Women’s Volleyball: LBCC gets No. 15 seed for SoCal playoffs, travel to No. 2 L.A. Pierce

The Long Beach City College women's volleyball team is returning to the postseason after a one-year absence. On Sunday, the Vikings were awarded the No. 15 seed for the upcoming 2010 Southern California Regional Playoffs. LBCC is making its fourth postseason appearance in five years.

Just like the women's soccer team, the women's volleyball team drew Los Angeles Pierce College for an opening-round playoff match. The Vikings head north to Woodlands Hills for a 7 p.m. match on Tuesday (Nov. 23).

Long Beach, ranked No. 25 in the state, enters the postseason with a 12-10 overall record and finished fourth in the highly competitive South Coast Conference with a 7-7 record. First-team All-South Coast Conference outside hitter Raegan Heitzig leads the Vikings to the playoffs. The freshman is averaging 2.5 kills and 1.8 digs per set this season.

Sophomores Seferina Starks (outside hitter) and Megann Capic (libero) were second-team All-SCC picks this year as well for Long Beach.

Pierce, seeded second, compiled an impressive 24-2 overall record and cruised to a Western State Conference South Division title with an 11-1 mark. The Brahmas, ranked No. 3 in the state, are paced by All-American outside hitter Sarah Martin, who led the state with 4.7 kills per set.

Tuesday's match will be the first between LBCC and Pierce this season.

The winner of Tuesday's match will face either No. 7 Orange Coast or No. 10 Golden West in a second-round playoff contest on Saturday (Nov. 27). Two regional finalists will advance to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Women's Volleyball State Championships on December 4-5 at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga.