Pirates open season with wins over Desert, Santa Monica

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- The Orange Coast College beach volleyball team kicked off its 2023 campaign with a pair of 5-0 wins over visiting College of the Desert and Santa Monica City College on Friday afternoon at the Newland Volleyball Courts.

Against the Corsairs, Coast earned straight-set wins from the pairs of Brisa Zapata-Reaves/Corinne Williams (21-5, 21-8), Jesse Coralle/Alexandra Selivanov (21-7, 21-15) and Paige Cutwright/Kingsley Mason (21-14, 21-14). The No. 4 and 5 matches were awarded to OCC via forfeit.

It was a tougher battle for the Pirates against the Roadrunners, but again, the Pirates kept COD off of the win sheet in all five matches. Zapata-Reaves/Williams (21-12, 21-9), Coralle/Selivanov (21-19, 21-9) and Izzy Duchaine/Theresia Amtmann (21-7, 21-5) earned straight-set wins, while Cutwright/Mason (21-14, 11-21, 15-11) and Leah Thibault/Natalia Brandlin (23-25, 21-5, 15-9) needed a third set to close things out.

The Pirates will return to action on Friday, Feb. 10 at the Newland Courts against Mt. San Antonio (10 a.m.) and Long Beach City (11:30 a.m.). Friday's match against Glendale has been canceled.