The first Santa Barbara Volleyball Club team to play in the AAU Junior Championships came home with a trophy.
The SBVC’s 15-Smack captured the Red Bracket and finished 28th overall in the four-day, 62-team tournament at the ESPN World Wide of Sports Center and the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
Santa Barbara started out in the Gold Bracket and finished in a three-way tie for second place. That set the stage for a one-game playoff against Wildcats Jrs. 15s, a team it had beaten earlier. The 15-Smack lost the playoff, 25-21 and finished the tournament in the Red Bracket.
The team responded by beating Virginia Elite 15s in three games and streamrolled through Cincy Classics 15-Red and Coamo ETVC 15s in two games each to win the bracket.
“This was a great experience for our 15-Smack team coming to Orlando and playing against some very tough competition,” coach Jake Hong said. “Christy (Maguire, assistant) and I are so proud of the girls on how well they played for the past four days. It really was a team effort with every person contributing to our success. It was a great way to end the season.”