Harbor High School’s girls’ volleyball team showcased a remarkable performance over the weekend, securing the Gold Division title at the two-day Harbor Tournament held in Santa Cruz. The Pirates concluded the tournament with an impressive record of 4-0, defeating their top rivals from the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League.
In the finals, Harbor faced Scotts Valley, winning in a thrilling five-set match with scores of 25-11, 17-25, 11-25, 25-19, 15-12. Earlier, they triumphed against Santa Cruz in the semifinals, overcoming a challenging start to win 17-25, 17-25, 29-27, 25-20, 16-14.
Junior outside hitter Dylan Schutz played a crucial role in the final match, contributing 20 digs, 11 kills, and four aces. Cecile Novembre, a junior opposite, led the team with 19 kills, while junior setter Gianna Fanara recorded 41 assists, two aces, and three blocks. Junior libero Swan Houssin excelled defensively, achieving 21 digs.
The semifinal match also highlighted strong performances, with Novembre tallying 25 kills and 19 digs, and Fanara providing 38 assists, nine digs, and four kills. Junior middle blocker Maisie McAlister added seven kills, and Houssin again demonstrated her defensive skills with 26 digs.
In the Silver Division, Aptos High School also celebrated success, defeating Soquel High in the semifinals before overcoming Sobrato in the final. Soquel secured third place by defeating Mercy of Burlingame.
Looking ahead, Harbor will compete against Soquel in the annual Dig Pink match on October 31, 2023, at 18:30.
Cabrillo College Competes at Cuesta Tournament
In men’s water polo, Cabrillo College participated in the Cuesta Tournament over the weekend, finishing with a record of 2-2. The Seahawks secured victories against Citrus, winning 21-11, and Chaffey, achieving a close 12-9 victory, but faced defeats against Cuesta and Saddleback with scores of 25-8 and 19-11, respectively.
Leading the Seahawks was Bryan Bunker, who scored 19 goals throughout the tournament. Teammates Brady Reed and Sam Hoffman each contributed eight goals, while Aeden Wright added five goals and Charlie Lambert four. Coach Jasper Billings praised the team’s performance, stating, “We came out and competed with some of the top teams in the state. We played fantastic overall and improved tremendously this weekend.” Freshman goalie Tim Allen made 27 saves across the four matches.
Cabrillo currently holds a record of 10-10 and will face Merced on October 31, 2023.
Cross Country Results from Bronco Invitational
In the realm of cross country, several local athletes shone at the Bronco Invitational held at Baylands Regional Park. Senior Azalea Groleau from Seattle, who is a San Lorenzo Valley alumna, placed sixth out of 151 runners in the Invitational Division race, finishing the 6K course in 20:53.1. The race was won by Milaina Almonte, a junior from Santa Clara, with a time of 20:06.5.
In the Open Division race, Emma Wirz, a senior from UC Santa Cruz, claimed 18th place out of 117 runners, completing the course in 23:14.0. Strong performances also came from UCSC freshman Holly Alchin and junior Madelyn Basinet, who finished 24th and 26th, respectively.
On the men’s side, Cal Poly Distance Club’s Aiden Boothby, a Scotts Valley alumnus, finished eighth in the Open Division race with a time of 25:05.6. Leading the race was Gabriel Planty of ASICS Club, who clocked in at 24:24.0. UCSC junior Liam Manley placed 19th, finishing in 25:39.2.
Volleyball and Football Updates
In women’s volleyball, UC Santa Cruz ended its road trip to Virginia with a disappointing 0-4 record. The Banana Slugs faced a tough challenge, losing to Salisbury in three sets with scores of 25-12, 25-19, 25-13, and again against Mary Washington with scores of 25-19, 25-18, 25-17. Kate Lau led her team with eight kills against Salisbury, while Alessandra Ponzo contributed 12 assists. Lau added seven kills and nine digs in the match against Mary Washington, with Margo Melgoza also providing 12 assists.
The Banana Slugs, now at 8-13 for the season, are set to play against Howard Payne and Austin in Marshall, Texas, on October 31, 2023.
In college football, Cabrillo College’s Seahawks faced Merced on Saturday but suffered their sixth consecutive loss, resulting in a 35-19 defeat. This setback leaves Cabrillo with a record of 1-6 overall and 0-2 in Coast Conference play. They are scheduled to host Gavilan on November 4, 2023, at 18:00.
Coaches are encouraged to report scores and highlights to [email protected] following games, including their name and contact number in the email.
