Vikings keep rolling along as top four in coaches poll stay put

Official CCCMVCA release

IRVINE, Calif. - With a record of 14-0 overall and having dropped just three sets all season long, it was no surprise that Long Beach City remained at the top of the 2018 California Community College Men’s Volleyball Coaches Association State Poll.

The Vikings received every first place vote for the seventh time in eight weeks of the rankings. LBCC swept its 11^th opponent of the season last Friday night when it beat LCCA Trade Tech, 25-13, 25-13, 25-11, on the road to begin Western State Conference – South Division play. Robert Oliver had eight kills and five blocks, Noah Taitano added six kills and Carlos Hernandez had five kills and four blocks in the win for the Vikings, who hit .387 as a team in the match. Long Beach City is just one of two teams in the state hitting over .300 as a team on the season. It leads the way with a .354 hitting percentage. Hernandez also ranks second in the state in blocks per set at 1.73.

Long Beach City hosts No. 7 Santa Monica this Friday.

Orange Coast stayed put at No. 2 in the rankings after winning its seventh match in a row last week. The Pirates, at 12-2 overall, swept Golden West for the second time this season last Wednesday. OCC beat the Rustlers, 25-22, 25-11, 25-17. Kyle McCauley had 12 kills to lead Coast, while Will Donald, Wyatt Henson, Zane Moothart and Bradley Hankus each added six kills in the win. OCC has an important week, playing at No. 6 Fullerton on Wednesday and then hosting No. 3 Irvine Valley on Friday.

Irvine Valley won a pair of matches as well last week, sweeping Trade Tech on Wednesday and Santiago Canyon on Friday. In IVC’s 25-16, 25-17, 25-12 win over Santiago Canyon on the road, Matt August, who is second in the state in hitting percentage and first in blocks, hit .786 with 12 kills. He also added six blocks. Brennan To finished with 10 kills and .444 and Kelsey Yogi had 10 digs.

El Camino moved up from sixth place in the poll into a tie for fourth with Santa Barbara City. El Camino (7-3) has won four matches in a row. It started Western State – South Division action last Friday at home with a big 25-17, 19-25, 25-23, 27-29, 15-13 win over No. 6 Santa Monica in the match of the week. Connor Payne and Matthew Donatucci each had 17 kills to lead the way for the Warriors. Joseph Sico contributed 44 assists and nine digs and Michael Donatucci had 14 digs in the victory. The performances of Santa Monica’s Andrew Dalmada (24 kills) and Vecas Lewin (21 kills) also have to be mentioned.

Santa Barbara City (8-3) stayed at No. 4 after winning its third match in a row. The Vaqueros swept Antelope Valley, 25-15, 25-21, 25-19, at home on Friday behind nine kills each from Blake Lockhart and Haward Gomes and 27 assists from Adam Simonetti.

Fullerton moved up a spot to No. 6 after sweeping Golden West last Friday, Santa Monica slipped two spots to No. 7 and Pierce, Moorpark and Golden West round out this week’s top 10.

(Brent Shaver, Irvine Valley)