more pep in its step, however.
“Our rival is San Marcos. Growing up, when I was playing, it was San Marcos, and the level of intensity needs to be higher in these matches — especially against our rivals in the Channel League,” he said.
Arneson thought that the underdog Royals, on the other hand, fought hard considering they were playing just their second match without star player Andrew Grimes, who will miss the remainder of the season.
“I give San Marcos a lot of credit. They played with a lot of heart out there considering they lost Grimes,” he said.
Star middle blocker Chris Pratt rested in the first set but came up big in the second and third games, blasting eight kills — most of them crushed straight down — to go along with four blocks. Taylor Fauntleroy and Sam Biscaro each had three aces from the service line for the Dons (9-3, 3-0).
San Marcos’ Jackson Kunz — a recent call-up from the JV squad —served four straight points early in the first to give the Royals (11-7, 1-2) a 9-4 lead, but Fauntleroy crushed a kill from the left side for Santa Barbara and proceeded to serve 10 straight as the San Marcos passing broke down.
“Clearly our serve-receive is suspect right now, but if we get our passing a little bit better we’ve got enough weapons to dish to that are pretty good,” said San Marcos coach Roger Kuntz.
A stuff block by Biscaro and Clifford Anderson gave the Dons a 16-11 lead in the set, but San Marcos stuck around. Davis and Mike York combined for a block to make it 20-19 and the Royals would pull even after a Dons hitting error on the next point.
If the visitors were going to make a serious run at the upset, it would be crucial for them to win the close first game. However, Anderson put one away in the middle and the Dons closed it out on a Fauntleroy kill out of the back row.
San Marcos looked a bit deflated after the late letdown in the first, and the Dons steamrolled the second. Alec Smythe put down a set to put Santa Barbara up 5-4 in the third and the hosts were in front the rest of the way.
Davis’ breakout performance was one of the big positives that Kuntz took from the match.
“This is the first match that he’s really been healthy. He’s a senior, and we pulled him off of the soccer field as a soccer goalie, and he played a little bit of club for me in the fall and I’m really pleased with what I saw tonight. We’re trying to find away to get our best athletes on the court,” said Kuntz, who tried a brand new shuffle in the third set.
For Davis, the development continues.
“I’m just trying get better every day I can. I’m coming off of some injuries and I wish I could have played more earlier this season, but I’m at 100-percent now and hopefully it’ll stay that way,” said Davis.
Both teams have a busy weekend ahead at the Santa Barbara/Karch Kiraly 2009 Tournament of Champions, with San Marcos playing Corona del Mar first and Santa Barbara beginning with West Ranch.
Both Arneson and senior Tyler Worley said that the Dons have what it takes to win the tourney.
“We’ve just got to stay focused. I mean, we have the firepower. It’s just going to take determination and we just have to want it,” said Worley.
