Orange Coast’s Victory Leaves Coach All Wet

Moments after Orange Coast completed a three-game sweep of Golden West to clinch the Orange Empire Conference men’s volleyball title Friday, the players turned to a new quest.

It began as many celebrations do: the players hoisted Coach Chuck Cutenese upon their shoulders. But the look of concern in Cutenese’s face revealed that he knew where he was going--out the gym door, across the hall, and into the college’s pool.

Ten minutes later, Cutenese was back in the gym greeting well-wishers while dripping wet.

All this on the night when he said he made his biggest coaching error.

Orange Coast won the match, 15-12, 15-13, 15-7.

The Pirates (20-1, 16-1 in conference) advance to the state tournament Friday at American River College in Sacramento. American River and Long Beach also have earned automatic berths.

Golden West (15-3, 14-3) hosts the four-team Southern California playoffs Monday.

The first game took 50 minutes and had 83 sideouts. Golden West led, 11-10, and it was tied, 12-12, before Orange Coast scored the final three points.

Game 2 lasted 40 minutes, had 70 sideouts, and Golden West led, 12-10, and, 13-12, but Orange Coast again scored the final three points.

The Pirates were handicapped by having to play much of the game with a weakened front line because Cutenese miscounted his subs and was without a middle blocker.

“I made the biggest coaching mistake of my life,” Cutenese said. “I ran out of subs. But it really showed how they were able to pull together.”

Mike Pixler had 14 of his 23 kills in that game.

Kevin Reid had 23 kills and Troy Langley and Casey Jennings each had 14 kills and Matt Wright had 54 assists for Orange Coast, which won the state title in 1994.

Jeff Carlucci had a match-high 33 kills for Golden West, the defending state champion.

Curtis Jackson had 21 and Ryan Woods 18 for the Rustlers.