When it comes to prep sports in Santa Barbara, there’s one thing you could count on: a local girls volleyball team will win a league championship and contend for a CIF championship.
Going back to the 1970s, the area has produced CIF championship teams in the sport. Bishop Diego won three straight in 1977-79 and finished as runners-up in 1983.
In the 90s, Bishop and San Marcos took second in their respective divisions in 1997, and the Royals won it all in 1999.
Four titles and six runner-up finishes have come in the 2000s. Santa Barbara claimed the championship in 2000 and 2008, Laguna Blanca won its division crown in 2006 and Dos Pueblos earned its first CIF crown in 2009. The second-place finishes were Laguna Blanca in ’03, ’04 and ’05, San Marcos in ’04, Santa Barbara in ’05 and DP in ’08.
The last two years have seen the Santa Barbara-Dos Pueblos clashes flourish into one of the best girls volleyball rivalries in the CIF Southern Section. And it’s not just because of the proximity of the schools. This rivalry has blossomed because of the high quality of competition. Both programs have sent several players to Division 1 colleges.
The fervor of the rivalry was exemplified in 2008 when the schools met for the CIF Division 1 championship before more than 3,000 fans at UCSB’s Rob Gym. Dos Pueblos won the two Channel League meetings, but Santa Barbara played a near-perfect match and took down the Chargers in three straight to win the championship.
The teams were on a collision course for a rematch last year until Santa Barbara was knocked out in the semifinals.
Dos Pueblos, meanwhile, was on a mission and would not be denied. The Chargers again swept Santa Barbara in league and rolled to its first CIF title.
As the 2010 season opens, the Chargers and Dons again have loads of talent and should slug it out for the Channel League title and a high seeding in the CIF playoffs.
And, who knows? In November, they could find themselves facing each other across the net in a rubber match for a CIF championship.
Watch the video story on the Santa Barbara-Dos Pueblos volleyball rivalry.
