The Long Beach City College women's volleyball team closed out its regular-season schedule with a 3-0 sweep over visiting East Los Angeles College on Wednesday. LBCC won the South Coast Conference match by scores of 25-17, 25-16, 25-21.
The Vikings were never threatened until the third set. East Los Angeles led 12-11 before Long Beach eventually tied the score at 13-13. A middle kill by freshman Lisa Villaroel gave LBCC a 14-13 lead. The Vikings jumped ahead 17-14 before the Huskies rallied one last time for three straight points to tie things up at 17-17.
But an ELAC hitting error, a block by freshman Sami Uepa and sophomore Kaitlyn McMahon, and a kill by sophomore Celina Yandall but Long Beach ahead for good at 20-17. Sophomore Gabriela Gonzalez' kill gave the Vikings the set and match win.
Long Beach had a .343 hitting percentage for the match including .484 (20 kills, 5 errors, 31 attempts) in the second set.
LBCC honored its five sophomores (Asia Everitt, Gonzalez, McMahon, Danielle Tuitasi, and Yandall) playing in their final home match. Tuitasi and Yandall had big nights offensively to lead the Vikings. Tuitasi had a match-high 17 kills and compiled an impressive .536 hitting percentage while Yandall posted 12 kills and five digs.
McMahon led all with seven blocks (4 solo) to go with three kills and four digs. And off the bench, Everitt posted three digs and two assists while Gonzalez chipped in with three digs, an ace, and the final kill.
With a 12-10 overall record and 8-6 conference mark, the Vikings will hope a fourth-place finish in the highly competitive SCC will earn them a spot in the postseason. Seedings for the Southern California Regional Playoffs will be announced on Sunday (Nov. 18) with first-round matches scheduled for November 20.
Long Beach last earned a playoff berth in 2010 when it received the No. 15 seed and lost in three at No. 2 seeded and eventual state champion Los Angeles Pierce College.
Photo: LBCC honored its five sophomores (L-R:) Danielle Tuitasi, Gabriela Gonzalez, Celina Yandall, Kaitlyn McMahon, and Asia Everitt on Wednesday.
