KING CITY — King City High School’s inaugural beach volleyball team made school history by capturing the 2026 SCCAL league championship with an undefeated league record in its first season of competition.
The Mustangs capped the season with a strong showing at the league’s end-of-season tournament, where four of the program’s five pairs finished in the top four. King City placed one pair second, two pairs tied for third and one pair fourth, earning four all-league selections.
First-team all-league honors went to Hollyn Hearne and Xienna Novoa, Stephanie Velasquez and Ella Rubbo, and Monze Camacho and Fernanda Cid. Jocelyn Jacquez and Melody Sanchez were named to the second team.
“This team has exceeded every expectation,” head coach Christine Luna said. “When we started, we were building something from the ground up. Ten girls took a chance on a brand-new sport, knowing there was a lot to learn and many failures to face, but that did not stop the girls from competing to the best of their ability. The fact that we finished undefeated in league play and had multiple pairs medal in the tournament is a testament to their commitment and resilience.”
The championship season came despite several challenges throughout the year. According to the team, practices were affected by weather, limited court availability and the lack of dedicated sand courts. Players also helped clean the skate park sand court so it could be used for practices, and the team thanked the city for allowing use of the facility.
The Mustangs finished unbeaten against league opponents, including St. Abrahams, Mt. Madonna, San Lorenzo Valley, Pacific Collegiate School and Monte Vista Christian. The league title was clinched with a 3-2 victory over Monte Vista Christian in the season’s final dual match.
“One of the best moments was watching all the girls surround the court to cheer on their teammates in a match that was going to determine if we won or lost. The amount of support and excitement when the winning point was made brought so much joy to us coaches as we saw the girls learn to rely on each other and put the team before themselves,” one of the coaches said.
The inaugural roster included seniors Hollyn Hearne, Morgan Hancock, Xienna Novoa and Stephanie Velasquez, along with freshmen Monze Camacho, Fernanda Cid, Aaliyah Briseno, Jocelyn Jacquez, Ella Rubbo and Melody Sanchez.
The coaching staff included Christine Luna, Lauren Page, Jalen Mendez and Megan Flores, who credited parents for supporting the team throughout the season, including road trips to Santa Cruz and Pismo Beach.
The program also thanked the community for supporting its first pancake breakfast fundraiser and said plans are in the early stages to build a sand court facility at King City High School as interest in the sport continues to grow.
