2012 Match Stories
By Dave Loveton, sports information
Wednesday, April 11 -- Long Beach at SBCC, 7 p.m. #1 Long Beach def. #7 SBCC 3-1 Final records: 10-7, 5-5 WSC
Vaqueros give No. 1 Long Beach a battle
Smith has season-high 18 kills in 3-1 loss
Freshman Dakota Smith had 18 kills and Aquiles Montoya hit .444 on Wednesday as SBCC
gave top-ranked Long Beach a battle before falling 3-1 in the season finale at the
Sports Pavilion.
The Vikings (15-2, 8-2) secured the WSC title with a 25-19, 23-25, 25-18, 26-24 victory.
Matt Winslow had 13 kills and Montoya added nine kills for the Vaqueros (10-7, 5-5),
who had their four-match win streak snapped.
To finish third and make the playoffs, SBCC needed to upset Long Beach and have Moorpark
lose to last-place Santa Monica.
“We had playoffs on our mind and maybe we thought about that a little too much,”
said setter Jordon Dyer, who had 50 assists. “It wasn’t our best match of the year
but it definitely wasn’t the worst. We took a game off the best team in the state
and almost took two.”
There were eight ties in the first half of the first set before the Vikings went
on a 5-1 run to take a 23-18 lead. Rob McLean capped the 25-19 win with a kill in
the middle.
The Vaqueros rallied from a 10-5 deficit to capture the second set. They fell behind
23-22, then reeled off three straight points with the last two coming on a Montoya
block and Smith’s kill through the block.
Montoya had three blocks and Chris Utroske added two.
“I wasn’t worried when we lost the first set,” said Vaquero coach Armen Zakarian.
“We’re the type of team that makes adjustments and that’s what happened in the second
set. We really earned that win.
“Long Beach dictated tempo all night long. They limited our serving zones and that
kept them in system. Their middles were really good tonight. And they didn‘t miss
many serves.”
The Vikings built leads of 14-10 and 20-15 in the third set on the way to taking
a 2-1 lead in the match. The Vaqueros grabbed an early 5-2 lead in set No. 4, then
fell behind 18-13.
SBCC stormed back and tied it at 22-22 when Cody Kreitzer tooled one off the block
and Long Beach hit a ball long. Smith fought off one match point at 23-24 with a kill
off the block.
“It was fun to see our guys battle back,” said Zakarian. “I really thought it was
going to be a five-gamer. When we tied it at 23-all and had Winslow coming in the
front row, I thought we had a great chance to win.”
Brett Anema, a 6-7 middle blocker, ended the match with two straight kills.
The Vaqueros played four of their first five conference matches on the road and went
1-4. They were 4-1 in the second round.
“It was a challenge this year and I wouldn’t want anything less,” said Dyer, one
of four sophomores on the 15-man roster. “We all made it through and we’re all really
good friends. That’s the best thing about playing on a team, you come out with 15
best friends.”
Wednesday, April 4 -- El Camino at SBCC, 6 p.m. #7 SBCC def. #2 El Camino 3-1 Records: 10-6, 5-4
Winslow pounds 30 kills in 3-1 win
Vaqueros down No. 2 El Camino for fourth straight win
Matt Winslow racked up a career-high 30 kills on Wednesday, leading No. 7 SBCC to
a 3-1 upset of No. 2 El Camino in a key WSC match at the Sports Pavilion.
It was the fourth straight for the Vaqueros (10-6, 5-4), who improved to 4-0 in the
second half of conference play with the 21-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-18 triumph. El Camino,
which started the night as the WSC co-leader with No. 1 Long Beach, fell to 11-4 and
6-2.
Santa Barbara has won its last four matches by 3-1 scores. It was the third straight
match that the Vaqueros beat a team they had lost to in the first round of WSC play.
Winslow, a 6-5 freshman outside hitter from Clovis, said he woke up feeling great
and just wanted to hit the ball.
“Our goal was to have some fun and put the pressure on them,“ said Winslow, who had
only three errors and hit .551. “It worked out for us.“
Winslow has 58 kills in his last three matches.
