Sports

Women’s Volleyball team loses to Long Beach in a close five-set conference match

By Tommy Kallman • October 14, 2023

El Camino setter Bridget Dorr prepares to hit the ball during a women’s volleyball home game against Long Beach on Friday, Oct. 13. (Osvin Suazo | The Union)

Halfway through the fifth and final set of the Oct. 13 women’s volleyball home game between El Camino and Long Beach City College and both squads were neck and neck with a score of 8-8.

With both teams having won two sets each already it was do or die for the final set; whoever took it would take the conference game.

A kill from middle blocker Mikayla Curry jumped the Long Beach Vikings forward to a 10-8 lead and they never looked back, winning the final set 15-11. El Caminos’ loss was a reverse sweep with a final score of 3-2 (23-25, 18-25, 25-16, 25-19, 15-11), dropping the Warriors 2-14 overall for the season.

El Camino player Madelyn Hancock prepares to hit the ball over the net during a women's volleyball home game against Long Beach on Friday, Oct. 13. (Osvin Suazo | The Union)

“I just really wanted to beat that team,” El Camino outside hitter Ryan D’Angelo said. “They have some attitudes and one of the girls on the other team used to play here, so there’s a bit of a rivalry.”

At the start of the match, the Warriors opened strong with an early 11-3 lead in the first set. Thanks in part to D’Angelo’s performance, who had five kills and seven digs, the Warriors won the first set 25-23.

The second set saw the Vikings take an early 5-2 lead but Long Beach got too comfortable allowing the Warriors to go on a 9-0 run, making the score 11-5.

“There was a good energy in here, so we were able to play off the momentum and play hard,” Middle blocker Aireon Scott said. “We feed off that energy and don’t pay attention to the other team.”

At times the ground shook from the cheering fans and deafening shouts. The Warrior’s early momentum continued and they won the second set 25-18.

El Camino fans, dressed up for the beach, try to hype up the crowd during a women's volleyball home game against Long Beach on Friday, Oct. 13. (Osvin Suazo | The Union)

At the start of the third set, the Warriors took another early lead making the score 2-0.

The Vikings answered with a 6-0 run of their own, capitalizing off some of the Warrior’s errors, making the score 2-6.

The Warriors managed to take a one-point lead amid the set, but once again Vikings answered back with a run, 9-0 this time. Long Beach won the third set 25-16.

“We just kind of went away from what was working for us in sets one and two,” El Camino coach Liz Hazell said. “We can’t look like we’re scared or not want to take [the set] and let [the other team] take us out of our game.”

During the fourth set, the Vikings leaped to a 4-0 lead over the Warriors. Warriors fought back to take an 8-6 lead off of a series of D’Angelo kills.

Long Beach managed to go on another momentum-shifting 7-0 run and make the score 17-10 as the fourth set ended.

The Warriors couldn’t catch up and ultimately lost the fourth set 25-19.

Despite standout performances from outside hitter Sophia Ortiz who had a double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs, Bridget Dorr who had 34 assists, and D’Angelo with her 13 kills and 23 digs, the Warriors would also lose the fifth set and the match.

The Warriors look to bounce back from back-to-back conference losses in a matchup against LA Harbor later this week.

“[LA Harbor] has struggled a little bit, we need to make sure we play this game [at our pace] and not play down to their pace,” Hazell said.