The Santa Barbara Volleyball Club's 15-Smack team captured the Red Bracket title at the AAU Junior Championships in Orlando, Fla.
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.”
