After her team won a big match against crosstown rival San Marcos in the Thunderhut, finished a perfect 5-0 in the first round of Channel League play and was ranked No. 2 in CIF-SS Division 4, Dos Pueblos coach Megan O’Carroll reminded her players that there was work still to be done.
“We’re really excited about all these accolades,” O’Carroll said, “but we also had a team meeting on Friday just to talk about our focus and make sure that we are refocused and ready for the second half of league. We want to remind ourselves what’s important here.
“Yes, it’s fun to be ranked and, yes, it’s nice to be 5-0 right now. But what really matters is October 13, which is the last day of league, and we want to be 10-0.”
O’Carroll was still excited about her team’s win at San Marcos last Tuesday.
“I don’t think I every coached a volleyball match like that one,” she said. “It was exciting, it was loud, it was hot, but it was really, really fun to compete against a really good San Marcos team. And it was even more fun to finish with a win.”
O’Carroll introduced seniors Natali Flint, Portia Sherman and Lily Mires, who played huge roles in the win at San Marcos.
Flint is the setter, a team captain and “is like our team’s backbone,” said O’Carroll. “She keeps us steady, keeps us focused and always sets a really beautiful and smart match.”
Sherman has been a major player for the Chargers since her freshman year.
“She’s an incredible volleyball player, but one of the things I’m most proud of is the change in her mental game,” said O’Carroll. “It’s been really fun to see her become tough as nails. Now, she uses any of that fuel to motivate her and hit the heck out of the ball. I love to see that evolution for her.”
Mires, a standout on the basketball team, has become a presence on the volleyball court as a middle blocker.
“We’re super thankful to have her playing volleyball with us,” said O’Carroll. “She is incredibly athletic and could probably play every single position for us. She’s doing a lot of work for us in the middle of putting up big blocks.”
Dos Pueblos begins the second round of league play Tuesday at third-place Santa Barbara.
SBCC FOOTBALL
The Vaqueros are coming off their second straight win, a 43-7 romp at L.A. Harbor in which they rushed for nearly 300 yards.
Coach Craig Moropoulos said one of the great things about this year’s team is that players from the local high schools are making big contributions.
He mentioned linemen Semisi Falemaka and Jordan Tagaloa of Bishop Diego. “They are the nastiest people on the field, and when they get off the field they are the goofiest, good-hearted, gentle, funny, character, academic guys. So it’s really cool to see that.”
He also acknowledged Dos Pueblos alum Cyrus Wallace, “who is an absolute stud at wide receiver.”
He finally got around to highlighting the player he brought to the luncheon, wide receiver and San Marcos alum Josh Brown.
In addition to his pass-catching talent on the football field, Moropoulos was impressed with Brown’s heavy course load.
“I was asking him, ‘Hey, Josh, what classes are you taking?’ And he named every ‘ology’ you could take and economics. And, I forgot, stats.
“I said, ‘Wow. Okay… take an easy semester, Josh.’”
Moropoulos expressed how lucky he is to have a player of Brown’s athletic talent, smarts and loyalty.
“He’s been playing with a hand (injury) that probably needs surgery, but he doesn’t complain. All he does is catch the rock, and he’s a great young man. We’re lucky to have him, and it’s so cool to have local players in the program at Santa Barbara City College.”
SBCC (2-1) plays at Glendale on Saturday night.
SAN MARCOS FOOTBALL
Coach Ralph Molina praised the play of his defense in the loss against Dos Pueblos last Friday.
He highlighted the play of senior linebackers/fullbacks Matt Garcia and David Cuevao.
“I’ve been a defensive guy for so many years,” Molina noted. “I’m probably harder on these two guys than anyone on the team. They really responded well in the last game and they’re just getting better every week.”
Losers of their last three games, the Royals play a tough Ventura team in the Pacific View League opener at Warkentin Stadium on Friday night.
