Pirates dispose of Bako in four

COSTA MESA — Right now Kiwi Winkler has more pressing concerns.

The Orange Coast College sophomore does not have time to think about the post-season awards she received and did not receive. The women’s volleyball playoffs are the only thing on the outside hitter’s mind.

For the 15th time in 22 matches Winkler led No. 2-seeded Orange Coast in kills, as the Pirates put away a 30-16, 30-25, 25-30, 30-16 victory over Bakersfield College in the first round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs Tuesday.

Winkler produced 20 kills and 17 digs and freshman outside hitter Jacqi Reed added 17 kills.

Winkler, who has been battling a late-season knee injury, led the team in kills for the first time since she blasted 37 in a five-game victory over Riverside Nov. 8.

“I feel better now,” Winkler said.

The Pirates’ move on to face Orange Empire Conference rival Golden West Saturday at home at 7 p.m. It is the first time the two teams have met in the playoffs since 2001 when Golden West swept Orange Coast in the state title match.

Golden West defeated Orange Coast in four games on Oct. 11, which snapped a 36-match winning streak, and the Pirates swept the Rustlers Nov. 3 at home.

“I’m very excited; it will be a tough match,” Winkler said. “They practiced all last week so they are serious about this match. Golden West is always an opponent we don’t like to face.”

The match against Bakersfield was the first since Winkler was named American Volleyball Coaches Association second-team All-American and All-State Southern California, but not Orange Empire Conference Most Valuable Player like she was last season.

Winkler said she doesn’t think about post-season awards until the playoffs are over.

“I don’t care right now,” Winkler said. “At the moment I don’t think about it. After the playoffs, I can think about it then.”

Orange Coast Coach Chuck Cutenese said he would much rather Winkler be named All American than conference MVP, but it is something four-year college coaches look at.

“Unfortunately coaches look at award winners,” Cutenese said. “But Kiwi really doesn’t care. She’s the type of person where she said, ‘I’d like to see some of the other girls receive praise.’ ”

Winkler was not the only Pirate to play well Tuesday.

Reed added 10 digs and sophomore opposite hitter Joanna Johnson had six blocks, half of which came in the fourth game for Orange Coast.

“She’s really improved her block,” Cutenese said.

It was the fourth game when the Pirates displayed the level of play that garnered them the second-best seeding in the region.

After dropping the third game when Bakersfield went on a 7-1 run to close it out, Orange Coast came back with an 8-1 run to open the fourth.

Four of the points were scored on blocks.

“That was the first game we did really good in blocking,” Winkler said.

The Pirates stretched the lead to as much as 24-10 in the fourth game before closing it out.

“It helps a lot to bring up our confidence,” said freshman setter Chelsea Spadaro, who had 45 assists.

“We came out strong and let up a little in the third game. I think people thought they would just give it to us. We need to refocus and come out strong. We’ve had our ups and downs this year. We hit our peak with Golden West [Nov. 3]. We’re going to pick it up. It’s going to take being disciplined, setting and passing and being able to change at any time.”

Part of the change in the Pirates this season has been the evolution of Spadaro, who replaced Caitlin Parker the Orange Coast career assist record holder.

Cutenese said the biggest change in Spadaro is that she knows what he is going to say before he says it.

“Tonight in the first game she tried for the dump and got blocked,” Cutenese said. “I yelled her name and she turned to me and said ‘I know I need to dump in traffic.’ It tells me that she’s thinking ‘I may not know it at the time but I know it now.’ ”

The emergence of sophomores Jennifer Chiffer and Eva Johnson has given the Pirates an added source for kills other than Winkler and Reed.

“It’s taken them some time,” Cutenese said. “They’re both sophomores and they’ve had to adjust to a new freshman setter.”

Against Golden West Cutenese said his team will be prepared to adjust to anything that is thrown at them.

“We’re just going to wait and see if they do anything different,” Cutenese said.