Santa Barbara tied for seventh at the Best of the West volleyball tournament in Poway.
The Dons opened the day with a two-game win over St. Ignatius (25-22, 25-21) and then lost to Division 1 powers Loyola (25-18, 25-19) and Corona del Mar (19-25, 25-22, 15-7).
“We played really well and we saw some bright spots,” said Santa Barbara coach Chad Arneson, citing Casey Slaught, Nick Clark and Gavin Trudeau.
Slaught was named to the all-tournament team.
“It was a good tournament for all our boys,” Arneson said. “They saw what Division 1 competition is all about. We have a tough road ahead, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”