Aquiles Montoya had eight kills and hit .571 for SBCC. Chris Utroske added seven
kills, including a blast off the block to end the match. Cody Kreitzer had four blocks,
Jordon Dyer collected 54 assists and Derek Martinez recorded 12 digs.
“Winslow played the best individual match of anyone I’ve had in my two years,” said
SBCC coach Armen Zakarian. “He was not stopped tonight. To hit over.500 as an outside
hitter is pretty rare.”
After dropping the first set, the Vaqueros rallied from an early 5-1 deficit in the
second. They used a 10-3 run and built a 17-11 lead on a kill off the block by Winslow.
He ended the 25-19 win with a kill down the line.
There were 14 ties in the third set with the last one at 20-20. Kreitzer broke the
tie with a shot off the block and Winslow boomed a kill from the 10-foot line. SBCC
won the set 25-23 on a quick set from Dyer to Montoya.
The fourth set was all Santa Barbara as it forged leads of 10-5 and 17-12 on a roof
block by Montoya.
“We weren’t bad in the first set, we just weren’t aggressive,” said Zakarian. “From
now on, every night is a championship match for us. We lost four times in the first
round and we’re taking care of business in the second round.”
The Vaqueros remained in third place in the WSC standings and could boost their playoff
chances by beating top-ranked Long Beach in the regular-season finale on Wednesday
in a 7 p.m. home match.
Friday, March 30 -- SBCC at L.A. Pierce, 7 p.m. #9 SBCC def. #5 L.A. Pierce 3-1 Records: 9-6, 4-4 WSC
Vaqueros rally past Pierce 3-1
Utroske leads middle attack in third straight win
After a slow start, SBCC reeled off four straight blocks midway through the second
set on Friday night and went on to beat fifth-ranked L.A. Pierce 3-1 for a key victory
in Woodland Hills. The scores were 17-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-22.
Chris Utroske and Matt Winslow had 12 kills apiece and Aquiles Montoya registered
seven stuff blocks. Jordon Dyer had 45 assists and 10 service points. Derek Martinez
had 13 digs.
It was the third straight win for the No. 9 Vaqueros (9-6, 4-4 WSC) and moved them
into third place alone, a half-game ahead of Pierce. The Brahmas fell to 8-6 and 3-4.
“We came out a little flat with five errors and five net violations in the first
set,” said coach Armen Zakarian. “We were down 12-9 in the second set, then we made
four straight blocks that changed the match. I think it shocked them a little bit.
“Then we settled into a groove.”
The Vaqueros beat a team they had lost to in the first round of conference for the
second time in three days.
“The strength of Pierce’s attack are the middles and we shut them down,” Zakarian
noted. “That was the best offensive performance by Chris Utroske this year. And Aquiles
played well also.
“We really showed our depth tonight. We’re on a roll and we control our destiny for
the playoffs.”
Wednesday, March 28 -- Moorpark at SBCC, 6 p.m. #9 SBCC def. #8 Moorpark 3-1 Records: 8-6, 3-4 WSC
Winslow sparks 3-1 win over Moorpark
He has 16 kills, 6 blocks in WSC triumph
Matt Winslow collected 16 kills and six blocks and Cody Kreitzer had 12 kills, including
the match-winner, in a 3-1 WSC victory over Moorpark on Wednesday night in the Sports
Pavilion.
The Vaqueros, ranked No. 9 in the state, won their second straight match 25-17, 25-20,
23-25, 27-25. There were 20 ties in the fourth set and SBCC (8-6, 3-4 WSC) had match
point at 24-23. No. 8 Moorpark (8-6, 3-4) had set point at 25-24 before the Vaqueros
reeled off three straight points.
Two of those points came on Moorpark hitting errors. Kreitzer ended the match with
a kill just inside the back line.
“We played really hard and we were playing to win instead of not to lose,” said Winslow,
a 6-5 freshman from Clovis North High. “We got the key plays when we needed them.”
