Pirates handle Chargers in four

Pirates handle Chargers in four

COSTA MESA -- Brisa Zapata-Reaves put forth a monster night to lead the Orange Coast College women's volleyball team to a four-set win over visiting Cypress on Wednesday night inside the Peterson Gym.

In a matchup against two top-15 teams in the state, Zapata-Reaves picked a great night for a great night, ripping 19 kills and added 20 digs to her statsheet as the 11th-ranked Pirates topped the 13th-ranked Chargers, 25-23, 25-19, 19-25, 25-9. Paired with Irvine Valley's stunning five-set loss at home to Saddleback, Coast is now tied with IVC in the loss column in the Orange Empire Conference standings, with the Bobcats and Santa Ana just one loss behind the Pirates and Lasers in the tightened-up OEC standings.

Kingsley Mason had a big night for OCC as well with 14 kills and four total blocks, while Paige Cutwright added eight kills, three digs and a team-best seven total blocks.

Emily Payne anchored the defense with 23 digs, while setter Grace Holmgren dished out 32 assists for OCC (11-2, 4-1).

After three back-and-forth sets against the Chargers (11-5, 3-3), Coast put forth its best set of the season, demolishing the Chargers, 25-9. Fourteen of OCC's 25 points came off the kill, with five kills coming from Mason, three from Zapata-Reaves and two each from Cutwright and Leah Thibault.

Coast scored seven of the first eight points of the fourth sets, forcing the Chargers into an early timeout. OCC then proceeded to go on a 15-5 run and suddenly, the fourth set was a rout. A Thibault ace and kill by Cutwright put the Chargers away for good.

OCC will return to action on Friday at No. 19 Santa Ana College (6 p.m.) before returning to the Peterson Gym on Wednesday to face the soon-to-be-state-ranked Bobcats, also at 6 p.m.