Long Beach’s Revenge Put on Hold : College volleyball: In rematch of last year’s state championship, Pierce rallies to win after losing first game.

If Long Beach City College was hoping Friday night to avenge its loss to Pierce in the state men’s volleyball championship match last season, it will have to find another day.

Pierce rallied from a one-game deficit to defeat the Vikings, 16-18, 15-7, 15-5, 15-11, in a Western State Conference match at Pierce that showcased two of the strongest junior college teams in the state.

It was the second consecutive victory for the Brahmas (5-0, 3-0 in conference play) over Long Beach City (1-1, 1-1). Pierce beat the Vikings in five games last May to win its third state title.

The Brahmas won Friday with fine execution on offense. But their quick defense kept Long Beach at bay.

“They blocked the butt out of the ball,” Long Beach Coach Ken Gregory said. “We didn’t have any timing. We were struggling out there trying to set the ball.”

The Vikings had problems even in the first game, but they came back from a 7-2 disadvantage to win.

Then Pierce came alive, led by opposite hitters Rob Beard and Rick Phillips and middle blocker Paul Severns.

The Brahmas scored 11 consecutive points in the second game for a 13-4 lead before winning the game on a block by Beard and Severns.

Beard, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, did most of the damage in the third game. He got five kills for points, including four in a row, as Pierce cruised to a 12-3 cushion. Beard finished with a match-high 25 kills.

The final game was largely a copy of the third one, with Pierce jumping to a sizable lead (13-6) and icing the match on another outstanding block by Beard and Severns. They each had five blocks. Phillips, from Canyon High, accounted for 24 kills.

Opposite hitters Ala Mikaele, who had 23 kills, and David Alofatiuli, who finished with 20, led Long Beach.

“We like to play our defense around our blocks,” Pierce Coach Ken Stanley said. “There were some easy tips (by Long Beach) we should have picked up. We made some big plays but we need to be more responsive.”

Pierce might have suffered the loss of freshman setter Heath Kilgore, who went down with an ankle injury in the fourth game.

He had ice applied to the ankle but the extent of the injury won’t be known until after Kilgore visits a doctor.