Pirates clinch program’s first OEC Western Division title | Sports

The Orange Coast Faculty beach front volleyball group made heritage on Friday, turning into the very first team in system heritage to earn an Orange Empire Conference Western Division title due to the fact the college’s inception of the activity in 2015.

Coastline swept both equally Golden West College and Santa Ana College in succession 5-, in the team’s very last convention doubleheader of the time on Friday.

“We’ve never ever done it, so it’s a large accomplishment,” OCC Volleyball head mentor Chuck Cutenese explained. “The initial time you get a meeting title with a program is massive.”

The Pirates technically led their division in 2021, but simply because of COVID-19 concerns, some packages opted out of level of competition that year. The 2022 year is the very first time that OCC led the division with each OEC-member school participating.

As for the conference title chase, OCC can clinch an OEC crown with either a win up coming Friday against Fullerton Faculty, or an Irvine Valley University decline. The Lasers enjoy versus both of those Fullerton and Saddleback College upcoming Friday.

In buy to get into that placement, the Pirates swept the sequence in opposition to both the Rustlers and the Dons in dominant fashion.

The morning started off with a entire sweep of Golden West on its dwelling sand, in five matches where Coast gained each solitary set.

“They’re a pretty excellent workforce,” OCC freshman and modern Southern Connecticut State College dedicate Sara Enright reported. “They toss a good deal of pictures in but Summer time [Hanks] and I arrived out powerful this 7 days. Nonetheless getting undefeated, we have to hold our heads potent and preserve likely.”

The Enright-Hanks duo defeated its No. 3 pair counterpart 21-6 in both sets, and with the get, Hanks is just one match victory away from tying the Pirates all-time guide for personal seaside volleyball wins with 25.

Following producing fast get the job done of the Rustlers, Coast was faced with just three pairs from the winless Santa Ana Dons.

Although OCC’s No. 4 and 5 pairs scrimmaged each other, the pairs of No. 1 Alanna Shields–Sophia Sola, No. 2 Brisa Zapata-Reaves–Rachel Blair and No. 3 Enright-Hanks pummeled their levels of competition.

Holding the Dons underneath 10 details in every set, the Pirates strolled out of Huntington Beach front with a 20- document in their sets on the day.

“Communication is honestly the key point,” Zapata-Reaves explained. “And [with] our serving, we never ever definitely try out to provide proper to them. We want to keep them moving all-around.”

With just one particular normal time activity left on the timetable, OCC is all but established to make background. With a gain in opposition to Fullerton College or university on Friday, Coast can secure its to start with ever undefeated season, first OEC title, and set the method in exceptional placement for playoff seeding.

“We’re truly striving to obstacle them by coming up with individual targets,” Cutenese reported. “It’s a way of keeping them accountable for receiving completely ready for that future stage, the playoffs.”