Aquiles Montoya had seven kills and seven blocks while setter Jordon Dyer handed
out 56 assists. Derek Martinez made eight digs.
The Vaqueros dominated the first two sets. They used a 9-2 run to build a 23-15 lead
in the first set on a kill by Kreitzer. They took control of the second set with a
7-2 burst, capped by a kill from the 10-foot line by Dakota Smith that made it 17-12.
Moorpark pulled within one at 21-20 but Smith responded with two straight kills.
He ended the 25-20 win with a spike through the block.
The fourth set was tight throughout with 10 lead changes and 20 ties. SBCC had match
point at 24-23 but served in the net. After a pair of Raider errors, Ty Dudley-Mann
served on match point No. 2 and Kreitzer ended it with a kill.
“If this was a race, we were the ones who built a lead, then put it in cruise control
after the first two games,” said coach Armen Zakarian. “We knew Moorpark would come
back. Then we got a little tight and played not to lose in the third set.
“Winslow was huge in the fourth set. Give credit to our team. We were down in the
fourth set and held off a set point and came back to win.”
SBCC got revenge for a 3-0 loss on March 7 at Moorpark.
“Jordon Dyer did a great job tonight,” Zakarian added. “He kept his composure and
set the right guys at the right times. He did what a sophomore captain should do.“
Santa Barbara has a good chance to make the playoffs as the top three will qualify
from the WSC. The Vaqueros are tied with Moorpark for fourth at 3-4, just a half-game
behind L.A. Pierce (3-3). The Brahmas lost 3-2 on Wednesday at WSC co-leader Long
Beach.
“All the cards seem to be falling in our favor,” said Zakarian. “We’re starting to
see some success, so I’m really hoping that we can keep it rolling.
“We could be that sleeper team. It’s not about who played the best all season, it’s
about who gets hot in the playoffs.”
Friday, March 23 -- Santa Monica at SBCC, 6 p.m. SBCC def. Santa Monica 3-1 Records: 7-6, 2-4
Vaqueros rally to beat Santa Monica
Dyer has six aces in 3-1 triumph
Jordon Dyer had eight kills and a season-high six aces on Friday night as SBCC rallied
to beat Santa Monica 3-1 in a WSC match at the Sports Pavilion.
The 19-25, 25-12, 25-18, 25-18 win snapped a four-match losing streak for the No.
9-ranked Vaqueros (7-6, 2-4). The Corsairs fell to 3-10 and 0-6.
“Home-court advantage really makes a difference,” said Dyer, a former Dos Pueblos
High standout. “We didn’t have to do any driving. We came out ready to go.”
The Vaqueros played four of their first five conference matches on the road. Friday
marked the opening of the second round of WSC play.
“Our blocking won this match,” Dyer added. “It took away all their motivation.”
Santa Barbara had 13 aces and 11 blocks. Chris Utroske had five blocks while Matt
Winslow and Luke Pope produced three aces each.
Cody Kreitzer led in kills with 10. Dyer, who split time between setter and outside
hitter, added eight kills and two blocks. Utroske also had eight kills, including
a straight-down slam early in the third set.
Aquiles Montoya added six kills.
“Our block wasn’t working in the first set and we compounded that with eight hitting
errors,” said coach Armen Zakarian. “We weren’t challenging them and forcing the issue.
“I showed our guys the stats after the first game and told them we can’t make eight
errors and expect to win. We made a couple of adjustments and got some different blocking
matchups that helped neutralize their hitters.”
After making eight errors in the opening set, the Vaqueros only had six in the last
three sets.
The Vaqueros jumped ahead 6-1 and 16-8 in the second set. Michael Naki ended it with
a blast from the 10-foot line. In the third set, Santa Barbara went on a 9-2 run and
took a 15-9 lead on an ace by Dyer.
SBCC dominated the fourth set with an early leads of 9-4 and 14-10. The Vaqueros
went on a 6-3 run, capped by an ace from Naki that made it 20-13.
