Volleyball Recap: Santa Barbara Comes Up Short

Santa Barbara lost against Santa Ynez back in August of 2024, and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Tuesday. The Dons fell 3-1 to the Pirates.

While Santa Barbara ultimately came up short, they didn't go down without a fight: they scored at least 21 points in every set they played. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-23, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23.

Lola Heckman paced Santa Barbara's offense, picking up 14 kills. Heckman got some help from Jules Horton and her 32 assists. Blake Saunders controlled things from the service line, finishing with six aces.

Among those leading the charge was Lila Cassidy, who had 11 digs and one assist. Those 11 digs gave her a new career-high. Addie Madrid also deserves some recognition as she had her first digs of the season.

Santa Barbara has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-4 record this season. As for Santa Ynez, they pushed their record up to 6-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season.

Looking ahead, Santa Barbara will host Buena at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. The contest will give the Dons their first taste of in-conference action this season. As for Santa Ynez, they will venture away from home to take on Righetti at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.