State Women's Volleyball Quarterfinal #1: Santa Monica powers past Taft in sweep
S3 Santa Monica (26-4) d. N2 Taft (30-3), 3-0, 26-24, 25-21, 25-15
Taft finishes in a fifth place tie at state
FOLSOM -- The first quarterfinal of the 3C2A Women's Volleyball Championship featured two teams that made it to the state tourney after a several decades absence.
Taft College (30-3), the North's #2 seed, was excited for its second appearance ever and first in 21 years, but it was South #3 Santa Monica that enjoyed its first trip to state in 31 years with a sweep over the Cougars on Friday morning.
SMC (27-4) used hard serves, controlled the net with its block and used powerful swings led by All-State midde blocker Nicole Lankton (11 kills, .588 attack, plus three stuffs) and right side hitter Deavan Antoine-Dillon, who scored 10 kills (.474) with three blocks. Savannah Wooley added nine kills and nine digs while Makena Gamby set 23 assists, served two aces, and made 10 digs.
Santa Monica stretched its winning streak to 18 matches while ending Taft's run at 21 in a row.
In an error-filled first set, SMC opened a 5-0, 10-3 leads, then went up 20-12 on an overpass kill by Lankton. Taft roared back on an 11-3 run capped by a kill by Jazzahlei Satele to tie it at 23-23. Another Satele kill momentarily saved set point at 24, but a kill by Lankton and an ace by Gamby gave the Corsairs the extra-point set 1 win.
In the second set, the teams traded six ties, the last at 12-12, then Santa Monica's block took over with back-to-back stuffs from Lankton and a solo by Antoine-Dillon to go up 21-18. Antoine-Dillon, who missed much of the '25 regular season due to injury, ripped a kill down the sideline to give the Corsairs a 2-0 set lead.
In the third set, Santa Monica raced out to a 12-4 lead and never looked back.
"At the end of the day, it's a playoff setting and one team has to impose its will to get through a heavyweight type fight to win," said SMC head coach Christian Cammayo. "Because of injuries, this is really just the fifth time all year we've had our best lineup. Taft was a scrappy team and we had to work hard to win that opening set. We have depth throughout our rotation and that showed today."
Taft was paced by Satele, a Second Team All-American OH, who delivered a match-high 13 kills and All-NorCal setter-right side Vienna Perier with four kills, 12 assists, 15 digs and two aces.
"We just made too many errors," Taft head coach Mallori Rossi said. "I felt like the mistakes were on us. Maybe nerves were a factor but we just never found our rhythm and Santa Monica did. Still, I can't be any prouder than how far we came. This team worked hard from day one to get here."
Santa Monica will play the winner of today's quarterfinal between S1 San Diego Mesa and N4 Fresno City in the semifinals on Saturday.
Release by Robert Lewis, CCCWVCA/3C2A State Tournament SID