Pirates can’t finish off rally

COSTA MESA — Kevin Welch set the Orange Coast College men’s volleyball career kills record Wednesday, but it was the kill that wasn’t that hurt the most.

Welch hit the shot down the left sideline late in the match, turning and celebrating what he thought was match point for Orange Coast.

Problem was, the first referee called the shot out, and he didn’t think it was touched by Irvine Valley sophomore Peter Johnson as Welch and the linesman had indicated.

The OCC sophomore argued with the referee, but it was all for naught. There was no 14-12 lead and match point for the Pirates. Instead, it was defending state champion Irvine Valley College that had forged a 13-13 tie.

The Pirates then committed a hitting violation and Irvine Valley took advantage of its match point, surviving for a 30-24, 30-24, 30-32, 25-30, 15-13 win in the Pacific Coast Conference match at OCC. The Lasers ended the Pirates’ 16-home match winning streak dating back to 2006.

Welch set the Pirates’ career kills record with his match-high 25. The Corona del Mar High product now has 676 career kills, surpassing Kevin Reid’s 657 kills in 1996-97.

But the intense Welch said he would have rather had the win, especially since he was forced to miss the teams’ first meeting on March 7, an Irvine Valley sweep, with a back injury.

“I didn’t understand [the call at 13-12],” said Welch, who added six digs and three service aces. “I was just a little frustrated.”

But, he said, arguing the call was probably not the best decision. The Pirates (10-6, 6-3 in conference) still had the momentum, after battling back from two games down and a 10-5 deficit in the fifth game.

“I definitely take the blame for the loss, and it’s a tough one,” Welch said. “That was a really tough call, but it happens. Calls like that happen in the first game, even on the first point of the match. No matter what it is, you’ve just got to go with it. That’s how the game goes sometimes.”

Irvine Valley (14-1, 9-0) had appeared to be cruising. The Lasers led for most of the first two games, winning both, and appeared to be well on their way to their eighth sweep in nine PCC matches.

The momentum would shift, however. OCC was behind, 24-21, in Game 3, but won three straight points. The Pirates saved two match points to forge a 30-30 tie, then sophomore middle blocker Jake Awerkamp (five block assists and a solo block) got a big block to set up game point. Welch converted a service ace for the game.

Game 4 was tied as late as 21-21, but freshman outside hitter Grant Keene (11 kills) came up with a block to spur the Pirates, and his service ace on the back line gave OCC a 24-21 lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

Freshman setter Corey Ferraro had 51 assists for OCC, and freshman middle blocker Mike Stewart had four block assists and a solo block. Coach Travis Turner also said freshman libero Andrew Pizula played a solid match.

Turner said he trusted the referee’s judgment on the controversial call in the fifth game, because Johnson, who Turner said he knows very well, told the OCC head man he didn’t touch the ball.

“I told Kevin to stop arguing,” Turner said. “I still thought we had the momentum. If he wouldn’t have argued, we would have been fine. Kevin likes to chat, but he played his [behind] off tonight.

“We played with a lot of courage, I thought. I wish the season was a month longer, because we’re getting better. The guys played really hard tonight.”

Johnson had 13 kills to lead the Lasers, but Coach Tom Pestolesi said he thought his team was outworked by the Pirates.

“We haven’t gone five [games] all year,” Pestolesi said. “The kids did a nice job up until 12 in the fifth game, then we kind of shut it down a little bit. But [Orange Coast] had a lot to do with that. They never quit. I wish our guys would have played with the emotion and fire that Orange Coast did tonight. They probably deserved to win the match, and they didn’t. We’re not giving it back, but they were definitely better focused tonight. I don’t know; we were just lucky.”

With three conference matches remaining, Turner said OCC’s match with rival Golden West on April 9 now looms large. The Rustlers were tied for second in conference with OCC entering Wednesday’s play.

Welch also continues to move up the Pirates’ single-season kill rankings. He has 351 kills this season, sixth all-time at OCC. Jason Crone has the record of 389 kills, set in 1995.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at matthew.szabo@latimes.com.