Despite some close sets, Pierce College men’s volleyball couldn’t gain a lead over Long Beach City College, losing 0-3 in a home game on March 15.
The Vikings posed fierce competition, heading into Friday’s match with a six game winning streak—and the top rank in the California Community College Athletic Association Western State Conference. The Brahmas’ record entering the South Gym was 1-6, as they looked to turn around a tough start to the season.
“As far as battling, I think we played really well and we showed a lot of heart when we played,” Head Coach Joseph Arechiga said. “I’m really proud of how we played, but I think we have to pick up the pressure at the service line.”
The Vikings’ consistency at the service line posed a challenge for the Brahmas, according to Arechiga. This strength from the Vikings led to a first set score of 14-25.
The second set proved to be a nail-biter, with the Brahmas putting up a persistent defense. The high-intensity set ended in a 23-25 score.
“That second set showed that we were seeing their tendencies and made adjustments on our side,” Arechiga said. “Then, we took care of those smaller things and were able to hang with them. It got away from us at the end, but everyone really bought into it and played every single point.”
For outside hitter Vincent Harris, Pierce’s hustle in the second set was one of highlights of the game.
“It’s always going to be a challenge playing against [Long Beach],” Harris said. “We really put it together, even though we didn’t come out with the win. It showed that Pierce volleyball is on the come up. We’re getting better and better, every day, every game, every practice.”
The Brahmas lost the final set 18-25, making up some ground at the end of the set after a wide gap at the beginning.
“I think this year, our team is really good at defense and it showed,” setter Karl Manolong said. “We’re still working on our offense. We’ve sometimes been beat on our blocks, especially by some of the taller guys.”
The Brahmas’ next game will be at home at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, against Santa Barbara City College.
“There were a lot of highs in this game,” middle blocker Lars Hart said. “For [next week], we’re going to keep the energy up and stay loud.”
