4/18/2008

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

The Santa Barbara Volleyball Club's 14-1 squad raised the level of its game and qualified for the Junior Olympics by winning the Southern California Junior National Qualifier Tournament last weekend.

The team of Amanda Harvey, Dani Rottman, Kira Schleich, Ciena Colburn, Lina Kleinschmidt, Tristan Racich, Taylor Racich, Nicki Brown, McKenzie Scarborough and Page Hawkins will be going to Dallas this summer to play for a national title.

What made this victory extra sweet was it came after a disappointing seventh-place finish a few weeks ago in Spokane, Wash., and the win in the final came over top-seeded Long Beach 25-18, 23-25, 16-14.

"We could have settled for sixth place and the JO bid by Saturday night and cruise the rest of the way, but the team played even harder the final day to finally beat rivals TCA in the quarter finals and then Long Beach in the finals," said coach K.C. Collins. "The team's unity and confidence in each other built daily, and by the third day of competition, rather than letting fatigue set in, they fired up and played even stronger and harder each match."

In other SBVC action, the 16-Elite had a great run in the 16s Open Division over the weekend, placing 10th overall. The 13-1 team placed ninth in the 13s Club division. the 16-1 team placed 51 out of over 130 teams in the Club Division and the 14-2s finished 27th in the 14s Club Division