The Long Beach City College women's volleyball team closed out the 2011 home schedule with a heart-breaking 3-2 loss to visiting Los Angeles Harbor College on Thursday night. Harbor pulled out the South Coast Conference win by scores of 14-25, 25-23, 29-27, 23-25, and 15-9.
With the loss, the Vikings dropped to 8-13 overall and 5-8 in the SCC heading into the season finale on Wednesday at East Los Angeles College.
Long Beach rolled to the easy Set 1 win and appeared to be cruising to the win in Set 2. LBCC was up 20-15 and 23-20 put couldn't hold on. Three Long Beach errors and a pair of kills by Harbor's Amanda Miller gave the Seahawks Set 2 as well as momentum on the Vikings' home court.
Set 3 was more of the same as Long Beach was up 23-20 and had set point at 24-23 after a kill by sophomore outside hitter Danielle Tuitasi. But Long Beach again couldn't put the Seahawks away. LBCC had set point at 27-26, but three consecutive LBCC hitting errors handed Harbor the win.
Long Beach forced a fifth set after hanging on for a 25-23 win. LBCC was up 21-14 but this time withheld a Seahawks rally that saw Harbor tie the score at 23. Kills by Tuitasi and freshman Doreen Iosua closed out Set 4.
But in Set 5, Harbor stormed out to a 5-1 lead and never looked back. Freshman Gerrica Trias got LBCC within two points (8-6) with her kill, but the Vikings would get no closer.
Iosua led Long Beach with 21 kills and added 22 digs and six aces. Tuitasi totaled 17 kills, 10 digs, and 10 assists while freshman Lani Samoa had a match-high 35 assists to go with 25 digs.
For Harbor (5-10, 3-10 SCC), setter Marissa Holguin posted 30 assists and 32 digs. Amanda Miller led Harbor with 14 kills and had 10 digs.
Photo: Coaches Suzie Witmer and Teila Robertson with sophomore Kelsey Dix. Dix, LBCC's lone sophomore this season, was honored prior to tonight's match.
