A trio of county sports teams earne top-five rankings with Monday’s release of the latest CIF-Southern Section spring sports polls, led by Laguna Blanca taking over the top spot of the Division 4 boys volleyball poll.
Laguna Blanca ended the night with a 12-0 mark after a 3-1 victory over Santa Ynez, hours after moving past Campbell Hall and La Serna to take over the top spot in their division.
Two other county volleyball teams earned rankings, both coming in the conbined Division 1&2 poll. Santa Barbara was ranked ninth, while rival San Marcos – whom the Dons face tonight in Channel Leeague play – was ranked 17th.
Three of the county’s baseball teams were ranked, led by Carpinteria’s ranking of third in the Division 6 poll. Bishop Diego was named fifth in the Division 5 poll, while Santa Barbara is in the “others” section of the Division 2 poll.
Only one county team found its way onto the girls softball polls, with Santa Ynez ranked seventh in the Division 5 poll.
In a similar vein, only one boys tennis team was mentioned in the polls, with Carpinteria in the “others” category in the Division 3 poll.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
LAGUNA BLANCA 3, SANTA YNEZ 1
Fresh off their move up the polls, the Owls scored a 25-10, 25-22, 20-25, 25-21 non-league victory over the Pirates.
Andrew Tolles led the offense and defense for the Owls with 15 kills and 17 digs, while Finn Walker added a double-double of his own with 11 kills and 10 digs.
Sam Stegall had nine kills, seven digs and eight service aces for Laguna Blanca, which returns to Tri-Valley League play tonight at Foothill Tech.
BOYS GOLF
SANTA BARBARA 396 (85), DOS PUEBLOS 396 (90)
The Dons and Chargers played to a Channel League stalemate at Glen Annie, with the outcome determined by the sixth-card tiebreaker. The Dons came away with the victory when Brooks Baay’s round of 85 edged out the Chargers’ sixth-card of 90.
Isaac Stone led Santa Barbara (4-1, 4-0) with a 3-over 75, while Preston Foy and Eli Sada each shot rounds of 79. Connor Lambe carded an 80, whiel Coleman Mortensen shot an 83.
Aidan Thomas took medalist honors for Dos Pueblos (5-2, 3-1) with an even-par 72, while Matt Pigatti and Ruben Mendoza each shot rounds of 76. John Givans shot an 84, while Michael Gentry carded an 87.
Santa Barbara faces San Marcos in Channel play at Sandpiper on Thursday, the same afternoon that Dos Pueblos stays home to host Santa Ynez in Channel action.
SAN MARCOS 434, CABRILLO 503
Diego Palladino’s round of 5-over 77 led the Royals to a Channel victory over the Conquistadores at Sandpiper.
Blake Bornand added a 78 for San Marcos, while Andrew Chen shot an 87 and Clayton Heimlich an 89.
BOYS TENNIS
SAN MARCOS 7, SAN LUIS OBISPO 2
The Royals (9-0) ventured outside the CIF-Southern Section and scored a road victory over the Tigers by winning all six singles matches, playing in a college-style format.
Alex Chow and Bryan Shott each scored 6-1, 6-0 victories, while Masato Perera added a 6-0, 6-2 win. Alexi Gill had the toughest match, winning 6-1, 7-6 (7).
Shott and Sam Friedman claimed the Royals’ lone dobules win, 8-2.
San Marcos hosts Lompoc today and Dos Pueblos on Wednesday in a pair of Channel League matches, before taking its spring break.
MEN’S GOLF
WSC NO. 6
For the fourth straight Western State Conference meet, the SBCC men finished runner-up to Canyons, this time at the Antelope Valley Country Club in Palmdale.
The Vaqueros finished with a team score of 380 strokes, 13 behind the Cougars (367), despite all of SBCC’s scorers finishing with rounds of 79 or better.
Trent Caraher, Gabe Cloquet and Brant Schenk each tied for 10th with rounds of 3-over 75, while Theo Andre-Fouet added a round of 77 and Felix Dine shot a 78.
However, the Cougars were led by medalst Nobuhiko Wakaari’s round of 3-under 69, followed by a 72 from Matt Mansholt.
The teams meet again next Monday for the seventh WSC meet, this time hosted by Victor Valley at the Spring Lake Valley Golf Club.
