Men’s Volleyball: Pirates settle down, top Rustlers
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Orange Coast College appeared anxious to open the inaugural Orange Empire Conference men’s volleyball season at Golden West on Thursday.
Or was that just anxiety?
The host Rustlers, ranked No. 5 in the state, earned a dominant first-set victory, before the No. 2-ranked Pirates stabilized to produce a 14-25, 25-15, 25-17, 25-23 triumph that extended their winning streak to 10 matches.
“I think we’ve had some success and we’re a little bit lax coming into matches,” said OCC Coach Travis Turner, whose squad has now won 27 of 29 sets in its last nine matches.
The Pirates (11-1) missed seven serves and had five hitting errors, while producing only two kills in the opening set. OCC missed just six serves the rest of the match.
Golden West (7-3), meanwhile overcame six missed serves to pound seven kills with just two errors to take an early lead.
But OCC seized a 4-0 lead in the second set, in which it never trailed, then overcame a 14-11 third-game deficit when freshman setter Jacob Gilliam served 11 straight points.
Gilliam, an Edison High product who Turner said joined the team after the first match, finished with 15 assists while sharing setting duties with freshman Colby Elder (25 assists).
“[Gilliam] has worked really hard,” Turner said. “And in a lot of matches, the shifts in momentum have come when he comes in.”
Sophomores Jordan Hoppe and Justin Kam led the winners with 10 kills apiece, while sophomores Matt Ujkic and Austin Marriott chipped in nine and eight kills, respectively.
Hoppe, Kam and freshman libero Chris Young shared the team lead with five digs apiece.
“This team is just a little bit grittier than some teams I’ve had,” Turner said. “They just don’t get fazed by getting their butts kicked, which is what kind of happened [in the first set]. These guys have just kind of figured out a way to win all year. It has not been the prettiest volleyball we’ve ever seen, but somehow we’re getting 25 before they are, so I’ll take it.”
Golden West Coach Paul Muñoz said his team could do little right after winning the first game.
“Our errors beat us,” Muñoz said. “It was a little bit of everything. I think the first set, we were pretty on it. In the second set, the passing broke down, then the serving went too.”
OCC and Golden West join Orange County rivals Irvine Valley (No. 1 in the state), Fullerton (No. 8) and Santiago Canyon in the five-team OEC.
“Three of the best teams in the state are in our conference, and Fullerton is really good, too,” Turner said. “Our conference is crazy.”
Sophomores Kysen Olsen, Arturo Alday and Kyle Taylor, as well as freshman Sterling Miles, all had seven kills for the Rustlers.
Golden West visits Fullerton on Friday at 6 p.m.
OCC returns to action on Wednesday at home against Fullerton.
Twitter: @BarryFaulkner5
