Community College men’s volleyball: Pirates are not denied

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - There was not much that could stop the Orange Coast

College men’s volleyball team Friday night, and that included the Palomar

Comets.

With their sights set on their first Orange Empire Conference title

since 1998, the Pirates stole a pivotal Game 3 to clinch the OEC

championship with a 20-25, 25-20, 31-29, 25-20, victory.

The OEC title gives OCC an automatic berth in the semifinals of the

state tournament, which will be played April 27 and 28 at Long Beach City

College.

“I liked the fact that we were challenged,” said Chuck Cutenese, who

guided the Bucs to their fourth conference title in his nine years as

coach. “We need to be challenged. For us to come up against those tall

blockers (two 6-foot-7 players) is important.”

The Comets held their biggest lead of the third game, 9-6, but after

OCC drew even at 12, the teams battled, trading points.

Palomar (4-9, 4-9 in conference) served to win the game five times,

but the Bucs came up with big plays. Perhaps the most crucial came with

the Comets, leading 26-25, OCC libero Ed Chun sprawled for a key dig,

then setter Nick Ptaschinski followed with a set that B.J. Lightvoet

finished off.

Ptaschinski led with 37 assists, while Lightvoet, a Costa Mesa High

product, slammed a match-high 17 kills. Soren Schneider added 16 kills

for OCC.

The Bucs (17-1, 12-1) later received two straight points from Palomar

errors to close out the game and headed into the next with the momentum.

“That was scary,” Ptaschinski said of Game 3. “If we didn’t win that

one, we probably would have gone five games. But, that just shows that we

have fought all year long. When it’s close, we can come back.”

OCC’s 6-0 sophomore setter ended Game 4 when he went up for a emphatic

solo block, and raised his right fist to the air as the Pirates claimed

the OEC championship.

Coast actually trailed, 17-18, before scoring four consecutive points

to take the lead for good.

OCC sophomore Ryan Owens contributed one kill, three blocks, and

served for the last point in Game 4.

“We have more fire power (than last year),” Ptaschinski said. “There’s

talent all across the board.”

This season, the Pirates will have to play during their Spring Break,

which should provide a challenge for them, Cutenese said. OCC received a

break last season before playing three games and then into the state

tournament.

The Bucs will play at Irvine Valley Wednesday at 7 p.m.

“That’s going to be really tough for us,” Cutenese said. “Working

through that will be hard. But, everybody has to play through that.”