Both Santa Barbara High and Dos Pueblos are off to perfect starts in the California Challenge girls volleyball tournament in San Diego, as each team went 2-0 in Friday’s pool-play action.
Santa Barbara defeated Scripps Ranch 25-23, 25-18, 25-21 before taking down San Clemente 25-17, 25-22, 25-23. DP, meanwhile, cruised past Parker 25-15, 25-14, 25-12 and then defeated Huntington Beach 25-16, 25-21, 25-18.
“It was a total team effort,” said Chargers coach Todd Garrett. His team faces La Costa Canyon at 8 a.m. Saturday.
Eve Ettinger had 14 kills for the Dons against Scripps Ranch while Emily Rottman had 10 and Dani Rottman had four. Ettinger added two blocks and five digs, while Katherine Keller had 14 digs and Sarah Mendoza added 10.
Assistant coach Lee Carlander dubbed the second match “The Emily Rottman Show.” The University of Virginia-bound outside hitter racked up 20 kills wirth 16 digs in the effort, and Ettinger had 11 kills with five digs and two blocks.
“We were really proud of the girls’ effort in the second match. We weren’t great in the first match but they really picked it up,” said Carlander.
Sarah Mendoza had 16 digs in the second match, and Carlander noted that the Dons’ hitters thrived off the top-notch setting of Rose Lewis and Keller.
