by Kirstin Olsen/ESPN RISE 

Santa Barbara's gym was packed on Halloween night to watch the two top guns of the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions square off, ESPN RISE FAB 50 No. 1 Archbishop Mitty and No. 6 Dos Pueblos.

Dos Pueblos advanced with wins over Liberty, Harvard Westlake and a big win over No. 5 Newport Harbor in the semifinal, 25-13, 26-25, 25-14. The Wopat twins, Sam and Carly, lead their team with versitile hitting and physical presence at the net. Sophomore Taylor Racich, boosted her team on the right side and earned all tournament honors.

	Kirstin Olsen/ESPN RISE
	The TOC win marks the third tournament win of the year for Mitty.

 

Archbishop Mitty walked through the tournament beating San Marcos, Corona del Mar, and La Costa Canyon in the semi-final 25-20, 25-30, 28-26. Their "never say die” defense lead by libero Ryan Shaffer, great setting and array of offensive weapons helped the Monarchs dominate the field.

The final was a rematch of the Archbishop Mitty Invitational final. 

In game one Dos Pueblos had no passing rhythm.  The Monarchs seemed to better every ball and the Chargers let some balls drop.  Dos Pueblos fought back to tie it up at 15, but Mitty showed strength on defense and the Monarchs took the first game 25-21.

Game two started out the same with some unstable passing in serve receive by the Chargers. Mitty continued to dig Dos' twins array of shots and hits and proved to be in control with good ball handling skills.

Game three Carly Wopat came out on fire leading 2-0.  Mitty tied it up at 12, but  (Carly) Wopat's fire was contagious as Taylor Racich hammered a ball down the line for Dos Pueblos. Sam Wopat came up with some key serves to give them 18-15.

The game was once again tied up at 22, when Sally Yengst served two tough jumpers for 24-22. Mitty sided out with a Rachel Williams kill, but Dos Pueblos pulled it out, 25-23.

(Carly) Wopat is definitely one of the most versatile hitters in the state. She was effective everywhere she was set, on the left, quick in the middle, on the right and in the back row. She elevates well and has an extremely high reach. There is no question why Stanford wants both Carly and her sister Sam.

Game four was mostly dominated by Mitty with big outsides Kristina Graven and Rachel Williams coming alive. Monarchs' setter Joan Caloiaro spread her offense evenly and left the Chargers guessing with her dumps. Dos Pueblos tried to rally back at 16's with a big dig and kill by Taylor Racich. Rachel Williams ripped one down line and then angle to give the Monarchs their third game-match championship point of the year and win 25-21.

Mitty's head coach, Bret Almazan-Cezar stated after the game, " I hope to see Dos Pueblos winning their division at state [championships]. They are so physical and so well coached, they really challenge us.”

Kristina Graven ended with 18 kills and Rachel Williams with 15. Libero Ryan Schaffer posted 20 digs for the Monarchs.

This tournament win marks the first time in Archbishop Mitty history that the team has won all the tournaments they played in a season. Their tournament victories this year include the prestigious Durango Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada, their own tournament, the Archbishop Mitty Invitational and finally the Tournament of Champions in Santa Barbara.

All Tournament Team

Cathedral Catholic   Kelly Reeves

Torrey Pines            Katie Dutchman

Harvard Westlake    Meg Norton

Corona del Mar         Madison Smith

La Costa Canyon      Kendall Poland

Newport Harbor         Katy Thompson

Saint Francis             Jordan Shaw

Dos Pueblos              Taylor Racich

Dos Pueblos              Sally Yengst

Archbishop Mitty        Kristina Graven

Archbishop Mitty        Joan Caloiaro

by Kirstin Olsen/ESPN RISE

The Tournament of Champions in Santa Barbara is one of the oldest and prestigious tournaments in California. The TOC starts today and ends on Halloween at Santa Barbara High School.

The tournament will consist of sixteen teams, including six ESPN FAB 50 teams, No. 1 Archbishop Mitty, No. 5 Newport Harbor, No. 6 Dos Pueblos, No. 26 La Costa Canyon, No. 27 Long Beach Wilson, No. 33 Santa Barbara.  Torrey Pines, Corona Del Mar, Harvard-Westlake, Cathedral Catholic, Bishop Montgomery, Bakersfield, Liberty, St. Francis, Buchanan and San Marcos are all in the field as well.

