5/11/2007

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Three more teams from the Santa Barbara Volleyball Club have received bids to compete in the Junior Olympics.

The club's 13-1, 15-1 and 18-1 squads will join the 14-1s at the national competition in Minnesota in July.

Liz Towne-Gilbert's 14-1 team placed third in its latest mandatory tournament. The team beat nemesis Laguna Beach in the playoffs before losing to Rancho Valley.

Towne-Gilbert praised the play of Lauren Capritto, Katy Villanueva and Cheyenne Godinez.

The 14-2 squad won its pool for the fourth straight tournament and wound up fifth for the day. Coach K.C. Collins singled out the play of Alexis Ireland, Kari Garcia and Katie Schuster.

Ed Gover's 13-1s dropped into Division 3 after going winless. Gover praised Page Hawkins, Ana Dwyer and Katherine Crook.

The 13-2 team remained in Division 8 after going 2-1 in pool play. Haley Fuller, McKenna Hogue, Fiona Jessup and Lina Kleinschmidt were lauded by coach Tina Brown.

Erica Downing's 16-1 team tied for 11th in its latest tournament to remain in Division 3, and the 16-2 squad finished in a tie for third to say in Division 6.

Toni Capritto, Nicole Berwager, Annie Varni, Jessica Ullemeyer, Nicole Tomasini, Macauley Grant, Ashley LaFavor, Hannah Simon, Kelsey Scarborough and Sarah Migliaccio all played well for the 16-2s, said coach K.C. Collins.