Harbor High School’s girls volleyball team secured the Gold Division title at the two-day Harbor Tournament held in Santa Cruz, California, on October 28, 2023. The Pirates finished the tournament with an impressive record of 4-0, defeating formidable opponents from the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League.
In a thrilling final match, Harbor overcame Scotts Valley with a score of 25-11, 17-25, 11-25, 25-19, 15-12. The semifinal saw them battle against Santa Cruz, winning in a tightly contested game that ended 17-25, 17-25, 29-27, 25-20, 16-14. Junior outside hitter Dylan Schutz stood out with 20 digs, 11 kills, and four aces during the final.
Teammate Cecile Novembre, also a junior, contributed significantly with 19 kills, while junior setter Gianna Fanara recorded 41 assists, two aces, and three blocks. Swan Houssin, the junior libero, showcased her defensive skills with 21 digs. In the semifinals, Novembre continued her impressive form, achieving 25 kills and 19 digs, while Fanara had 38 assists, nine digs, and four kills.
In addition to Harbor’s success, Aptos High School triumphed in the Silver Division of the tournament. The Aptos squad defeated the host Soquel High in the semifinals, followed by a victory over Sobrato in the final. Soquel secured third place by topping Mercy of Burlingame.
Looking ahead, Harbor will play at Soquel in the annual Dig Pink match on October 31, 2023, at 18:30.
Meanwhile, in men’s water polo, Cabrillo College participated in the two-day Cuesta Tournament, concluding with a 2-2 record. The Seahawks achieved victories against Citrus, 21-11, and Chaffey, 12-9, but faced defeats from Cuesta, 25-8, and Saddleback, 19-11.
Bryan Bunker emerged as a standout player for Cabrillo, scoring 19 goals over the tournament. Teammates Brady Reed and Sam Hoffman each added eight goals, with Aeden Wright contributing five goals and Charlie Lambert four. Coach Jasper Billings praised the team’s competitive spirit, 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 four matches. Cabrillo, now standing at 10-10, will face Merced on November 1, 2023.
In women’s cross country, Azalea Groleau, a senior from Seattle and a graduate of San Lorenzo Valley High School, finished sixth out of 151 runners at the Bronco Invitational held at Baylands Regional Park. Groleau completed the 6K course in 20:53.1, while Santa Clara junior Milaina Almonte won the race in 20:06.5.
In the Open Division race, UC Santa Cruz senior Emma Wirz secured 18th place out of 117 competitors with a time of 23:14.0. UCSC freshman Holly Alchin and junior Madelyn Basinet finished 24th and 26th, respectively, with times of 23:31.3 and 23:32.8.
The men’s cross country team also competed at the Bronco Invitational, where Aiden Boothby from the Cal Poly Distance Club placed eighth out of 200 runners in the Open Division. He completed the 8K course in 25:05.6.
In women’s volleyball, UC Santa Cruz faced a challenging road trip in Virginia, finishing with an 0-4 record. The Banana Slugs were swept in both matches on October 28, losing 25-12, 25-19, 25-13 to Salisbury and 25-19, 25-18, 25-17 to Mary Washington. Notable performances included Kate Lau, who registered eight kills against Salisbury, and Alessandra Ponzo with 12 assists.
As the season progresses, UC Santa Cruz (8-13) is set to take on Howard Payne and Austin in Marshall, Texas, on October 31, 2023. In college football, Cabrillo College suffered its sixth consecutive loss, falling to Merced 35-19, which places them at 1-6 overall and 0-2 in Coast Conference action. The Seahawks will host Gavilan on November 4, 2023, at 18:00.
Coaches are encouraged to report scores and highlights to [email protected] following games, including their contact information.
