April 1, 2009
Men’s Volleyball:
Long Beach captures conference championship with sweep at Santa Barbara
The Long Beach City College men’s volleyball team rolled to a three-game sweep at Santa Barbara City College on Wednesday night. The win secured at least a share of the Western State Conference championship and a postseason playoff spot.
Long Beach won the match over Santa Barbara by scores of 30-12, 30-26, and 30-25. LBCC’s ninth straight win improved its record to 14-1 overall and 8-0 in conference action.
Sophomore setter Andrew Marques paced the Vikings with 30 assists and five blocks. Freshman middle blocker Fidelix Ojo led LBCC with 10 blocks and added nine kills while freshman outside hitter Torand Cheltenham had a team-high 10 kills.
For head coach Randy Totorp, it is his fifth conference title (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) in six seasons at LBCC. Long Beach has now won 19 conference championships since 1975.
A win in the Vikings’ final two matches or a single loss by second-place Moorpark College over its final three matches will give Long Beach the outright Western State Conference championship.
LBCC has also qualified for the postseason in six straight seasons. Regional playoff matches are set for April 21. The California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Men’s Volleyball Championship is scheduled for April 23 and 25 at Irvine Valley College.
Long Beach has won five state titles overall, including two by Totorp (2004, 2006). Last season, LBCC advanced to the state tournament semifinals, but lost to eventual state champion Irvine Valley College.
The Vikings close out the Western State Conference schedule with their final home match next Wednesday (Apr 8) at 6 p.m. against L.A. Pierce College and at Santa Monica College on April 10 at 6p.m. |
