LBCC’s winning streak was broken in an away game against Cerritos with a final score of 3-1 on Wednesday.
The first round set the precedent of a tough game as Cerritos’s strong start kept LBCC’s team on their toes.
26-24, 23-25, 25-21, 25-20 were the final scores for each round with a play that was neck-to-neck.
Playing against a team of equal skill, LBCC and Cerritos frequently called time-outs throughout the match to regroup and strategize.
The Vikings had varying degrees of success, which secured a win in the second round and a string of points in subsequent rounds.
In the third round referees ruled two points in favor of Cerritos over errors, leaving LBCC’s team with a loss.
Coach Tyler Jackson regarded the loss as a minor setback and in her optimistic view it allowed relief from the pressures of maintaining a constant winning streak.
“(The match) kind of exposed our weaknesses but I mean we were 14-0, it can’t get better than that and when you’re undefeated the pressure keeps building. I feel like now in the games we can breathe a little bit,” Jackson said.
A few times Cerritos struggled to control the ball with an intense defense and even sent a team member crashing into the team’s bench.
Despite the loss, LBCC’s team kept a positive attitude and some players said they felt confident after the match.
“I mean we had such an amazing season, I feel great, we’re not going to be perfect. We’ve had one of our best starters out, so it was a really good night for our girls to really step up and other people to show up,” Jackson said.
Outside Hitter Tainea Allen’s takeaway was that of confidence, especially for their next match against Compton.
“They’re a new team in our conference, I’m excited to play against a new team, for sure mentally we’re going to practice,” Allen said.
Libero Kaylani Moncada was dismayed by the loss but was able to analyze the situation and reinforce the idea that the game was more mentally taxing than physically.
“I think it’s just mental. I think we’re all physically there, we all have the technique down, it’s just all mental,” Moncada said.