With the start of conference play beginning this week, the men’s volleyball team is looking to get off to a fast start.

The Warriors will have a game on the road against Santa Barbara and a match at home versus Long Beach.

“We feel good about our chances this week. It’s going to be nice to see where we match,” coach LeValley Pattison said. “Santa Barbara and Long Beach have good teams and after Friday, we will see exactly where we are and if we can compete in this conference.”

The Warriors can do just that. Santa Barbara’s record so far this year is 3-3, while perennial power Long Beach is 4-2 overall.

The Warriors need a fast start to be able to compete in the tough South Coast Conference where seven-time state champion L.A. Pierce, which has won the last four state titles, stands intimidating overhead.

On Wednesday, the Warriors traveled to Santa Barbara to open up South Coast Conference play on the road. Scores were unavailable at press time.

Tomorrow the Warriors will host conference rival Long Beach City in the Warriors’ first conference home game.

The competition is expected to be a real dogfight for both teams. There is no love lost between these two teams, as the match is shaping up to be a war.

“Long Beach is a really good team with a lot of sophomores,” Pattison said. “It will be a real tough match for us because of their size and experience.

“They don’t like us and we don’t like them. It’s the kind of matchup all athletes love to be involved in. I can’t wait for Friday.”

The players are also exremely reved up about taking on Long Beach.

” I’ve had this date circled on my calendar since I got my schedule,” Logan Johnson said.

There will be no rest for the Warriors next week, either. The team will work in preparation knowing that the next few game carry have implications in regards to how they will be spending the offseason. Whether they will be basking in the competition of the playoffs or sweating the heat from college work.

They will face two of the top teams in the conference, Santa Monica and L.A. Pierce.

Santa Monica goes into conference play with the best overall record at 5-1, while defending state champion L.A. Pierce is the bar by which other teams try to measure up to. TheWarriors remain confident in their abilities and are hoping for the very best in the upcoming weeks.

“This is going to be a real challenge for our players, but I think they’ll be up to the task,” assistant coach Richard Blount said.