Inconsistency plagues Vaqueros
Evans leads state in kills; Parker resigns after 13 years
 
 SBCC had the state leader in kills and the No. 3 man in digs but consistency was a challenge during an 8-9 men's volleyball season. The Vaqueros won the consolation title in the season-opening Long Beach Tournament and started out 5-0 before dropping nine of their last 12 matches.
 WSC runner-up Moorpark, which beat Orange Coast 3-0 for the state title, fell to Santa Barbara 32-30 in the first set of the final regular-season match and then rallied for a 30-26, 30-27, 30-19 victory.
 "Moorpark, when they're under pressure, they're not hitting balls out," said coach Melody Parker. "They're pretty consistent. We go really well for so long, then we might make four or five errors in a row.
 "I have to go back to the fact that we're all freshmen and two sophomores. That's inexperience but I'm not going to use that as an excuse."
 Miles Evans, a 6-4 outside hitter from Dos Pueblos High, was one of those sophomores. He earned first-team All-WSC honors after leading the state in kills per game (4.92) and hitting .303. Andrew Thomason, a freshman libero, was a second-team choice. He had 28 digs in the season finale and tied for third in the state with a 3.77 dig average.
 Coach Parker resigned last month after 13 years as head coach. She was named Coach of the Year three times in 1997, '98 and 2008.
 "The gym has always felt like home to me," said Parker. "The thing I'll miss the most is the bond that develops on a team between the players and coaches during the journey. The good news is that bond lasts a lifetime."
 The Vaqueros finished fifth in the WSC with a 3-7 record.
 "We played some of the greatest volleyball I've ever seen and then, not so good," said Parker, who became the first female to coach a men's team at SBCC in 1996 and guided the Vaqueros to five Final Four appearances. "The inconsistency comes from the discipline you have to have as an athlete on technique and the small details of the game.
 "Next year, if this team stays together, they're going to do very, very well."

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