Orange Coast’s Volleyball Team Outlasts Pierce

In what amounted to a replay of last year’s state junior college championship match, Orange Coast College defeated Pierce in five games in a tense 3 1/2-hour South Coast Conference match Wednesday night at Pierce.

The score was 15-12, 7-15, 15-12, 17-19, 15-7.

The Brahmas, who lost the state title to OCC in five games last season, were defeated by the Pirates for the fifth consecutive time.

Pierce (10-2 in the SCC) lost in three games at Orange Coast earlier this season and lost all three meetings with the Pirates last year. Orange Coast (11-1 in the SCC) moved into sole possession of the conference lead in the first match of the second round of the SCC.

Pierce Coach Ken Stanley said before the match that it would be a war, and he was right. “It’s sort of a pride match,” Stanley said. “They annihilated us earlier this year. It was embarrassing.”

The fourth game was easily the best of the match. Pierce trailed, 14-10, and fought off six game points before tying the score, 14-14.

The Brahmas took the lead on Tony Zapata’s service ace, but OCC fought off five game points and tied the score, 15-15, on a Pierce net violation.

The Pirates went ahead, 16-15, but Pierce tied it on Chad Blatchley’s kill. Orange Coast went ahead, 17-16, but Pierce scored the next three points, ending the 48-minute game on the seventh game point when Jamal Thompson stuffed Craig Buccola’s kill attempt.

Orange Coast jumped to a 4-2 lead in the decisive fifth game and widened its margin to 10-6 when Ed Gilson hit long. The Pirates outscored Pierce, 5-1, the rest of the way, winning the match when Matt Lyles crushed a kill off Thompson’s attempted block.

The first game was an exercise in sideouts. Neither team led by more than two points until Tyler Bates was called for a lift, giving OCC the victory.

Pierce controlled the second game from the outset, jumping to a 4-1 lead, then a 10-4 advantage, forcing two OCC timeouts. The Pirates closed to 10-7, but Pierce scored the final five points, winning the match when Bates set Thompson perfectly and the 6-4 freshman hammered the ball down the middle.

Pierce got 41 kills from Ed Gilson.