Once-Mighty Pierce Humbled in 3 Games

These are trying days for Ken Stanley, the men’s volleyball coach at Pierce College, and even he can’t see them getting any better soon.

Stanley, who over 20 years had built the Brahmas into a perennial power, saw his team continue a downward spiral Wednesday night with a 15-11, 15-2, 15-3 loss to Orange Coast at Pierce.

The Brahmas (5-4, 5-4 in South Coast Conference play) have dropped four in a row, a shocking streak for a team that hardly loses more than a match or two each year.

Orange Coast, which plays in the Orange Empire Conference, improved to 9-1, 7-1. The match, however, counts in the respective conference records for both teams.

“I felt like we quit,” said Stanley, who guided Pierce to state titles in 1986, ’88 and ’92. “[Orange Coast] picked their level up and we just stopped playing.

“I’m embarrassed by that showing. . . . I can’t find the key to turn these guys over.”

The Brahmas battled in the first game but played lifelessly in the next two, when Orange Coast took command of the match and easily dispatched Pierce.

Orange Coast fell behind, 7-3, before rallying to win the first game. Outside hitter Dave Spegon scored the last two points with a pair of aces.

The Pirates raced to a 9-1 lead in the second game. They returned virtually everything Pierce hit their way, digging and passing impressively.

“That was the best game we’ve played all year,” said Chuck Cutenese, Orange Coast coach. “Our jump-servers got hot before theirs. They weren’t able to get the ball in the middle, which is their strength.”

The Brahmas didn’t put up much of a fight in the third game. Orange Coast cruised to a 7-1 lead before using several Pierce hitting errors to capture the match.

Outside hitter Mike Pixler had 19 kills and 10 digs, and Matt Wright had 39 assists for Orange Coast.

Sophomore outside hitter Tony Pray had 15 kills for Pierce and setter Jeremy Wilson finished with 40 assists.