Pirates charge to state crown

With a two-year window of eligibility, all but a few community college athletes experience only one off-season. But the sophomore leaders of the Orange Coast College women’s volleyball team clearly made the most of theirs.

As a result, the seven sophomores that help comprise the Pirates’ top nine players this season, will all take the ultimate parting gift with them as they continue their careers at four-year schools.

That gift was painstakingly unwrapped Sunday, when the Pirates rebounded from an opening-round loss to claim the California Community College Athletic Assn. state championship at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton.

OCC (26-3) capped a six-match winning streak by defeating Orange Empire Conference rival Cypress, 25-16, in the one-game finale of the eight-team, three-day, double-elimination event.

The Pirates, the No. 1 seed among four Southern California entries, were stunned by Sierra, the No. 4 seed from Northern California, 25-22, 18-25, 25-20, 26-24, to knock OCC into the loser’s bracket.

“It was quite a little scare, but I think it was a wake-up call,” Cutenese said. “I think we underestimated Sierra. But, I told our girls that El Camino had come from the loser’s bracket to win the last two state titles, so I think that helped give them confidence that they could do it too.”

OCC responded by defeating San Joaquin Delta in four, then sweeping Sacramento, Sierra and Irvine Valley to face Cypress, with which it shared the Orange Empire crown, in the title round.

Needing two victories to claim the crown since Cypress was unbeaten to that point, OCC posted a 25-20, 21-25, 25-23, 25-21 triumph to force the one-game finale.

“I really think a key turning point was beating Delta [Friday night],” Cutenese said. “[Saturday] morning, we got off to a hot start against Sacramento. This team has played with a lot of emotion all year long, and when we are playing well and doing things correctly, things click for us.”

Sophomores Briana Fields, Poerava Gantt, Nikki Osuna, Rachel Freeno, Karlee Skalla, Alex Mainini, and Amanda Cheseborough all provided strong play, as well as leadership.

And freshman setter Kimya Jafroudi was a catalyst, producing 294 assists and firing six ace serves in 22 tournament games. Jafroudi, the lone freshman starter who had 64 assists against Delta, was named MVP of the tournament.

Gantt (a team-best 96 kills in the tournament), Osuna (124 digs to finish with a school-record 559 for the season), and Skalla (68 kills and 11 block assists) joined Jafroudi on the all-tournament team.

Fields amassed 73 kills, 10 aces, five solo blocks and six block assists.

Freeno chipped in 110 digs, 55 kills and seven aces, playing through the pain of a torn labrum in her right hitting shoulder that will require off-season surgery for the second straight year.

Cheseborough had eight aces in the tournament, while freshman reserves Kristin Rice, Khrystlin Santos and Newport Harbor High product Catherine Cameron also contributed at various times.

Times were less euphoric at last year’s state tournament, when OCC fell to El Camino in the loser’s bracket final to settle for fourth place. But this year’s sophomores used that disappointment to fuel their preparation for 2009.

“The seven sophomores started training for this season right after that El Camino loss,” Cutenese said. They had already spent eight months running bleachers and other things before the freshmen even showed up. When Poe went home to Hawaii over the summer, they all kept running logs to hold each other accountable for their training. They were committed.”

Cutenese said he invoked the memory of last year’s disappointment often during the season.

“I reminded them what it was like, losing a year ago,” he said.

The message resonated with the sophomores, who all performed their roles selflessly and without complaint, Cutenese said.