Ventura and Royal opened the girls volleyball state playoffs with victories on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
Hazel Richard finished with 17 kills, 11 digs and three aces, Mia Howard had 14 kills and four blocks, Kinsley Gullat had 12 kills, and Emma Gould compiled 35 assists and 10 digs to lead 13th-seeded Ventura to a 26-28, 25-15, 20-25, 25-23, 15-11 victory at fourth-seeded Foothill in a Division II first-round match.
Hannah Bolton had nine kills and three blocks, Gigi Scaglia had eight kills and 16 digs, Charlis Swezy had 13 assists and five aces, Isabela Tafoya finished with 24 digs, and Alex Hoskins added 12 digs and two aces for the Cougars.
Ventura will have a chance at revenge in the second round when it travels to La Canada on Thursday. The Cougars lost to the Spartans in the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 final in five sets, 25-15, 25-22, 17-25, 13-25, 15-8, on Nov. 6.
Jaidan Alexander finished with 20 kills, 14 digs and six blocks, Ella Ragland had 14 kills, 20 digs and five aces, Carly Watkins had 11 kills and four blocks, and Payton MacCuish added five blocks as eighth-seeded Royal defeated Garces Memorial in four sets, 23-25, 25-9, 25-22, 25-18, in a Division III first-round match at home.
The Highlanders, which reached the CIF-SS Division 5 semifinals, will travel to San Diego to play top-seeded Academy of Our Lady of Peace on Thursday.
Oak Park, which lost to Ventura in the CIF-SS Division 4 semifinals, fell to top-seeded Liberty in four sets, 24-26, 25-12, 25-23, 25-12, in a Division II first-round match on the road.
Seventh-seeded Foothill Tech, which reached the CIF-SS Division 8 semifinals, lost at home to 10th-seeded South El Monte in five sets, 25-20, 15-25, 25-22, 16-25, 15-12, in a Division V first-round match.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Girls volleyball | Ventura, Royal win state playoff openers
Reporting by From staff reports / Ventura County Star
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