Men's Volleyball State Championships Play Begins Thursday

 

The Northern Region made a strong statement in the opening round of the regional playoffs, winning three of four matchups to push multiple teams into the next round. Santa Barbara City College, Long Beach City College, and Fullerton each advanced, while reigning state champion Golden West secured the lone Southern Region win.

 

Golden West delivered a decisive performance, sweeping Santa Monica 25-18, 25-19, 25-18. The Rustlers hit .244 as a team, with outside hitter Gino Viggiano and opposite Aidan Dubno leading the way with eight kills apiece. Libero Kenneth Olmos anchored the back row with 10 digs, while Golden West applied consistent pressure from the service line, finishing with seven aces.

Long Beach City College also advanced in straight sets, defeating Miramar 25-22, 25-23, 25-22. The Vikings limited Miramar to a .164 hitting percentage, with Daymon Dumlao leading the Jets with seven kills. Grant Guiomar paced the defense with 14 digs. On the Long Beach side, outside hitter Ezekiel Sablan recorded a match-high 12 kills on .348 hitting and accounted for three of the team's four aces. Middle Ethan Hammond contributed at the net with five blocks (three solo), while libero Daniel Patiño added nine digs.

 

In one of the most competitive matches of the round, Santa Barbara City College outlasted San Diego Mesa in five sets, 25-20, 17-25, 19-25, 25-20, 15-11. Mykolas Petritias led SBCC with a match-high 15 kills while hitting .345. Keegan Hubbard controlled the middle with nine blocks (two solo, seven assists), and libero Luke Steinert added 10 digs in the win.

 

Fullerton completed the most dramatic comeback of the day, rallying from two sets down to defeat Orange Coast in five, 24-26, 20-25, 28-26, 26-24, 15-12. Victor Loiola led OCC with 23 kills on .462 hitting and added 10 digs, while Reece Leftwich contributed 10 digs. Fullerton matched that firepower behind opposite Samuel Chavez, who finished with 23 kills. Libero Saman Bagheri totaled 15 digs, and middle Jasper Nadelson added five blocks (one solo, four assists) to help seal the reverse sweep.

 

Following reseeding, the semifinal matchups are set for Thursday, Apr. 23 at Long Beach City College. Golden West will face Fullerton at 5 p.m., followed by Santa Barbara City College taking on Long Beach City College at 7 p.m.