“We can’t be satisfied with this win,” noted Zakarian. “Last time, we won a five-gamer
at Santa Monica, we dropped the next four. I reminded the guys that we have to build
on this and continue to improve.”
Friday, March 16 -- SBCC at Long Beach, 6 p.m. Long Beach def. SBCC 3-0 Records: 6-6, 1-4
Vaqueros swept by No. 1 Long Beach
Winslow has 12 kills in fourth straight loss
Matt Winslow had 12 kills on Friday night but SBCC couldn’t keep up with top-ranked
Long Beach in a 25-22, 25-21, 25-17 loss on the road.
Aquiles Montoya had five kills and hit .556 for the Vaqueros, who’ve lost four straight
to fall to 6-6 overall and 1-4 in the WSC. SBCC had a tough schedule with four of
its first five conference games away from home.
Long Beach, ranked No. 1 in the state, improved to 9-1 and 3-1. The Vikings were
smarting from their first loss of the year to Moorpark on Wednesday.
“They showed why they’re No. 1,” said Vaquero coach Armen Zakarian. “We had great
energy but they’re tall, physical and intimidating at the net. Our passing was a little
suspect.”
Jordon Dyer added five kills, 15 assists and seven digs. Luke Pope had 13 assists
and Derek Martinez contributed 11 digs.
After a bye on Wednesday, Santa Barbara will play four of its last five at home,
starting with Santa Monica on Friday.
Wednesday, March 14 -- SBCC at El Camino, 6 p.m. El Camino def. SBCC 3-1 Records: 6-5, 1-3
Vaqueros fall at No. 2 El Camino
Dyer has 12 kills, 17 assists in 3-1 setback
SBCC tried a new lineup on Wednesday night but couldn’t get past No. 2-ranked El
Camino in a WSC match at Torrance. The Warriors prevailed 3-1 (25-22, 25-21, 23-25,
25-21).
Jordon Dyer had 12 kills and 17 assists for the No. 9 Vaqueros (6-5, 1-3), who dropped
their third straight. Collin Cohen had nine kills and Matt Winslow added eight. Luke
Pope also had 17 assists for SBCC, which used a two-setter attack.
“We struggled a bit last week, so we tried some lineup changes to open up the offense,”
said second-year coach Armen Zakarian. “We had Jordon swinging and setting tonight.
“We were in every game. We led by five in the second game but we let it slip away.
Our transition offense needs to improve.”
The Vaqueros are playing four of their first five WSC matches on the road.
“This is probably the most difficult start to a conference season you could have,”
said Zakarian. “Even though we lost, this was a step in the right direction.”
The Vaqueros will complete the first round of conference on Friday when they travel
to top-ranked Long Beach.
Friday, March 9 -- L.A. Pierce at SBCC, 6 p.m. Pierce def. SBCC 3-0 Records: 6-4, 1-2
No. 4 Pierce sweeps No. 5 Vaqueros
Winslow posts first double-double
L.A. Pierce had the upper hand in the latter stages of the first two sets on Friday
night and went on to beat SBCC 3-0 in a WSC match at the Sports Pavilion. The scores
were 25-23, 25-23, 25-20.
The Vaqueros, ranked fifth in the state, fell to 6-4 overall and 1-2 in conference.
The No. 4 Brahmas improved to 6-3 and 1-1.
Matt Winslow led SBCC with 10 kills and 10 digs, recording his first double-double
of the season. Aquiles Montoya had seven kills and five blocks and Chris Utroske added
five kills and four blocks.
“We were ready to play at home and we came out on fire,” said coach Armen Zakarian.
“If this was a boxing match, we jabbed first, then they jabbed back. I think that
startled us a little.”
The Vaqueros led 9-6 and 12-8 in the first set. After falling behind by two, they
pulled ahead 23-20 on a kill by Cody Kreitzer. But the Brahmas scored the last five
points and won it on a net violation that erased a stirring block by Montoya and Kreitzer.
Santa Barbara took a 14-10 lead in the second set on a roof by Montoya and led 19-18
after Winslow pounded a kill. The Vaqueros tied the set for the 12th time at 23 before Pierce scored the last two points.