	Leonard Xu/ESPN RISE
	Carly Wopat of Dos Pueblos

 

This tournament is credited as the first in California to make the change from 2 out of 3 to 3 out of 5. Earlier this season Dos Pueblos faced Mitty at the Archbishop Mitty Invitational, where the Monarchs came out on top 3-1.  Mitty's next biggest challenge was at the Durango Classic in Las Vegas where they bested the field and squared off against Newport Harbor in the final (16-25, 25-21, 25-20) after dropping the first set.

Mitty continued its dominance sweeping through Nor Cal teams since then and will possibly face Newport or Dos Pueblos in the semis and finals, should they take care of business.

"We hope that our practices and competition we provide ourselves is proficient,” Mitty Head Coach Bret Almazan-Cesar stated. "Playing in the big tournaments all year is what we do to prepare for the state championship.”

A win at the TOC would be the first time that Mitty has won all of their tournaments in a season.

Dos Pueblos' lone loss on the year came against Mitty at the Archbishop Mitty Invitational.

Chargers' Head Coach Todd Garret feels confident his team is ready to face the No. 1 team in the nation again.

"We have grown immensely as the season has progressed. We talk a lot at practice about "getting better today".  We have won some close 5 gamers.  Those are big confidence boosters and we use that to make us better, ” Garret stated.

"We are taking it one game at a time.  We have a to play a lot of volleyball against very good teams before we would see Mitty,” he added. 

Newport Harbor has had a long week with a tough five game loss against Los Alamitos Thursday night. 

"We are still a little banged up right now so if we get the opportunity to play either DP or Mitty that means we were able to defeat two quality opponents in the first two rounds,” remarked Newport Head Coach Dan Glen.  "I have not seen DP in person this season but we did play them last year and it is virtually the same team, except they are a year older and a year better.”

"I think we have the size to play with both of them but they both present serious match up problems,” Glen added. "We have seen many good teams this season but nobody as physical as either DP or Mitty.  We would have to serve tough and play great defense to have a chance against either team.”

Friday's first Round Match-ups

Archbishop Mitty vs. San Marcos

Santa Barbara vs. Corona Del Mar

Long Beach Wilson vs. Cathedral Catholic

La Costa Canyon vs. Bishop Montgomery

Newport Harbor vs. Babersfield

Torrey Pines vs. Saint Francis

Harvard Westlake vs. Buchanan

Liberty vs. Dos Pueblos

The TOC final will be at 6:15 pm at the Santa Barbara High School gym. Check back soon for results!

By Christine Jinbo

The Karch Kiraly Tournament of Champions (TOC), hosted by Santa Barbara (Calif.) High School, pitted six ESPN RISE Volleyball FAB 50 teams in a single elimination 16-team bracket.  According to predictions, No. 2 Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) faced Foothill (Santa Ana, Calif.) in the second round.  The Mustangs, sporting a new lineup since its last (and only) defeat of the season, cruised past the Knights, 25-19, 25-22, 25-12.

The Mustangs went on in the bracket and ousted No. 14 Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.), 26-24, 30-28, 25-21 in the semifinals.  The Bruins may have suffered some recovery issues after their marathon match with No. 31 Corona del Mar, where the scores went into the 30's in sets to 25.  The final score of Wilson's match with the Sea Kings was 34-32, 30-32, 21-25, 25-19, 15-11.  In fairness, the semifinals took place the morning after the quarterfinals, so the Bruins had a night to sleep on it.

In the bottom half of the bracket, host No. 6 Santa Barbara (Calif.) dispatched Royal (Simi Valley, Calif.) out of the championship side of the bracket in the second round.  Royal advanced with its defeat of No. 45 Nevada Union (Grass Valley, Calif.).  The Dons faced No. 14 Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.) in the semifinals and sent the Sailors ashore for the third place match, 19-25, 25-20, 25-15, 19-25, 15-12.

In the finals, led by Tournament MVP, Eric Mochalski Mira Costa downed host Santa Barbara, 20-25, 25-14, 24-26, 25-21, 15-12.  Wilson defeated Newport Harbor 20-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-20 for third place.  The all tournament selections were as follows, Santa Barbara Chris Pratt, Mira Costa Kevin Donahue and Evan Licht, Corona del Mar Dylan Davis, and Newport Harbor Cody Caldwell.

