On Feb. 25, the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) girls beach volleyball team triumphed over Oxnard High School (Oxnard) in the team’s fourth preseason match at the Ventura Portside Beach Courts. The Dragons faced little adversity as they walked away with a 5-0 sweep.
The first match paired Samantha Jacobson ‘26 and Grace Canavan ‘29, where they dominated for the first point with 21-6 and 21-11 wins, respectively.
“For me and Grace, playing at the one’s position is a big responsibility, but I think that we executed it really well. Especially being so far apart in age, me being a senior and her being a freshman, we really adapted to each other well,” Jacobson said.
Emily Turner ‘26 and Rylie Hannah ‘26 paired up for the second match. In their first set, the pair faced trouble against Oxnard on some serves and passes. However, the two went on a rally of their own to close the set 21-16. The second set went much smoother for the pair as they closed out a 21-8 win to secure the second point.
Fiona Holt ‘28 and Peyton Fox ‘27 won their two sets and secured a point for Foothill Tech with ease with scores of 21-12 in the first set, and 21-8 in the second.
Jaelissa Lozano-Rivera ‘26 and Lilac Reyes ‘26 were the only pair to push their match to three closely contested sets. The Dragons won the first set 21-15 but dropped the second set with a 17-21 loss. On a series of aces and mistakes by Oxnard, the Dragons were able to close out the final set 15-9.
“It’s always a good day when I get to win with my best friend,” Reyes said.
Emme Capra ‘28 and Mazzlyn Herbert ‘28 secured the fifth point for Foothill Tech. After dominating the first set 21-10, Oxnard made a few subsequent adjustments to its offense in the next set. Despite an increase in tempo and momentum by Oxnard, the Dragons were able to hold their ground for a close 21-19 victory.
With the win, Foothill Tech improved its record to two wins and two losses across all competitions.
After starting the season on an even record, Jacobson spoke about the form of their preseason.
“I feel like playing harder games in our preseason really sets us up well for our real season because we can use what we learn here. I’m glad that we’ve played Camarillo and Buena, who were more competitive teams, and then playing Oxnard and Rio Mesa has helped us adjust to their kind of playing styles,” Jacobson said.
Foothill Tech will face Dos Pueblos High School on March 2 for its next matchup.
