They were thumping their chests like gorillas at J.R. Richards Gym Tuesday night, and Santa Barbara High’s boys volleyball team wound up with the whole bunch of bananas in a high-energy 25-18, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23 win over visiting Edison in the second round of the CIF Division I playoffs.
“It was a really fun match,” said Taylor Fauntleroy, who finished with 12 kills, five blocks and a set of tired vocal cords from roaring after each big play. “Me and Chris (Pratt) both woke up this morning feeling good, and the whole team came out to play and was just really excited.”
Pratt finished with 17 kills and five blocks of his own, including the match-winning joust, while Tyler Worley put away nine kills with a block and two aces.
Edison certainly wasn’t the second-round opponent that the Dons have grown accustomed to. Santa Barbara swept its first three CIF opponents in 2006, 2007 and 2008 — but that was before moving up to the top division this year.
“Wow, welcome to the Division I playoffs,” said coach Chad Arneson. “It was what we expected it to be, which was a very high-level match.”
The Chargers had the edge in the first set despite committing five errors in the first 17 points. The Dons stayed within a point or two, however, until Worley ended a long rally with an authoritative put-away to tie things up at 16-16. Fauntleroy caught fire from there, tallying two blocks and three kills as the Dons dominated the final points of the crucial set.
“That first game definitely set the tone and made a big difference in the match,” said Chargers coach Brian Boone. “Especially since we’re coming all the way up here, that first game is crucial.”
Fauntleroy crushed a pipe set from the back row to open the second frame, and setter Sam Biscaro followed with an ace to set a quick pace for the Dons, who had a commanding 20-10 lead before letting Edison go on a mini-run to make it respectable. Pratt ended the game by detonating a ball in the middle.
A light bulb turned on for Edison (17-12) in the third and the Chargers never trailed in the set. The Dons (14-4) came close to pulling even at the finish line when Fauntleroy put one away on a big swing to cut the Charger lead to 24-23, but the senior was off-target on the ensuing serve to force a fourth game.
The fourth was the loudest and most hotly contested of all, with the score tied at 4, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18 and 23. An early block had Edison up 11-8, but Worley notched a kill which was followed by a Pratt/Biscaro combo block and a Charger lift to tie it up. Fauntleroy let out a big howl after tallying a solo roof block to make it 14-14, and he did the same a few points later to put the Dons up 17-15.
Edison won a marathon rally on the next point, but Pratt and Fauntleroy were responsible for winning five of the next seven points to give the hosts a 23-20 cushion. Edison battled back to tie it up, and Fauntleroy made a great dig during the ensuing rally, which ended in a net violation by the Chargers.
Pratt then won a 1-on-1 joust in the middle to avoid the ever-dangerous fifth game.
“I was definitely worried about that fourth game a little bit. I didn’t want to go five games with the momentum they were having,” said a relieved Arneson.
It won’t get any easier for the Dons, who will face Mater Dei in the next round. The Monarchs dispatched Corona del Mar — Santa Barbara’s longtime postseason nemesis — in a 3-game sweep Tuesday night. If the Dons should advance from that match, the like of Mira Costa and Loyola lay on the horizon.
“We were on tonight. We were as on as we’ve ever been,” said Fauntleroy. “As long as we play our game, I think we’re capable of beating anybody. We just have to stay focused.”
And keep thumping that chest.
