Vaqueros Show Potential Against Elite Competition

By Jimmy Friery

MOORPARK, Calif. – The Santa Barbara City College Beach Volleyball team (4-4) played two close matches on Friday at Moorpark College. Against fellow 2025 State Championship participants MiraCosta and San Diego Mesa, both ended 3-2.

"It's exciting to see where we are at this point in the season—and even more exciting to know we still have so much untapped potential," head coach Ariana Garner said. "Proud of the way these girls competed today."

Among a handful of lineup changes, Tana Long joined for the first time this season, combining with Lina Husek as the Vaqueros' No. 3 pair. They won a polarizing 21-6, 15-21, 15-8 victory in the opener against MiraCosta.

Another new pair, Sophie Ward and Guilia Sophie Gentile, earned a 21-13, 21-16 win on court five. Unfortunately, MiraCosta won on courts one, two, and four to take a tight 3-2 victory.

Match two was another tough challenge, facing San Diego Mesa—the reigning State champions. It was a good start for Santa Barbara, though as No. 4 pair Camryn Chapman and Stephanie Groswirt won comfortably—21-13, 21-10—as did Ward and Gentile again—21-12, 21-13.

The three remaining matches all were as tight as can be. Kaylin Cooney and Madison Genasci stayed as the No. 1 pair after being elevated last week, but unluckily dropped both of their sets in extra points—23-21, 22-20. Furthermore, the matches on courts two and three each went three sets and each ended with the minimum two-point difference, resulting in a 3-2 Mesa win.

Another competitive non-conference day will surely benefit the Vaqueros later in the season, regardless of the unfavorable result.

"We lost two close matches to two very talented teams today," Garner added. "We're looking forward to another opportunity to get better this week as we prepare for our final pre-conference matches."

Santa Barbara plays two next Friday at Mt. San Antonio in Walnut, first against El Camino and then against the hosts, Mt. San Antonio. Western State Conference play begins the following Friday, March 6, back at East Beach.

Match one: MiraCosta def. Santa Barbara 3-2

1s: Keibel/Heflin (MCC) def. Cooney/Genasci (SBCC) 21-10 21-10
2s: Szajowski/Wondercheck (MCC) def. Stenz/Papia (SBCC) 21-9, 21-19
3s: Long/Husek (SBCC) def. Osborne/Mitchell (MCC) 21-6, 15-21, 15-8
4s: Kilaulani/Komadina (MCC) def. Chapman/Groswirt (SBCC) 21-8, 21-8
5s: Ward/Gentile (SBCC) def. Lines/Curtis (MCC) 21-13, 21-16

Match two: San Diego Mesa def. Santa Barbara 3-2

1s: Lundberg/Folkers (SDM) def. Cooney/Genasci (SBCC) 23-21, 22-20
2s: Luna/Brent (SDM) def. Stenz/Papia (SBCC) 21-19, 18-21, 16-14
3s: Town/Nguyen (SDM) def. Long/Husek (SBCC) 18-21, 21-15, 15-13
4s: Chapman/Groswirt (SBCC) def. Ennis/Haugen (SDM) 21-13, 21-10
5s: Ward/Gentile (SBCC) def. Rosales/Cherf (SDM) 21-12, 21-13