The Brahmas jumped ahead 6-1 and 10-3 in the third set. SBCC got within two (18-16)
on a slam by Utroske in the middle but couldn’t get any closer.
“Normally, we’re a good recovery team,” said Zakarian. “We’re a young team and it’s
coming back to hurt us. There’s more importance placed on each match and this is our
only home match in the first five (of conference).
“For us to let this one go, especially in a three-game sweep, that’s definitely a
tough one. But we’re a good team and we’re going to bounce back.”
Wednesday, March 7 -- SBCC at Moorpark, 6 p.m. Moorpark def. SBCC 3-0 Records: 6-3, 1-1
Moorpark sweeps No. 5 Vaqueros
Slow starts in first 2 sets lead to 3-0 setback
SBCC started slow in the first two sets on Wednesday and Moorpark took advantage
to post a 25-22, 25-11, 25-23 men’s volleyball sweep.
The visiting Vaqueros, ranked No. 5 in the state, had their four-match win streak
snapped and fell to 6-3 overall and 1-1 in the Western State Conference. Moorpark
(6-3, 1-1) is ranked No. 8.
Santa Barbara fell behind 11-6 in each of the first two sets.
“We started slow and never recovered,” said coach Armen Zakarian. “I tried a new
lineup and it just didn’t work out.”
Chris Utroske had seven kills and Cody Kreitzer five. Setter Jordon Dyer had 23 assists.
Friday, March 2 -- SBCC at Santa Monica, 6 p.m. SBCC def. Santa Monica 3-2 Records: 6-2, 1-0 WSC
Vaqueros prevail in ‘crazy’ WSC opener
They overcome 2-1 deficit to win 3-2 at Santa Monica
SBCC rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat Santa Monica 3-2 on Friday night in its WSC
men’s volleyball opener. The scores were 25-23, 21-25, 27-29, 25-18, 21-19.
“It was one of the craziest matches I’ve ever seen,” said coach Armen Zakarian. “There
were wild swings from game-to-game and great comebacks. We got contributions from
everybody.”
Cody Kreitzer had 16 kills and Ty Dudley-Mann added 10 for the Vaqueros, who improved
to 6-2 with their fourth straight win and sixth in seven matches.
Chris Utroske had seven kills and a season-high nine blocks. Jordon Dyer handed out
41 assists and Derek Martinez had 16 digs.
SBCC was playing its first match in 14 days. It was a huge win for the Vaqueros,
who will be on the road for four of their first five conference matches.
Santa Barbara was up 13-10 and 14-12 in the fifth set, which goes to 15 points or
until someone is ahead by two. The Vaqueros weathered match point at 15-16 and won
it 21-19 when the Corsairs hit into the net.
“We passed well and hit well but we had a lot of missed serves,” Zakarian added.
“We had so many people play great -- Michael Naki, Matt Winslow, Dakota Smith and
Johnny Brand to name a few.
“This was a big win on the road. A win like this is a huge notch in our belt."
Friday, Feb. 17 -- Irvine Valley at SBCC, 6 p.m. SBCC def. Irvine Valley 3-0 Record: 5-2
Vaqueros sweep defending state champs
Kreitzer, Winslow key 3-0 win over Irvine Valley
Cody Kreitzer had 13 kills and Matt Winslow added 12 on Friday night as SBCC swept
defending state champion Irvine Valley in the Sports Pavilion. The scores were 26-24,
26-24, 25-22.
“We played great, we passed really well and we were having fun out there,” said Winslow,
a 6-5 freshman from Clovis. “This was one of our best matches of the year.”
Dakota Smith had six kills and two aces. Smith and Chris Utroske (5 kills) both hit
.454. Setter Jordon Dyer had 35 assists and Derek Martinez made 10 digs.
The Vaqueros (5-2) won for the third straight time in an exciting match. The biggest
lead of the night was four points midway through the second set. Smith served six
straight points and the Vaqueros went ahead 16-12 on a block by Utroske.
