ECC women’s volleyball team loses home finale, clinches No. 1 seed in tournament

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El Camino College middle blocker Ginia Goods goes for a spike against Long Beach City College middle blocker Kennedy Freeman at the net during the first set of the match on Friday, Nov. 8, in ECC’s South Gym. The Warriors lost in five sets. Jaime Solis/The Union

El Camino College women’s volleyball team’s 14 game winning streak ended against Long Beach City College in their last match of the regular season on Friday, Nov. 8, in the ECC South Gymnasium.

Both teams were locked in for battle with the teams splitting the first two sets. LBCC won the first set 27-25 and ECC won the next set 25-21.

“If we played with constancy we would’ve won the game,” Warriors’ opposite hitter Jocelyn Lacroix said.

The third and fourth sets were less competitive but results were similar to the first two, each team winning one. The Vikings won the third set 25-16 and the Warriors won the fourth 25-11. The Vikings would ultimately pull out the win in the fifth set 15-13.

ECC (18-5, 13-1 in conference) will be the No. 1 seed in the South Coast Conference Tournament as they play Cerritos College (1-20, 1-13 in conference) in the first round on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at Long Beach City College.

“We beat them in four [sets] the first time and they beat us in five sets this game so we take the one seed in the tournament,” Warriors’ coach Liz Hazell said. “This was the only time we can lose with playoffs coming around.”

Warriors’ outside hitter Mikayla Clark had 28 kills as Caitlin Donatucci had a 51 of the team’s 54 assists.

“We have to play the game we know and can’t feed off the opponents energy but our energy,” Warriors’ middle blocker Ginia Goods said. “We have to play our game instead of focusing on the others.”

LBCC outside hitter and defensive specialist Brooke Earkman led the way for the Vikings with 19 kills as Anisa Lopez added 10.

The Vikings (17-6, 12-1 in conference) will be the No. 2 seed in the SCC tournament and will play East Los Angeles College (9-18, 2-12 in conference) on Wednesday, Nov. 13.

“I think we have never beaten El Camino since I have been here and they are a really good team so it’s good we won on the road,” LBCC director of volleyball operations Misty May-Treanor said. “We still got a lot to work on with playoffs around the corner.