Although they didn’t get the automatic berth, the LBCC women’s volleyball team received an at-large bid, and will be playing tonight in round one of the 2008 Southern California Regional Playoffs.  With the no. 14 seed, they’ll be traveling south to face no. 13 Palomar, tonight, at 7pm.

Long Beach will be making its third consecutive postseason appearance under head coach Suzie Witmer.  The Vikings enter the playoffs with a 15-8 overall record and finished fourth in the South Coast Conference with an 8-6 mark. LBCC is currently ranked No. 22 in the state.

Palomar has compiled a 20-4 overall record and captured the Pacific Coast Conference championship with an 11-1 record.  Tuesday will be the first meeting between the two squads this season. Last year, the Vikings also traveled to San Diego for an opening-round playoff match and suffered a five-game loss to San Diego Mesa College.

The winner of Tuesday’s match will face either No. 6 Fullerton or No. 11 Mt. San Antonio in round two on Saturday, November 29. Two wins would send Long Beach to the state championships on December 5-7 at Pasadena City College.