NIPOMO 7 Nipomo girls volleyball head coach Claudia Trudeau didn/t just want her team to beat the visiting Lompoc Braves on Tuesday.

She wanted her team to play with focus the entire match, she said.

No one would have blamed the Titans if their minds started to wander or if they got bored during their dominating 25-12, 25-9, 25-8 win. But one play in the second game showed the Titans had accomplished Trudeau/s goal.

With Nipomo leading 21-8 and about to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five match, senior setter Leigh Stephenson charged after a wayward pass. Her momentum carried her into the Titan bench, and if it weren/t for her seated teammates, would have sent her toppling over the metal folding chairs. But Stephenson wasn/t just able to get the ball back into play. She ran onto the court and got the assist, one of 21 on the night.

"That was great," Trudeau said about the play. "They played tonight like they were hungry the whole game."

Junior outside hitter Krystal Bozarth led the Titans with eight kills. Senior middle blocker Michelle Jost had seven kills, while junior outside hitter Sarah Clark had six kills and four assists.

It wasn/t all bad news for the Braves in the loss.

"The team just wasn/t able to control their passing, but we made some good plays on defense," Lompoc head coach Don Savella said. "Alyssa Ray did a good job in her role in the back row."

Sophomore middle hitter Alyssa Mayberry and junior setter Katelyn Lynch led the Braves with 11 kills apiece.

Nipomo improved to 2-0 in Los Padres League play, while the Braves dropped to 0-3 in the league, 0-5 overall.

St. Joseph 3, Cabrillo 0

Natalie Crist smacked nine kills as the Knights (3-0, 4-3) swept the Conquistadores (1-1, 2-5) in a Los Padres League match at Hofschulte Gym.

Ashley Philipps had eight kills for St. Joseph. Karen Vosburg made 10 digs. Jessica Kennedy served eight aces for Cabrillo, and Meagan Rhea made eight digs.

Morro Bay 3, Santa Maria 1

The Pirates (1-2, 1-4) defeated the Saints 25-19, 26-24, 24-26, 25-10 at Wilson Gym. No other details were available at press time.

Paso Robles 3, Righetti 0

The Warriors (0-3, 3-3) had a tough time at home, losing this PAC-5 League match 25-9, 27-25, 25-18.

Sarah Spence led Righetti with 12 digs. Christiana Santiago made six blocks, and Jasmine Stellar had five kills.

Coast Union 3, VCA 0

The Broncos swept the Lions (1-3) 25-15, 25-8, 25-19 in a non-league match in the Valley Christian Academy gymnasium.

Lara Hertzog had 12 kills and Brittani Datu made 11 digs for the Lions.

Junior varsity

Pioneer Valley 2, Santa Ynez 0

SANTA YNEZ 7 Ambar Mendoza served eight aces the Panthers ran their record to 3-0. All their matches have been Los Padres League ones.

Nikki Doyle was Pioneer Valley/s kill leader with five. Mendoza and Kelly Wahl each had two. Pioneer Valley is in the Morro Bay Tourney this weekend.

Tennis

Santa Maria 11, Nipomo 7

NIPOMO 7 The Saints/ top two doubles tandems of Desirae Bontempo and Victoria Regalado, and Berenisse Becerra and Raquel Bucayu swept their sets as the Saints improved to 3-1, 6-2.

Bontempo and Regalado won 6-3, 6-1, 6-1. Becerra and Bucayu prevailed 6-3, 6-3, 6-0. Elizabeth Will swept her sets at No. 1 singles 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 for the Titans (1-2, 3-3).

Santa Ynez 13, St. Joseph 5

SANTA YNEZ 7 Pirates ace Subi Sundaram defeated Jenna Okerblom 6-2 in a match between two players unbeaten this season. Sundaram helped Santa Ynez improve to 3-0, 7-1.

St. Joseph is 1-3, 3-4.

Sundaram won her other sets 6-1, 6-0. Okerblom, and the Knights/ top doubles team of Courtney Jaeckels and Lauren Freitas earned two points each.

Cabrillo 11, Morro Bay 7

MORRO BAY 7 Lisa Schutz and consistent Lauren Vance both swept their singles sets. They helped the Conquistadores improve to 3-0, 4-2.

Alysa Royer swept her sets 6-1, 6-1, 6-0 for the Pirates (1-3, 3-3).

Junior varsity

Lompoc 16, Pioneer Valley 2

The doubles teams of Brittany Johnson and Maya Lara, and Danielle Quinones and Anna Rodriguez scored points for the Pirates (0-4, 1-5) at Pioneer Valley/s courts.

Golf

Lompoc 271, SJ 281

LOMPOC 7 Medalist Justine Heath led the Braves to a Los Padres League victory over St. Joseph (0-1, 1-4) by shooting a 38 at windy La Purisma.

Maranda Gaspar and Melissa Mier led the Knights. Teammates Marlee Mier and Cori Haynes were close behind. Their scores were not known at press time.

St. Joseph hosts a Los Padres League Meet at 2 p.m. Thursday at Santa Maria Country Club.

Water polo

Game postponed

The Paso Robles-Santa Maria non-league water polo game, scheduled for Tuesday at Paul Nelson Pool, was postponed.

The game was re-scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday at Paul Nelson.

q Sportswriter Kenny Cress contributed to this story

Sept. 29, 2004