Mira Costa, now two for two in tournaments this year, focuses in on its next goal this season; defend its CIF title.  The Mustangs own six CIF Championships, with back to back championships in 2001 and 2002 and defeated Newport Harbor in the CIF Southern Section Div. I finals last year. 

Tournament Results
First Round matches:
Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) defeated Santa Ynez (Calif.) 25-12, 25-11, 25-10
Foothill (Santa Ana, Calif.) defeated Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.)

Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.) defeated San Marcos (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.) defeated Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.)

Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.) defeated Valencia (Calif.)
Dos Pueblos (Goleta, Calif.) defeated Thousand Oaks (Calif.)

Royal (Simi Valley, Calif.) defeated Nevada Union 28-26, 25-21, 25-16
Santa Barbara (Calif.) defeated West Ranch (Valencia, Calif.)

Second round-Championship Bracket:
Mira Costa defeated Foothill- 25-19, 25-22, 25-12
Wilson defeated Corona del Mar- 34-32, 30-32, 21-25, 25-19, 15-11

Newport Harbor defeated Dos Pueblos
Santa Barbara defeated Royal

Semifinals:
Santa Barbara defeated Newport Harbor 19-25, 25-20, 25-15, 19-25, 15-12
Mira Costa defeated Wilson 26-24, 30-28, 25-21

Karch Kiraly Tournament of Champions Final:
Mira Costa defeated Santa Barbara, 20-25, 25-14, 24-26, 25-21, 15-12

Third Place:
Wilson defeated Newport Harbor 20-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-20

Tournament MVP: Mira Costa, Eric Mochalski
All Tournament Team: Santa Barbara Chris Pratt, Mira Costa Kevin Donahue and Evan Licht, Corona del Mar Dylan Davis, Newport Harbor Cody Caldwell

By Christine Jinbo

The top half of the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions bracket contains, perhaps the most competitive second round games in the tournament. ESPN RISE Volleyball FAB 50 No. 2 Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) possesses the top seed in the tournament, deservedly so.  The Mustangs' second round match could possibly pit them against dark horse, Foothill (Santa Ana, Calif.).  

	Leonard Xu
	Dane Worley hopes to surprise the favorites at the Tournament of Champions.

Foothill led by lefty UCLA bound Dane Worley slashes through blocks and has a killer jump serve. He helped the Knights down Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.) in the first round of the O.C. Championships.  Newport went on to win that tournament and Foothill went down to Esperanza (Anaheim, Calif.).  If Mira Costa looks past Foothill and towards its semifinal, it could find itself relegated to the fifth place bracket.

The second round for No. 14 Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.) could see the Bruins facing No. 31 Corona del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.).  This match could be a barnburner or over in a flash.  Wilson uses a quick spread attack coupled with outstanding defense and passing led by junior libero Brandon Fuimaono.  The Bruin matches tend to have long rallies with gasping saves and high flying attacks.  This could help them speed past the Sea Kings or make for a long five set match that could be anyone's game.

Contrastingly, Corona del Mar relies on firepower in the name of USA Junior National team players, 6-foot-8 Dylan Davis and 6-foot -5 Weston Nielsen.  The Sea Kings have firepower to spare, but it is sometimes in jeopardy when their passing and defense breaks down.  Though at this point in the season, head coach Steve Conti always has his teams in gear.

In the bottom half of the bracket, Newport Harbor faces a rematch of last year's tournament final with Valencia (Calif.) in the first round.  The Sailors may look past this one, as the Vikings team was decimated with the loss of the entire starting team to graduation.

Host Santa Barbara, if the seeds play out, will face No. 44 Nevada Union in its second round match.  This should not be a problem for ESPN RISE No. 7 Santa Barbara, which brings that vibe, that spirit of competition to every match it plays.