“There were no hiccups tonight,” said coach Armen Zakarian. “We’d go down three,
I’d call a timeout and then we’d be up by one. We responded very well.”
Johnny Brand, a 6-4 middle hitter from Bishop Diego, had four stuff blocks and Utroske
recorded three. Brand slammed an overpass to cap the 26-24 win in the second set.
The third set was a nailbiter with 12 ties and eight lead changes. Utroske snapped
a 20-20 tie with a kill in the middle. Brand and Winslow produced back-to-back blocks
to end the match.
The Vaqueros got key contributions from their bench with Aquiles Montoya serving
the winning point in the first set and Michael Naki and Ty Dudley-Mann providing crucial
serves in the third set.
“We had a majority of our players switch from spin serves to floaters because they
were passing our spin serves very easily,” said Zakarian. “The balls were flying and
they (IVC) started making mistakes.”
SBCC overcame a 17-14 deficit in the final set with a 5-0 run highlighted by Utroske
winning a joust at the net and a roof block by Dyer.
“We’ve won our last three and that’s important for a young team,” Zakarian added.
“On Saturday, we won semi-ugly and tonight was pretty. It was nice because these guys
beat us in the playoffs last year and they’re the defending state champs.”
After taking the next two weeks off, the Vaqueros will open WSC play at Santa Monica
on March 2.
Saturday, Feb. 11 -- Palomar Challenge: SBCC def. Palomar 3-2; SBCC def. San Diego City 3-1 Record: 4-2
Vaqueros win twice at Palomar Tourney
SBCC records season-best 16 blocks in opener
SBCC shook off the effects of an early-morning, 4-hour drive to outlast Palomar
3-2 and then defeated San Diego City 3-1 in the WSC vs. Pacific Coast Athletic Conference
Challenge at Palomar College.
Matt Winslow and Collin Cohen had 11 kills each as the Vaqueros (4-2) rallied from
a 2-1 deficit to beat Palomar 12-25, 25-20, 25-27, 25-21, 15-8. They had a season-high
16 blocks in that victory.
Aquiles Montoya and Johnny Brand had eight kills apiece and Jordon Dyer dished out
45 assists.
In the afternoon match, coach Armen Zakarian used a completely different lineup and
the Vaqueros recorded a 25-17, 20-25, 25-16, 25-18 victory.
Michael Naki led the way with 12 kills, six digs, two blocks and two aces. Ty Dudley-Mann
added nine kills and Brand notched seven kills in eight swings for an .875 hitting
percentage.
In his first match of the year, Ryan McLoughlin had 10 kills, two blocks and seven
digs. Luke Pope racked up 35 assists and four kills.
“We’ve really been working on our blocking and digging in practice and it paid off,”
said Zakarian, whose team had 25 blocks on the day. “Our defense has kept us in every
match.”
The Vaqueros will complete non-conference play on Friday with a 6 p.m. home match
against Irvine Valley.
Tuesday, Feb. 7 -- Golden West at SBCC, 6 p.m. Golden West def. SBCC 3-1 Record: 2-2
Golden West downs Vaqueros 3-1
Winslow has season-high 18 kills in home opener
Golden West won the key points down the stretch in the third and fourth sets on Tuesday
night, spoiling the home opener for SBCC with a 3-1 win in the Sports Pavilion.
Matt Winslow pounded a season-high 18 kills but it wasn’t enough for the Vaqueros
(2-2), who dropped a 25-23, 18-25, 25-21, 25-21 decision in the nonconference match.
Chris Utroske, a 6-6 middle hitter, added 10 kills with only one error. He hit .643
for the match. Collin Cohen had eight kills while Aquiles Montoya had seven kills
and four stuff blocks.
“We came out fired up and then our inexperience came to light at the end of the first
game,” said coach Armen Zakarian. “We didn’t handle the situation the right way when
it was 23-all. We had opportunities to swing and we didn’t take advantage of those.”
Cody Kreitzer, the Vaqueros’ starting opposite who’s hitting .500 on the season,
missed the match with an injury.
