Community college women’s volleyball: Pirates prevail

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - In its quest for the state championship, the Orange

Coast College women’s volleyball team is not only winning matches, the

Pirates are making history.

With a 30-27, 30-21, 24-30, 30-23 victory over visiting San Bernardino

Valley in the first round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs

Tuesday, OCC posted the school’s first 20-win season. The Pirates’ 1978

undefeated state championship team recorded 19 victories.

OCC (20-1), co-champion of the Orange Empire Conference and the

regionals’ No. 1 seed, will host Irvine Valley (13-7) in Saturday’s

second round at 7 p.m.. IVC defeated Bakersfield, 25-30, 30-23, 30-26,

30-27, Tuesday.

The 20th win did not come easy. OCC Coach Chuck Cutenese said he

wanted his team to focus on its top-level game because the Indians would

not be a first-round pushover. San Bernardino Valley (17-3), the Foothill

Conference co-champion, entered the regionals with the second-best

winning percentage (.895) among the 16 playoff teams. The Indians also

boasted two standout players in Ashley Esqueda (18 kills) and Becca Beall

(17 kills).

“I wasn’t thinking this was going to be an easy win,” Cutenese said.

“My goal was to play well enough that we could get our (substitutes) in

the games so they can get comfortable with the playoffs, just in case we

need them.”

The Pirates’ alert attitude was on display from the outset. And it was

needed as San Bernardino Valley battled with the hosts, resulting in nine

ties during the first game of the rally scoring format.

With the game tied, 16-16, the Pirates outscored the Indians, 9-4, and

Daylyn Kelley, a Costa Mesa High product, capped the run with an ace

serve.

OCC maintained its lead and closed out the win when Krystle Davis

slammed her 11th kill on one of Amber McCarthy’s 45 assists.

OCC sophomore Katja Muller (19 kills, 21 digs) and freshman Casey

Peterson (13 kills) led the Pirates to the victory in Game 2. Davis

served two of her match-high seven aces to contribute to the win and

Kelley added another ace, which gave OCC a 17-6 lead.

“We ended each game with enthusiasm,” said Kelley, the team captain.

“We won our rallies. After good plays, we just got really excited.”

The Indians answered with a win in Game 3. But the Pirates responded

from a 4-7 deficit in Game 4 and, spurred by a 5-0 run that included two

aces from Davis and a block from Kelley for a 25-14 lead, went on to end

the match.

Crysti Fetters, a freshman middle blocker who contributed four blocks,

saw more playing time, with freshman Brooke Kuhn out with an ankle

injury. Kuhn is expected back for Saturday’s match.