It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
Santa Barbara High’s girls volleyball team lacked finishing power on Tuesday night at J.R Richards Gym, and top-ranked Dos Pueblos was there to twist the dagger in each set as soon as the Dons slowed down. The first game was tied at 18-18, the second at 22-22 and the third at 15-15, and DP stepped on the gas pedal from that point forward in each set.
It culminated in a 25-20, 25-22, 25-18 sweep for the Chargers.
“Against a really good team like that, the margin of error is really slim,” said Dons coach John Gannon. “If you don’t execute down the stretch against that team, they won’t just give you a game.”
DP’s block was bulletproof, neutralizing the Santa Barbara attack throughout the match. University of Delaware-bound senior Karina Evans had eight blocks while Stanford-bound Carly Wopat added six and Notre Dame-bound Sammie Brown notched five.
Dos Pueblos' Sam Wopat tips one over the block of Santa Barbara's Eve Ettinger (12) and Katy Villanueva.
In other words, DP had a college-level presence at the net.
“We had some blocks in that game, but their blocks are more terminal because they just end the play. We’re just not penetrating the net like Carly can,” said Gannon.
Sam Wopat led the Chargers (20-1, 7-0) with 12 kills while sophomore lefty Taylor Racich chipped in seven. Santa Barbara (15-6, 4-2) was led by nine kills from Eve Ettinger, but none of her teammates were able to tally more than five.
DP assistant coach Greg Novak said that a stellar practice on Monday was a big confidence-boost for the Chargers.
“Last night we had the best practice we’ve had all season along. All the girls were going after it,” he said. “I think that contributed to it because we left on a high from practice and went into the match with the same momentum.”
Santa Barbara was missing the services of starting libero Sarah Mendoza, who was out sick. Lauren Capritto stepped in at the last minute to fill the spot and fought off tough serves all night.
“I thought Lauren did a great job for us… On a moment’s notice it’s a big match to step into and she did a pretty good job,” said Gannon.
The rivalry has been uber-hyped since the start of last season, and things were really in overdrive heading into Tuesday night. Santa Barbara swept the Chargers in last year’s CIF finals at Rob Gym, and DP responded in the teams’ first meeting this season, climbing out of an 0-2 hole to beat the Dons in five sets on September 29th.
Brown was relieved that it was a little less climactic this time around.
“I just felt like we were really confident the entire game. Even though they were pretty close games the entire night I still felt confident and calm about being able to pull it out,” she said.
Santa Barbara senior setter Rose Lewis, meanwhile, couldn’t help but think about facing the Chargers again. After all, the Dons lost both regular season matches to the Chargers last season before winning the all-important title match.
“We hope to see them again in the playoffs, but we just have to play one game at a time. We have the (Tournament of Champions) this weekend, so hopefully we’ll see them there,” she said.
An ace by Emily Rottman tied up the first game at 18-18, but the visitors rattled off the next three points. Sam Wopat crushed a bump set to force game point at 24-20, then covered her own hit on the next point. Brown dished it right back to Wopat, who put it away to close out the game.
Ettinger notched a block to put Santa Barbara up 10-7 in the second game, but DP climbed back after a roof block by Evans and Brown was followed by a net violation on the Dons to make it 11-11. DP took a 16-12 lead but Rottman stepped to the service line and didn’t leave until a Katherine Keller tip tied it at 16-16. DP surged forward once again by scoring the next four points, but Keller had two kills and an ace over a 4-point span to tie it up once again, this time at 22-22.
Dos Pueblos' Carly Wopat (2) and Sally Yingst go up for a block.
DP called a timeout, and the Dons missed the first serve out of the break and never got the ball back.
Carly Wopat had back-to-back-to-back aces down the stretch in the third set and her twin sister ended the match with a jump-float serve for an ace.
The bracket at the Tournament of Champions is loaded once again. Santa Barbara, the No. 8 seed, opens up against Corona del Mar at 11 a.m. on Friday at J.R. Richards Gym. San Marcos will take on Archbishop Mitty, the nation’s No. 1 team, at the same time on the next court over. DP plays Liberty at 4:15 at Santa Barbara High.
