Vikings Sweep Miramar to Open 3C2A State Championships

The Long Beach City College men's volleyball team opened postseason play with a strong performance en route to defeating Miramar College in straight sets, 3-0, in the first round of the 3C2A State Championships Friday night at the Hall of Champions.

Despite the sweep, each set was tightly contested, with the Vikings edging past Miramar 25-22, 25-23, 25-22.

Long Beach leaned on its offense in key moments, hitting .235 as a team while holding Miramar to .164. The Vikings were especially sharp in the first two sets, hitting .280 and .333 to take control of the match early.

Ezekiel Sablan led the way with a match-high 12 kills on .348 hitting and added three service aces. Ethan Hammond was critical on offense, finishing with seven kills on .455 hitting while also contributing five total blocks.

Manu Lill added eight kills and three total blocks, while Alden Jacobs contributed six kills and seven digs.

At setter, Ryder Tuaolo orchestrated the offense with 29 assists and added five digs.

Defensively, the Vikings totaled 26 digs, with Daniel Patino leading the back row with nine, while Jacobs and Lill each added key contributions. At the net, Long Beach recorded 12 total blocks, disrupting Miramar's attack at key points throughout the match.

The Vikings executed when it mattered most, coming back from early deficits and closing out each set late to complete the sweep and advance to the State Semifinals.

Long Beach's next opponent in the 3C2A State Championships will be announced soon.

Long Beach City College will host the remainder of the 3C2A Men's Volleyball State Championships at the Hall of Champions. The full schedule will be announced soon, with matches set for 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on April 23, and the championship match scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on April 25.