We Speak Volleyball

Newbury Park Survives Thousand Oaks in Five Sets to Reach the Division 3 Semifinals

Published

54 minutes ago

November 2, 2026

Newbury Park players celebrate during the Division 3 quarterfinal against Thousand Oaks.

Photo courtesy of Newbury Park Athletics.

A crosstown rivalry got one more postseason chapter on Wednesday night, and it needed all five sets. Host Newbury Park held off Thousand Oaks 3-2 in a CIF Southern Section Division 3 quarterfinal, winning 25-16, 25-20, 21-25, 22-25 and 15-6 to reach the semifinals.

Newbury Park controlled the first two sets behind strong serving that kept the Lancers out of system. Thousand Oaks refused to fold. The Lancers took the third set, then won the fourth on a set point ace from junior Sam Caenepeel to force a fifth.

The Panthers owned the deciding set. Laney Knopp drilled five kills with an ace in the fifth, and setter Keira Overbeck served a pair of clutch aces as Newbury Park pulled away 15-6. Charley Knupp put down the final kill of the night, off an Overbeck back set, to end it.

Knopp finished with a match high 24 kills. Knupp added 17 and sophomore Emmery Reynolds 15, as the Panthers’ three pin hitters combined for 56 kills. Thousand Oaks was led by Halle Bryce with 17 kills and 12 digs and Saylor Halvorsen with 12 kills and 13 digs.

The match was the final one of Thousand Oaks head coach James Park’s career; he had announced before the season that he would retire at the end of it. Newbury Park, coached by Chris Forrest, improved to 33-9 and moved on to play Valley Christian in the Division 3 semifinals in Cerritos on Saturday, October 31.

We Speak Volleyball

Amador Goes on the Road and Knocks Off Mariposa County 3-1 in the Playoff Opener

Published

22 minutes ago

November 2, 2026

We Speak Media

The Amador volleyball players pose on the team bus during the trip to Mariposa.

Photo courtesy of Amador Volleyball.

Amador made the long trip to Mariposa County on Tuesday night and came home with a playoff win, beating the Grizzlies 3-1 in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs.

The Buffaloes took the opening set 25-22, dropped a tight second set 26-24, and then took over the match. Amador won the third set 25-19 and closed out the fourth 25-15 to finish off one of the bigger road wins of the opening round anywhere in the section.

The result was no small feat. Mariposa County entered the playoffs as the undefeated Southern League champion, 14-0 in league play, and the Grizzlies had not lost a league match in 42 straight outings dating back through their run of dominance, according to The Mariposan. Their only losses all season had come against larger schools, and they were playing at home in front of their own crowd.

None of that slowed the Buffaloes, who turned the night into a team celebration. The program’s own social post from the trip called it a fierce fight for the win after the long ride south, a bus trip, and a stop on the way. After dropping the second set, Amador answered with its two most comfortable sets of the night to seal the upset.

The win advanced Amador to the Division V quarterfinals, where the Buffaloes’ run ended Thursday with a 3-1 loss at Bret Harte. Mariposa County closed a standout season at 27-11, its league championship streak stopped one match into the postseason by a Sutter Creek team that refused to be intimidated.

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