Errors Prove Costly as Warriors Fall to L.A. Pierce

TORRANCE, Calif. – El Camino College committed a number of errors and they proved to the difference as the Warriors fell to L.A. Pierce 3-0 (25-19, 31-29, 25-22) Wednesday night at the ECC South Gym.

The Warriors (3-3) committed 24 attacking errors on the night and eight service errors. They attacked at a cumulative .130 clip because of the miscues and could not solve the Brahmas' (3-3) presence at the net as the visitors had 19 blocks on the night (three solo).

Matthew Donatucci led the way for the Warriors, hammering down 13 kills on 34 swings with six errors. But he was one of just three Warriors to tally more than five kills while the Brahmas were led by Cole Chea and Morgan Wadlow with 14 kills apiece. Jake Kessler added 11 kills as Bernardo Roese dished out 40 assists and set L.A. Pierce to a .257 attacking percentage (45-18-105).

The Warriors never led in the opening set as the Brahmas attacked at a .444 clip (14-2-27) in the frame to take a 1-0 lead.

The second set proved to be the difference as the Warriors led for most of the way. Leading by as much as five points late in the second, the Warriors saw their lead slip away, but not before having to set points for a chance to tie the match.

Leading 24-22, the Warriors could not put the set away as Chea and Kessler hammered down consecutive kills to tie things up and send the set to overtime. The Warriors had one more set point after an attacking error by Kessler gave the Warriors a 25-24 edge. But Chea spiked down another kill to tie things up and, after a back-and-forth affair for a few points, L.A. Pierce took a 30-29 on a service error and then Kessler smacked his sixth kill of the set to put it away and give the Brahmas a 2-0 lead.

In the third, the Warriors erased a six-point deficit to tie things up 21-21 but it proved to be their last stand as L.A. Pierce scored four of the next five points to secure the match.

The Warriors will return to action Friday night as they host Santa Barbara at the ECC South Gym. First serve is set for 6 p.m.