Having lost three of their last five matches (including two straight-set contests on the road), the LBCC women’s volleyball team came back to town, got comfortable, and took care of business against East L.A. College.  The Huskies were made to make the Vikings feel confident, coming into the contest with a record of 2-10, and just 1-6 in conference.  Initially, they played the Vikings tough, going up 22-15 in the first set—it was strange watching it.  Physically, LBCC seriously overmatched ELAC, and the points the Huskies were getting, some of them, were oddball.  It was like having your little brother beat you at a video game you’re really good at, when he was playing for the first time—ELAC kept making such strange moves that the Vikings seemed to have a hard time adjusting (they had two aces, for example, but both were low serves that just dribbled over the net). 

Then, LBCC coach Suzie Witmer says, her team took command of itself.  “They did the talking,” she said.  “They kept telling each other, ‘One point at a time.'”  One point at a time, the Vikings rallied back into the set, tying it at 23 and eventually winning 27-25.  They won both of the second sets easily, putting on a clinic in the third—only twice did ELAC score consecutive points before the score reached 24-11.  That means the Vikings defense improved along with its offense on the night, and it means the score would have been even more lopsided had this game taken place before rally scoring took effect.

After a move from left outside hitter to the right side, Lacy Baker performed well for the Vikings, with 11 kills and a hit percentage of .333.  LBCC star (and LBPOSTSports.com blogger) Maricris Lapaix led all scorers with thirteen kills, chipping in two aces, nine digs, and a block as well.  While Witmer says she would have preferred her team not struggle in the first set the way they did, “It was good to see us fight back the way we did.”  Witmer and her team hope that fight means they’ve turned a corner, especially with El Camino, Pasadena, and Mt. Sac coming up again in the next two weeks.  If one of the tests of a good team is being able to beat the teams you’re supposed to in convincing fashion, then the Vikings passed with flying colors tonight with the 27-25, 25-14, 25-15 win.