Briefs: Former Pirate to be lauded at match

The Orange Coast College men’s volleyball program will honor U.S. national men’s volleyball team coach Alan Knipe, a former OCC player, during Wednesday’s crucial Pacific Coast Conference home match against Golden West at 6 p.m.

“Coach Knipe is a product of the community college system, having played at OCC and later coached at Golden West,” OCC Coach Travis Turner said. “We feel that this is the perfect opportunity to honor one of our own.”

Knipe played at OCC in 1987 before transfering to Long Beach State, where he played three seasons and helped the 49ers win the 1991 NCAA championship.

He was the Golden West men’s coach from 1994 to 1995 and guided the Rustlers to the state championship in 1995, when he was named California Coach of the Year.

After five years as an assistant at Long Beach State, he became head coach in 2000 and guided his alma mater to six postseason appearances in nine years.

He took over the U.S. national team in April, 2009.

He will be recognized after the second set Wednesday.

— From staff reports

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UCI’s Nowell honored

UC Irvine junior Ericka Nowell has been named Big West Conference Track Athlete of the Week following her performance at the Cal/Nevada Championships last weekend.

Nowell won the 400-meter women’s hurdles with a time of 58.95 seconds, tops in the Big West this season.

She also anchored a 4x400 relay that finished second in a season-best time of 3 minutes, 43.13 seconds.

— From staff reports

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Youth hoops camp

The TH Hoops Spring Recess Basketball Camp will take place April 9 through April 13, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. each day.

The camp is open to boys and girls grades first through eighth. The cost of the camp is $50 per person.

For more information send an email to thhoops@gmail.com.

— From staff reports