On Saturday, Feb. 7 2026, Foothill Technology High School’s (Foothill Tech) boys varsity volleyball team started their pre-season with a tournament against neighboring high schools, Rio Mesa High School, Oxnard High School and Taft High School.
Game 1: Foothill Tech vs. Rio Mesa High School (Spartans)
Foothill Tech opened the tournament with a matchup against the Rio Mesa Spartans. The first set was neck and neck from Foothill Tech’s opening serve. Both teams traded points and long rallies. The first set remained close, the team relying on tips and controlled shots rather than powerful hits. However, Rio Mesa’s defense kept the point extended. Foothill Tech pulled points ahead later in the set with outside hitter Styles Haley Kettler ‘28 adding pressure with angle swings, but they couldn’t pull ahead of the score gap, taking a loss 20-25.
The second set had Rio Mesa blocking and completing aggressive swings, ultimately forcing Foothill Tech to resort to multiple out-of-system plays. Cyrik Bodie ‘27, setter, worked by keeping hitters involved, allowing Ethan Abara ‘27 on high outside sets as well as Curren Wiggins ‘26 in the middle. Double blocks from Wiggins and Styles gave Foothill Tech the lead, pushing them ahead despite missed serves late in the set. After a tight pass from Foothill Tech’s defence after a rough serve by Rio Mesa, Wiggins took the ball on the second contact, breaking through the Spartans’ block and ending the set 25-21.
In the third set, Foothill Tech provided early momentum through a serving run from Wiggins as well as strong back-row and angle hit series from Styles. Sawyer Donaldson ‘27 provided points to the set instantly with strategic hits down the Spartans line. Despite the Dragons’ consistent lead, Foothill Tech struggled defensively, allowing Rio Mesa to capitalize on their service errors with angle shots to end the set 21-23 for the Spartans. Normally, matches are won by a best-of-three sets, but the last set went to 15 points, with the additional factor of having to win by two points, raising the stakes. Wiggins said, despite the loss,“..experiment with different lineups and really see what works for us on the court.”
Game 2: Foothill Tech vs. Oxnard High School (Yellow Jackets)
Foothill Tech started its second matchup of the day against Oxnard High School, with the opening set proving a challenge to the Dragons. Oxnard started an early lead through aggressive jump serves, while Foothill Tech struggled with serve receives and miscommunication. Styles achieved Foothill Tech’s first point through a back-row kill, but Oxnard still maintained control throughout the set with consistent blocking and outside offense, ending the set 17-25.
Oxnard started with serve for the second set, securing their first point with a cut shot. The Dragons brought a new energy onto the court as Donaldson hit a sharp angle, after a right side set by Abara, giving Foothill the lead 8-5. Serves ran from Zach Ohl ‘28 and Royal Knox ‘28, throwing off Oxnard’s offense, giving Wiggins the opportunity to anchor the net with multiple blocks. Styles led offense with multiple driven tips and balls, giving Foothill Tech the win 25-17.
Foothill Tech capitalized on Oxnard’s overpasses and errors in the third set. Wiggins contributed to the set both defensively and offensively, allowing Abara to attack with vigor, keeping Oxnard out of the system. Ultimately, Oxnard maintained its aggressive defense, resulting in barely passable plays, closing out the set with Oxnard’s victory 6-15.
Knox explained how he settled himself mentally, stating, “Once I focused on moving past mistakes, I played a lot better.”
Game 3: Foothill Tech vs. Taft High School (Toreadors)
Closing the tournament, Foothill Tech took on Taft High School with another competitive three-set game. Foothill Tech struggled with the first set, missed serves and miscommunication defensively, giving Taft the lead. Throughout the match, consistent offense and extended rallies became the theme. Despite victorious angle hits from Styles and net plays from Wiggins and Dolandson, Taft claimed the win of the match with an ending score of 18-25.
The second set had an improved execution of plays from Foothill Tech. Wiggins completed multiple blocks, and Styles found success with hitting down line and sharp-angle hits. The Dragons saw improved passing, but still, miscommunication became a roadblock, pushing Foothill Tech to call a timeout. Ultimately, Foothill Tech secured victory with the score of 25-20.
Wiggins stated, “We really came together as a team and built chemistry throughout the day.”
In the last set of the tournament, both teams traded points with long rallies and defensive coverage. Syles delivered multiple key hits and blocks throughout crucial moments of the set. While the Dragons did benefit from Taft’s errors at the net, Taft still ended as the victor, with the final score being 11-15.
Cameron Ohl emphasized the importance of the tournament, saying, “The more experience we get in game situations, the more it helps us going into the regular season.”
While the game proved tricky to the team, ending the tournament with no matches won, the Dragons will be competing in their next game at Agoura Hills High School on Feb. 17, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