Day one schedule:
11:00am: Mira Costa versus Santa Ynez (Calif.)
11:00am: Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.) versus Foothill (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Possible second round: Mira Costa versus Foothill

12:45pm: Corona del Mar versus San Marcos (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
12:45pm: Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.) versus Wilson
Possible second round: Corona del Mar versus Wilson

2:30pm: Newport Harbor versus Valencia (Calif.)
2:30pm: Thousand Oaks (Calif.) versus Dos Pueblos (Goleta, Calif.)
Possible second round: Newport Harbor versus toss up.

4:15pm: Royal (Simi Valley, Calif.) versus Nevada Union
4:15pm: West Ranch (Valencia, Calif.) versus Santa Barbara
Possible second round: Santa Barbara versus Nevada Union

 By Christine Jinbo

Vibe: that enigmatic something that this tournament embodies, which brings together not only volleyball teams, but also the essence of the sport.  Whatever it's called, the Santa Barbara Karch Kiraly Tournament of Champions has it and some to spare.  Whether it is explained by the picturesque location, or the legendary figure the tournament is named for, three time Olympic Gold Medalist Karch Kiraly, it all culminates at this event to make it special.

	Leonard Xu
	Chris Pratt, 6-foot-5 middle blocker for Santa Barbara hopes to lead his team to victory at the Tournament of Champions

Dons' Head Coach and tournament director, Chad Arneson commented on the impact of the Tournament of Champions, "This tournament is very special because it's an early indicator of how teams might fare in the playoffs.”

"There's not a lot of standing around and knowing when you play next.” Arneson continued, "It's set and everyone knows when they are playing, so that makes it a special event.  

Arneson believes the format also contributes to the importance of the event, "It's match play, three out of five, instead of two out of three."  

The tournament is single elimination for first place, but teams are guaranteed three matches in two days with the Consolation Round.

Coaches agree and many gravitate to this event because of the format. Arneson sifts through a waiting list of teams and ranks them by their current season record and previous tournament finishes.

In its fourteenth year, the Tournament of Champions hosts teams from around California and the recent winners are: Santa Barbara (Calif.) 2005, Valencia (Calif.) 2006 Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) 2007 and Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.) 2008.  

This year, six of the ESPN RISE FAB 50 teams make up part of the 16-team field, which includes No. 2 Mira Costa, No. 7 Santa Barbara, No. 13 Newport Harbor, No. 14 Wilson (Long Beach, Calif.), No. 37 Corona Del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.) and No. 44 Nevada Union (Grass Valley, Calif.).

Day one schedule:
11:00am: Mira Costa versus Santa Ynez (Calif.)
11:00am: Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.) versus Foothill (Santa Ana, Calif.)

12:45pm: Corona del Mar versus San Marcos (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
12:45pm: Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.) versus Wilson

2:30pm: Newport Harbor versus Valencia (Calif.)
2:30pm: Thousand Oaks (Calif.) versus Dos Pueblos (Goleta, Calif.)

4:15pm: Royal (Simi Valley, Calif.) versus Nevada Union
4:15pm: West Ranch (Valencia, Calif.) versus Santa Barbara

By Christine Jinbo

The Tournament of Champions, one of the longest-standing and most prestigious girls volleyball tournaments in California, takes place at Santa Barbara High School this weekend, October 24-25.  Sometimes referred to as the American Riviera, Santa Barbara's relaxed atmosphere with picturesque vistas is a perfect meeting place between Los Angeles and San Francisco.  (Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

This year's theme for the Tournament of Champions at Duncanville High School is Building on Tradition.  The tournament begins today and features the top teams in Texas, particularly Amarillo and Austin Westlake, as they compete for the championship crown.  The Duncanville volleyball program and tournament have a tradition of success built on the back of retired head coach, Jan Briggs.

	Duncanville High School
	Jan Briggs has a winning tradition.

Briggs began her coaching career right after college and continued the vocation for forty years.  From her tenure coachin...

(Read full post)

By Christine Jinbo

The Tournament of Champions, hosted by Duncanville High School (Duncanville, Tex.) ranks among the top high school volleyball tournaments in the country. A competitive field of teams, hand picked referees, fun atmosphere, and one of the best venues combine to make this tournament tops in Texas.  Often, similar to last year, the Texas State Champion in Class 5A (the largest school class in Texas) and the Tournament of Champions winner are the same team.  Last year, Amarillo accomplished this feat and ranked No. 1 in Tex this year, hopes to repeat the dual achievement.  

(Read full post)