Even after the final whistle sounded, the Camarillo High boys' volleyball players were still scratching their heads.

After trying to defend Dos Pueblos' two different setters calling a complex variety of cross-attack schemes from each row on every point, how could you blame them?

The co-champion of the Pacific View League could not overcome Dos Pueblos' diverse attack and fell in a three-game sweep, 25-16, 25-16, 25-18, in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division II playoffs at Camarillo.

Dos Pueblos, a second-place finisher in the Channel League, improves to 22-10 and faces Laguna Beach in the quarterfinals on Friday. Camarillo ends its 2008 campaign at 17-6.

Dos Pueblos outside hitter Will McCracken registered a match-high 11 kills, while versatile middle blocker Ben Johnson added eight kills and five blocks. Camarillo's Chris Carlson and Neal Woods each had five kills.

According to Camarillo head coach Rob Vandermay, Dos Pueblos' complexity showed in the attitude of his team.

"We're generally better passers than that. I saw a little bit of frustration on our part," said Vandermay. "They (Dos Pueblos) have a very good attack, especially up the middle, and we never stopped them. It's demoralizing. They are so effective with their weapons and we couldn't stop them."

Dos Pueblos used those weapons early and often. After Camarillo tied Game 1 at 6-6, Dos Pueblos ripped off a 7-2 run with kills from five different players and two aces from McCraken. Three missed serves and several passing mistakes later, Camarillo couldn't recover.

Camarillo battled back from an early 6-1 deficit in Game 2 to climb within two points, but surrended seven of the game's last eight points.

"We had a chance to compete with them in all three games, but at times I had trouble getting them to believe in themselves," said Vandermay. "I think tonight sometimes we were just one hitter or one defender away from winning a couple of those games."

Tuesday's loss not only marked the end of a mainly successful Camarillo season, but it may have marked the end of an era. All nine players on Camarillo's varsity roster will graduate next month with just four juniors remaining in the program.

"It'll definitely be a rebuilding year because we're going to have such a young team," said Vandermay of next season. "We'll be inexperienced, but we have a lot of guys that really want to play and that makes a big difference."

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