Community college men’s volleyball: Pirates stunned, lose in four

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - A few fans of Los Angeles Pierce College dangled 2001

state championship medallions during timeouts, as if they were

hypnotizing the Orange Coast men’s volleyball team. Perhaps, that had

something to do with it.

The Pirates seemed as if they were left in a trance after Pierce’s

21-30, 33-31, 30-27, 30-24 stunning victory over previously unbeaten

Orange Coast for the Brahmas’ third straight state title Saturday at OCC.

“It’s tough,” OCC Coach Chuck Cutenese said. “It’s a difficult

situation. I’ll beat myself for a couple of days and then I’ll see what

I’m going to tell my team and that is: This is a learning experience. We

need to learn from this.”

Just as last year, and since 1994 (when OCC defeated Pierce), the

title eluded the Pirates (22-1) once again. With the Bucs leading 20-18

in Game 2, OCC’s 6-foot-3 sophomore starting outside hitter Jeff Taylor

went down, holding his left ankle. And, the Pirates were hardly the same.

Taylor came back in Game 4, but it was too late.

“It shook us up,” Cutenese said of Taylor’s injury. “He heard it pop.

The fact that he taped it and he came back in, was amazing. You don’t

want to lose a starter, especially someone who plays such an important

role in your offense.”

Pierce (17-3) won Game 2, even though OCC served for game-point twice

(30-29, 31-30).

The Brahmas grabbed the momentum when Clint Coe (21 kills and three

aces) finished for a kill on a set from John Mayer (59 assists). Then,

Mayer teamed with Pedro Leal (21 kills) for the next two kills to win the

game.

Leal and Coe were all-tournament team selections, while Mayer

received the Most Valuable Player honor.

“They lost confidence and we gained confidence when (Taylor) went

out,” Pierce first-year coach Tom Black said. “Even when he came back in,

I think we felt like we were going to win this match. They were trying to

get their head back in it and that’s not good spot to be in.”

OCC sophomores Soeren Schneider, who led the team with 14 kills, and

John Campbell (12 kills) also earned all-tournament team recognition.

Scott Winant, the OCC sophomore starting setter, amassed 48 assists,

while freshman Zach Jardine collected 11 kills and two aces, sophomore

R.J. King had six kills and an ace.

“I was pleased; I was happy,” said Cutenese, whose team defeated

Pierce in three games on March 13. “When you lose a starter and your team

responds and still is within two. That shows the character of your team.”

OCC, the two-time defending Orange Empire Conference champion, lost to

Pierce in the Southern California Regionals in 1999 and lost to the

Brahmas last year for the state title, when Pierce finished the season

undefeated. Coast also lost in the state title match in 1996 and 1997, as

the Pirates finished 20-2, 20-3, respectively.

“The ’96 and 2002 teams dominated all the way till the end, and that’s

unfortunate,” Cutenese said. “You gotta have a little bit of luck to win

the big games and we didn’t have the luck tonight.”

Golden West sophomore setter Travis Nelson, a Newport Harbor High

product, earned all-tournament team laurels. The Rustlers were swept by

Pierce in the semifinals.