Second Time Is Charm for OCC Against San Diego Mesa

The first time Orange Coast and San Diego Mesa met in a volleyball match this season, the Pirates had yet to establish a set lineup.

San Diego Mesa took advantage of OCC’s experimental phase and won in five games.

Since, Orange Coast has made a few changes and become one of the top teams in the state.

The Pirates pounded the point home Friday with a three-game sweep of San Diego Mesa in an Orange Empire Conference match Friday at OCC.

Mike Pixler, who didn’t start the first time the teams played this season, had 22 kills as OCC won, 15-7, 15-4, 16-14.

It was the 14th consecutive victory for OCC. The victory also keeps Orange Coast (17-1, 14-1) one match ahead of Golden West with two left. The teams meet in the regular-season final Friday at OCC.

Orange Coast plays at Irvine Valley and Golden West plays at Palomar on Wednesday.

OCC dominated the first two games but had to rally in the third game that featured 68 sideouts and took nearly 50 minutes.

“I was pleased,” Orange Coast Coach Chuck Cutenese said, “that we played that well in the first two games. We had a lot of intensity and were really focused. . . . It’s been hard for us to stay focused against other teams waiting to play Mesa again.”

San Diego Mesa (12-3, 12-3) regained its form in the third game and held leads of 6-1 and, 13-7. But OCC finally got its front-line defense performing like it was in the first two games and rallied.

Pixler had a kill to tie it, 14-14, and Brad Callahan had a block to put OCC ahead, 15-14.

The teams traded sideouts and OCC won the match on a hitting error by San Diego Mesa. Pixler had 10 kills in the third game and eight in the second.

Callahan had 17 kills, seven of which came in the third game, and Troy Langley added 13 for OCC. The Pirates’ setter Matt Wright also had 53 assists.

In another conference match:

Golden West 3, Irvine Valley 0--Jeff Carlucci had 15 kills for host Golden West (14-2, 13-2), which won, 15-11, 15-11, 15-3. Irvine Valley is 4-11, 4-11.