The undefeated season for the No. 1-ranked LBCC men’s volleyball team continued last Friday evening, as the Vikings improved to 17-0 with a quick sweep of winless LA Trade Tech, 32-30, 25-15, 25-12.
Head coach Jonathan Charette let most of his starters rest in the game, with the state playoffs looming in a week and a half.
“It’s our Spring Break and we rested a lot of starters,” said Charette. “We’re trying to give the guys who work hard in practice an opportunity to play and get some rest for our guys who get a lot of jumps.”
Marques Buggs normally sets for the Vikings, but he got to play opposite against the Beavers and looked like a pro, with 14 kills, two aces, four digs and a block.
“I think we’re playing well and handling our business right now,” he said. “We’ll find out next week how good we are.”
The Vikings will face the other two top teams in the state, traveling to Santa Monica on Wednesday after deadline and then hosting El Camino on Friday. The following Friday the Vikings will host a state quarterfinal match.
Other leaders on Friday were Robert Oliver (13 kills), Melbe Perez (42 assists), and Noah Taitano (eight kills).
Baseball
LBCC swept Pasadena last week in conference play, but had their winning streak haunted in a 7-6 nonconference loss to Grossmont on Saturday.
Shortstop David Rivera and right fielder Aaron Fawcett both had an RBI in all three games. Rivera, a Lakewood High alum, finished the week with five hits, four RBIs, three runs scored and a walk. Fawcett also had five hits and four RBIs.
LBCC (17-14, 8-5) is facing El Camino in a three-game conference series this week. The third and final game is 2 p.m. on Saturday at Joe Hicks Field.
Softball
The Vikings (20-12-1, 3-4-1) were shutout at home by L.A. Harbor in a mid-week home game, but bounced back with a 13-4 five-innings win at Compton on Thursday. Sophomore Alissa Cienfuegos had two hits, three RBIs and two runs scored. Nine different Vikings scored runs in the win.
LBCC only has five games left in the regular season, and are at rivals Cerritos on Thursday.
Beach Volleyball
The Vikings (14-2, 5-0) are back in action this weekend after two-weeks without a match. LBCC is at El Camino on Friday and faces Long Beach State, Utah and CSU Bakersfield on Saturday at LBSU.
Track & Field
Both LBCC men’s and women’s teams are at the Cerritos Invite on Saturday. It is the last meet before the conference prelims at El Camino on April 24. The finals are April 27.