Santa Barbara (2-2) closed the second set on a 10-5 run and Dakota Smith’s ace serve
ended it at 25-18. The Rustlers (2-0) regained the upper hand in the third set with
an 8-1 opening burst.
Winslow had seven kills in the fourth set and there were 13 ties. The Vaqueros led
18-17 before the visitors went on a 5-1 run to take a 22-19 lead that they never relinquished.
“We didn’t execute tonight,” Zakarian stated. “The one area where we did a poor job
was taking good transition swings. We were not getting underneath balls and putting
them up in positions for our hitters to take swings.”
Jordon Dyer had 30 assists and Derek Martinez made 10 digs. Winslow had six digs
and Cohen added four.
Saturday, Feb. 4 -- Santa Monica Tournament: SBCC def. Grossmont 3-0; SBCC def. San Diego Mesa 3-1 Record: 2-1
Spikers take two at Santa Monica Tourney
Winslow, Cohen spark wins over Grossmont and SD Mesa
Matt Winslow had 12 kills on Saturday and Cody Kreitzer added 10 to guide SBCC to
a 25-22, 25-21, 25-22 sweep of Grossmont at the Santa Monica Tournament.
In the second match, the Vaqueros sent out a completely different lineup and beat
San Diego Mesa 3-1 (25-19, 22-25, 25-22, 25-17). Collin Cohen, a 6-6 freshman opposite,
had 16 kills and two blocks while Ty Dudley-Mann contributed 11 kills and two blocks.
Derek Martinez produced 14 digs.
Dakota Smith had nine kills, three aces and two blocks for the Vaqueros (2-1).
“We fixed out problems on serve-receive,” said coach Armen Zakarian. “We were serving
tough and passing better. We saw the dividends of solid practice time.”
Jordon Dyer had 33 assists, five aces and four kills vs. Grossmont. Luke Pope handed
out 35 assists in the win over San Diego Mesa.
Wednesday, Feb. 1 -- SBCC at Orange Coast, 6 p.m. Orange Coast def. SBCC 3-0 Record: 0-1
Orange Coast sweeps Vaqueros
Winslow collects 12 kills
Orange Coast used a fast start Wednesday night to sweep SBCC 3-0 in a nonconference
match at Costa Mesa. The scores were 25-18, 25-21, 25-23.
“They’re one of the best teams in the state and we looked like a team that wasn’t
ready to play,” said coach Armen Zakarian. “It was our first real match and they served
us off the court in the first two games.”
Cody Kreitzer, a 6-2 sophomore from Chico, led the Vaqueros (0-1) with 12 kills.
Matt Winslow had five kills in his first match and Michael Naki added four. Jordon
Dyer had 12 assists and Luke Pope contributed 11.
“We know what we need to improve on,” added Zakarian. “This is what the preseason
is for.”
Sunday, Jan. 29 -- Long Beach Invitational. SBCC goes 3-3 to finish third in 9-team tourney.
Vaqueros take third at Long Beach Invite
Dyer, Naki lead way in season debut
SBCC reached the semifinals of the season-opening Long Beach Invitational on Sunday
before falling to El Camino 25-19.
Jordon Dyer, a sophomore setter from Dos Pueblos High, and Michael Naki, the lone
returner from last year’s 9-9 playoff team, led the Vaqueros. Santa Barbara went 2-2
in pool play (best 2-of-3 sets) with 2-0 wins over Irvine Valley (25-20, 27-26) and
El Camino (25-20, 26-24). In the playoffs (1 game to 25 points), the Vaqueros were
seeded No. 6 and rallied from a 13-8 deficit to beat No. 3 L.A. Pierce 25-20 before
falling to El Camino.
“The goal today was to play as many guys as possible and see how we reacted against
someone who wasn’t us,” said coach Armen Zakarian. “We played 10 games on the day
and we did pretty well. Our defense kept us in every game.”
Zakarian also praised the play of opposite Cody Kreitzer and libero Derek Martinez.
