Men's Volleyball Sweeps Irvine Valley

By Jimmy Friery

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – After a tough matchup against Orange Coast last Friday, Santa Barbara City College Men's Volleyball (2-1) rebounded to sweep Irvine Valley in Rob Gym on Tuesday. 6-foot-8 middle blocker Keegan Hubbard hit .643 (10-1-14) with five blocks, contributing to Irvine Valley's .065 team hitting percentage on the night.

"The early season is a great opportunity to experiment with lineups and see who is able to step up and compete," head coach Bridget Kulesh said. "Everyone saw the court, and we were able to get the job done."

The first set was the closest of the three as the Vaqueros prevailed 25-21. Set two was their most dominant, cruising to a 25-17 victory and holding the visitors to a measly .033 hitting percentage with eight kills and seven attack errors. The Vaqueros clinched the sweep via a 25-19 third-set win.

"Sophomore libero Luke Steinert continues to command the back court in serve receive and defense," Kulesh added.

When Irvine Valley could get their attacks past Hubbard and James Walker-Ziegler (three blocks) at the net, Steinert usually kept the ball off the floor. His 12 digs in this match made it three straight with double-digit digs to start the year. Andre Yarme and Mykolas Petritias each had eight digs, too.

"Keegan had a great evening both hitting and blocking. Sophomore Charlie Coordt also had a big game," she continued. "He hit .333 and was a very confident passer all night."

Coordt led the team with 11 kills. Setters Ayden Welch (28 assists) and Devon Russell (10 assists) facilitated the offense well, as five different Vaqueros had 10 or more total attacks.

The Vaqueros next head to reigning State champion Golden West on Friday at 4 p.m. They will return back to Rob Gym on Friday the 13th hosting both San Diego Miramar and San Diego Mesa.