The LBCC men’s volleyball team lost in a close five-set match against Santa Barbara, bringing an end to their four-game winning streak.
The Vikings came out strong, winning the first set 18–25. However, they lost momentum in the second and third sets, where they lost 25-55 and 25-20.
When asked about the deciding factor in the match, assistant coach Travis O’Gorman pointed out the drop in consistency as the game progressed.
“Our rallying and some of the serve and pass just weren’t as sharp. I think our team was a little bit out of it as the match went on,” O’Gorman said.
The Vikings have put together a strong season overall, holding a 14–8 record and going 8–4 in conference play.
O’Gorman also emphasized that the team’s focus in practice has been on maintaining a competitive mindset.
“We’ve been talking about going out there, being aggressive, playing hard, and staying confident in ourselves,” O’Gorman said.
Libero Sergio Garcia also talked about the things that went right for the Vikings early on in the match.
“Today we did a way better job at blocking and we figured them out in the first set, and tried to get better… You always go play by play, no matter what happens,” Garcia said.
Outside hitter Ezekiel Sablan said he capitalized on the opposing team’s smaller blockers, taking advantage of their difficulty handling his attacks.
“Have a lot of goals to close out this season and eventually and hopefully get a ring.” Sablan said.
The Vikings faced Santa Monica on Sophomore Night, honoring six of the second-year players. They closed out the celebration with a win where the Vikings won 23-25, 25-21, 15-25, 25-20, 15-11.
The Vikings also played Fullerton and El Camino, winning both games 3-2 and 3-0, respectively. LBCC looks to play its next game on April 17 when the playoffs begin.
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