Santa Barbara High girls volleyball swept visiting Ayala 25-14, 26-24, 25-12 on Thursday in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs.
Blake Saunders led the offense with 18 kills, along with one ace, one block and five digs. Kira Elliot added 10 kills, while Lola Heckman contributed five kills and one block.
Setter Jules Horton recorded 34 assists, five aces and 12 digs, helping diversify the offense and distribute the ball effectively. Paylin Marcillac contributed 12 digs, 18 receptions and three aces, while Grace Costner finished with 14 digs and a back-row kill.
“We’re playing some of our best volleyball right now, which is pretty fun to see,” said Santa Barbara coach Kristin Hempt. “Everyone’s committed, our serving is aggressive, our defense is sharp, and we’re executing plays with high success right now.
Marcillac and Costner helped anchor the defense, keeping rallies alive with strong floor coverage. Saunders also delivered another standout performance as a leading offensive force.
The second set proved to be the closest of the match, with SB edging Ayala 26-24 before closing out the sweep with a 25-12 victory in the third set.
With the three-set win, The Dons advance to the Quarterfinals where they will host Hemet on Tuesday.
Dos Pueblos 3, Temescal Canyon 2
The Chargers advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division 6 girls’ volleyball quarterfinals Thursday night, defeating Temescal Canyon in five sets at Sovine Gym, 22-25, 25-21, 25-16, 21-25, 15-11.
Dos Pueblos overcame an early deficit in the decisive fifth set to secure the victory, scoring six consecutive points after trailing 11-9 to close out the match.
“Earlier in the year, a team like Temescal Canyon might have gotten the best of us when things got tough,” Curry said. “But these girls have grown so much. They’re learning to fight through adversity, trust each other, and believe that they deserve to win.”
After losing the opening set, Dos Pueblos won the next two to take a 2-1 lead. Temescal Canyon responded in the fourth set,but the Chargers rallied in the fifth set to advance.
Charlize Welch led Dos Pueblos with 15 kills, four aces and 10 digs. Setter Allie Ben-Yaacov recorded 46 assists, five kills and three aces, while Faith Harrison contributed 12 kills. Athena Bardakos added 11 kills, followed by Moana Martinez with six and Maya Rider with five.
Libero Mia Taylor led the Chargers defensively with 21 digs.
Dos Pueblos coach Emily Curry credited Welch’s performance as a key factor in the victory.
“Charlize absolutely caught fire tonight,” Curry said. “She was solid in every aspect of the game.”
Dos Pueblos improved its overall record to 16-11 with the win and will continue its postseason run in the CIF-SS Division 6 quarterfinals.