“I talked to the team after the (DP) game and told them, ‘Sure, we want to win these nonleague games, but more importantly we need to gain experience and get better to prepare for the real season, which starts this week,” said Molina. “We start right off the bat with a really big Ventura team at home.
“That’ll be a great matchup for us.”
SAN MARCOS BOYS WATER POLO
The Royals are 7-5 after beating La Serna on Friday.
Coach Peera Sukavivatanachi introduced Nic Prentice and Charlie Franzen, who were key to the win over La Serna. Prentice had seven of the team’s 14 goals and Franzen drew four exclusions and two penalty shots.
“It’s really important to have them there generating a lot of momentum and energy for our team,” said the coach.
The Royals host Santa Ynez in their Channel League opener on Wednesday and then head to the Villa Park Tournament.
SBCC WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
The Vaqueros (11-2) finished their pre-conference schedule with six straight victories, and they’ve beaten seven teams ranked in the top 25 in the state.
“I told the girls this week that’s all well and great, but you can throw it out the window because now the important part starts,” said coach Kat Niksto.
Libero Jacelin McKie and middle Karoline Ruiz have been key players during the Vaqueros’ early season success.
McKie’s passing has been nearly flawless. Niksto pointed out that her passing in a win over Canyons was almost perfect.
“For the volleyball nerds in the room, she had 14 passes and 11 of those were ‘three’ passes, which basically means it gave our setter all three options. She makes it look ridiculously easy.”
Ruiz ranks first among Western State Conference players in blocks and second in hitting percentage.
“Both of these ladies are just crushing it, and are fun to be around. They’re a huge part of our team,” said Niksto.
The Vaqueros open conference at Cuesta on Wednesday.
DOS PUEBLOS FOOTBALL
The Chargers finished their nonleague schedule on a high note, winning their last two games, including a 17-7 victory over crosstown rival San Marcos last Friday night,
“We feel like we’re starting to understand what our team is and what our kids can do,” DP coach AJ Pateras said. “With high school football, it’s aways fun to see the unique challenges that present themselves every week, especially with Covid, illness and injury.”
The Chargers (2-2) will celebrate their homecoming with a Channel League-opening game against a young and talented Pacifica team.
“It’s homecoming, so there’ll be an exciting atmosphere around the game, with a lot of alumni coming home to see our football program play an exciting game,” said Pateras.
The coach brought two juniors who had big games against San Marcos, two-way lineman Brody Fredrickson and linebacker/running back David Buso, who was the game’s MVP and the Athlete of the Week.
SANTA BARBARA HIGH BOYS WATER POLO
Coach Mark Walsh introduced two of his talented senior class, brothers Griffin and Wyatt Pieretti.
Wyatt Pieretti has been the starting goalie for the varsity since his freshman year. He was part of the CIF-SS Division 3 championship team in his sophomore season.
Last Saturday against La Serna, he stopped 16 of the first 18 shots he faced in three periods before being subbed out.
“He’s outstanding,” said Walsh. “He’s on the national youth team and he’s being recruited by all the top programs, so we’re very lucky to have him.”
Griffin Pieretti split time during his first two years of high school between water polo and basketball before deciding to focus on water polo. He has developed into a big scorer for the Dons.
“He’s one of our top players now, and we have a lot of really good players,” said Walsh. “He’s an outstanding scorer from the inside and the outside. He’s one of our leaders in the pool and on defense as well with steals. He’s just a great all-around player.”
The Dons return to Channel League on Wednesday at Cabrillo.
CARPINTERIA BOYS WATER POLO
Assistant coach Stephen Kim introduced senior Zach Isaacs, who scored eight goals last week in wins over Malibu and Nordhoff.
“He’s a team leader and also guides our defense,” said Kim.
Junior goalie Jacob Taff “has a work ethic that’s really strong,” said Kim.
The 11-1 Warriors are ranked No. 1 in CIF-SS Division 5.
CARPINTERIA GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
First-year coach Bret Shellabarger said he was making his first appearance at the luncheon since he was a student athlete in high school.
