Warriors Score Big Road Win at Long Beach
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
El Camino (12-4, 7-0) | 25 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 3 |
|
Long Beach (11-6, 6-1) | 23 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 1 |
El Camino College recorded the biggest win of the season to date on Wednesday night, scoring a 3-1 (25-23, 26-24, 23-25, 25-20) over Long Beach at the Building Q Gym in Long Beach City College.
Caitlin Donatucci helped lead the Warriors (12-4, 7-0) past the host Vikings (11-6, 6-1) as she dished out 49 assists and added 15 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Mikayla Clark topped 20 kills for the third time this season as she hammered down 21 and Jocelyn Lacroix chipped in with a career-high 18 kills in the victory.
The Warriors trailed for much of the first set but never held a deficit larger than three points. A 4-0 spurt would give the Warriors a 17-15 lead but the Vikings would respond with four straight points of their own to regain the lead. A three-point spurt for the Warriors put them back ahead by a point and the teams proceeded to trade points and the lead until Long Beach held a 23-22 lead. A service error tied things up and then a kill by Ginia Goods and an ace from Kelly Donatucci gave the Warriors the set and a 1-0 lead.
In the second, the Warriors led early before the Vikings surged ahead and led by as many as four points. The Warriors eventually caught the Vikings at 22-22 but Long Beach seemed poised to tie the match after a kill by Brooke Earkman and an ace from Jillian Petnicki put the Vikings up 24-22. But things turned drastically for the Vikings as a service error and three straight attacking errors from Alana Shields gifted the Warriors four straight points and the set for a 2-0 advantage.
The Vikings would take the third set in another tight contest but the Warriors closed things out in the fourth, using a 6-0 run to take a 22-15 lead. The Vikings would cut the deficit to three points at 23-20 but a kill from Clark and a service ace from Cassidy Crosby locked down the match for ECC and sole possession of first place in the South Coast Conference.
The Warriors will return to action Friday with a road match at L.A. Harbor. First serve is set for 6 p.m.