The playoff stage has already produced some memorable performances this fall by Santa Barbara-area athletes. Players and coaches recounted the highs and lows of their seasons at Monday’s SBART press luncheon.
Athletes of the Week
Faith Harrison is the engine powering the Chargers to the CIF-SS Division 6 quarterfinals. In a first-round sweep of Torrance, Harrison finished with 16 kills, five blocks and three aces. She followed that performance with 12 kills, six digs, one block and one ace in a 3-2 second-round win over Temescal Canyon, including the match-clinching kill in the fifth set.
The Royals needed two wins over Buena to clinch an automatic berth in the CIF playoffs, and Brandon Lee played a major role in making that goal a reality. In the first matchup against the Bulldogs, Lee scored six goals in an 11-8 San Marcos victory, forcing a tiebreaker game for the final automatic playoff berth out of the Channel League. In the tiebreaker, Lee scored four goals as the Royals clinched a playoff spot with a 13-7 win.
Dos Pueblos Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Senior Ashley Nayak was named Dos Pueblos High School’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year for her outstanding achievements in the classroom and on the basketball court. A three-year team captain, Nayak earned All-Channel League Second Team honors and helped the Chargers reach the CIF playoff quarterfinals last season.
Nayak excels academically, maintaining a 4.87 GPA while taking advanced courses such as AP Literature and AP Environmental Science. She is a member of the DP Engineering Academy and a National Merit Commended Scholar.
In accepting the award, Nayak expressed gratitude to her coaches, teammates, parents and brothers for their encouragement and support. She credited her coaches with helping her grow as a student, athlete and person, while emphasizing the friendships and memories she gained through basketball.
“My coach always tells me, ‘In ten years, you won’t remember if you won or lost, but you will remember laughing in the van,’” Nayak said. “Thankfully, there are a lot of laughs to remember.”
Nayak is the second of 11 Scholar-Athletes of the Year who will be recognized during the 2026-27 school year. The award is sponsored by Marc Gamberdella of the Gamberdella-Spruill Group of Merrill Lynch.
SBCC Water Polo
The SBCC women’s water polo team ranked No. 1 in the state following a 17-12 victory over No. 2-ranked Golden West on Saturday.
The Vaqueros will host the SBCC Halloween Invitational this weekend at Santa Barbara High School. The Vaqueros will open play against Orange Coast College on Friday at 4:45 p.m.
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