He said the Warriors have really come on since dropping their Citrus Coast League opener against Santa Paula. They’ve won three in a row.
He introduced Marlene Sanchez and Alex Zapata.
On Sanchez: “She’s an amazing athlete who pretty much can play any position on the team,” said Shellabarger.
She served 14 aces and had six kills as the setter in the Warriors’ last match.
Zapata, another multi-sport athlete, is averaging seven kills and five aces per game.
“Our serving is phenomenal, our offense is really good. We need to work on our defense a little bit,” said Shellabarger.
He’s excited about the future of the program. “We have about 18 players on our frosh-soph team and (Sanchez and Zapata) are helping me coach,” he said.
UCSB WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Coach Nicole Lantagne Welch returned to the luncheon after a two-year absence and was immediately impressed with the stats being produced by the local high school and community college volleyball players.
“I’m a volleyball nerd, so I can appreciate the numbers that are being thrown out in this room,” she said, referring to 14 aces by Carpinteria’s Sanchez, 11 of 14 perfect passes from SBCC’s McKie and 40 digs by DP’s Sherman, an outside hitter.
Welch’s Gauchos started Big West play with wins over UC San Diego and UC Irvine. Freshman Abigail Bross lit up the stat sheet with 14 kills on a .406 hitting percentage and three blocks against San Diego and 13 kills against Irvine.
Tallulah Froley also produced from the right side against UC Irvine with 14 kills.
Welch said the team is excited to be playing again after last season was canceled due to the pandemic.
“We have big goals and we just got to keep getting better every week,” she said.
The Gauchos play at Cal Poly and Cal State Bakersfield this weekend.
SAN MARCOS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Athletic director Abe Jahadhmy raved about the energy, excitement and sportsmanship at the Thunderhut last week when Dos Pueblos and the Royals played for sole possession of first place in the Channel League.
He then cracked, “I can’t wait for Portia to graduate.”
Jahadhmy, speaking for co-coaches Tina Brown and Dwayne Hauschild, introduced part of the youth movement in the San Marcos volleyball program.
Kate Kracke is a sophomore defensive specialist and libero, “who is one of the hardest working player in the gym. We rely on her both for solid passing and aggressive defense,” said Jahadhmy.
Freshman outside hitter Elena Thomas starts for the Royals and was the team’s kill leader in the last two matches.
“She’s a fantastic athlete and worked hard to find a way in our starting lineup as a dynamic hitter and a blocker. We anticipate great things to come from this young athlete as she continues to grow in the game,” said Jahadhmy.
Freshman Josie Gamberdella has been getting a lot of playing time at setter.
“Josie is a very talented setter and has a lot of experience and knowledge in leading an offense. We feel lucky and have confidence in Josie running things on the court,” said Jahadhmy.
The Royals (14-3 and 4-1 in league) play host to Santa Barbara on Thursday.
WESTMONT WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
After traveling for most of September, the Warriors are looking forward to playing most of their October matches in the friendly confines of Murchison Gym.
Sports information director Ron Smith said Westmont played nine of its last 13 matches away from home in September, but will have nine of their next 14 at home.
Sophomores Jessie Terlizzi and Phoebe Minch lead the team in kills. Terlizzi is second in the Golden State Athletic Conference with 197 and Minch has 194. Minch is the leader with aces with 38 and Terlizzi is first in blocks with 46.
The Warriors host William Jessup on Friday and Menlo on Saturday.
DOS PUEBLOS BOYS WATER POLO
Coach Bryan Snyder said his Chargers played probably their best game of the year in beating La Serna, 6-4, on Saturday.
Marshall Phillips is the center point of the DP offense, and Snyder said he can mix it up inside.
Michael Neushul drives well, can post up and shoot.
“Whatever we need him to do, he gets it done,” said Snyder.
The DP coach noted that Charger alum Ethan Parrish will be back in town this weekend with the Stanford water polo to play against UCSB on Saturday at Campus Pool.
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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