Travis Vail/Roundup
The Pierce College men’s volleyball team defeated the El Camino College Warriors in straight sets March 10, in the South Gym, improving their conference record to 2-1.
The Brahmas maintained an early lead throughout the first game to win 30-23, but relied on dramatic late-game comebacks to win both of the following games.
The first game was a testament to the Brahmas consistency as the Warriors struggled with errors.
“We really executed and stopped them well tonight,” Pierce head coach Eddie Stanislawski said.
The home crowd erupted when sophomore middle blocker Andrew Pitters scored the game-winning kill, earning the Brahmas momentum moving into the next match.
“It’s always nice to get the last kill and keep the energy going into the next game,” Pitters said.
The second game remained close, but the Brahmas were forced to call a timeout when faced with a 26-28 deficit.
The Brahmas came out of the break firing on all cylinders and rallied to win the second game, 31-29, due in large part to stellar defensive play from both lines.
“Andy [Ouano] and Jackson [Metichecchia] kept the team together,” Stanislawski said. “Both of our middles had great performances tonight too.”
The Brahmas were on the verge of dropping the third match until an official review negated a point that would have given the Warriors a 30-26 victory.
The call invigorated the entire Brahma lineup as players on the court as well as the bench pumped up the crowd with chants of, “ole ole ole.”
The Warriors were visibly shaken by this setback as they committed errors that awarded the Brahmas four of their last five points, including a long serve that sealed the match for the Brahmas.
“Tonight’s win definitely gives us some momentum as we move into the rest of the season,” said freshman middle blocker Jon Souisa.
The Brahmas are 2-8 this year, but both victories have come against in-conference opponents.
“We started off slow, but the conference games are the ones that really matter,” said Stanislawski.
The Warriors, who are now 1-8 this season, look to improve on their consistency in the future.
“We need to learn to finish,” El Camino head coach Richard Blount said. “We played hard though, and I’m pleased with our effort.”