Community college men’s volleyball: Pirates go for crown tonight

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - From the outside and from the middle, the Orange Coast

College men’s volleyball team displayed the reasons why the Pirates

(22-0) are favored to win the state title. The Bucs displayed their

strengths throughout their 30-19, 31-29, 30-25 state semifinal victory

over Santa Barbara City, at OCC Friday night.

Coast will face Los Angeles Pierce tonight at 7, at OCC, in a rematch

of last year’s state title match.

OCC sophomore middle blockers R.J. King (10 kills) and John Campbell

(10 kills) did not commit an error, while sophomore outside hitters Jeff

Taylor and Soeren Schneider posted 19, and 18 kills, respectively. Scott

Winant, an OCC sophomore setter, amassed 62 assists

“I don’t think anybody can stop us,” said Campbell, OCC’s team

captain. “Pierce is a good team. They are going to be a better team from

the last time we faced them. It’s going to be a good match, and it has

been the sophomores’ dream, all season long, to play them again for the

(state) title.”

OCC, which has lost just five games this season, defeated Pierce

(16-3) in the Long Beach City Tournament (one-game format) Feb. 2, when

the Pirates also won the tourney title. The Bucs also defeated Pierce

March 13, with a sweep (30-26, 30-23, 30-25).

“We were knocked out by Pierce in the regionals in 1999, and lost to

them for the state title last year,” OCC Coach Chuck Cutenese said. “The

guys know the history.”

Before Coast set the stage for the state final, the Pirates grabbed

momentum by closing the door on Santa Barbara in Game 2.

The Vaqueros came back from a 28-24 deficit, led by Stephen Jeschke

(13 kills), who served for two aces in the 4-0 run and tied the game. OCC

called a timeout, and answered back as Winant set for a Schneider kill.

An OCC missed serve, drew the score even again, 29-29, but OCC regained

the side on a Santa Barbara error. OCC freshman Zach Jardine followed

that up with a service ace to end the game.

“The Game 2, that was our heartbreaker,” said Santa Barbara Coach

Melody Parker, whose team fought back after losing two games and won in

five over Grossmont in the Southern California Regionals Tuesday.

However, the Vaqueros then had to face the only undefeated team in the

state, the Pirates.

“This team, till this point, has been dominant, more than any other

team I’ve ever had,” said Cutenese, who also mentioned Winant made the

difference because he distributed the ball to different players.