Energy has been the problem all season, and the rhythm could never be found.

An 0-3 home start to the season made sure to keep the team on its toes, and tonight the El Camino men’s volleyball team (4-5 overall, 1-1 in the Western State Conference) came alive with the offense finding its rhythm and the team showing energy.

The Warriors pushed to a 3-1 (25-20, 25-17, 25-27, 25-17) win against conference rivals L.A. Pierce College (2-7 overall, 0-1 in the WSC) on Friday.

“It’s our first win at home, it feels great,” EC head coach Dick Blount said. “The kids worked hard, they earned it, and our libero came through and our middles really lit it up in games three and four.”

Freshman outside hitter Chris Phanngam came up big for the Warriors posting 13 kills on 26 attack and just two errors, and felt the energy was right tonight.

“It’s all honestly, a team effort,” he said. “Even though I led the team, I couldn’t do it without my setter. As a team, it’s energy, when we can bring energy and pass, (because) when we pass well, we play well.”

The team continues to believe that fire and energy are needed going into the future.

“Recently we’ve been coming out pretty dead,” sophomore outside hitter Nehemiah Iosia said. “We were playing like catch-up. Usually we were pushed first, but we finally played with confidence.”

Iosia had 11 kills 12 digs and a couple of blocks to his name tonight, but said he does whatever it takes for the team to win.

Pierce’s Raymond Barsemian had a monstrous day posting 27 kills to lead all players and 10 digs.

Although the Pierce team was outdone, Phanngam said that the team was definitely bigger.

“I think when we got them out of (their) system, that’s what helped us out,” he said.

The Warriors host the L.A. Trade Tech Beavers (0-3 overall, 0-1 in the WSC) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the South Gym.