Pirates wrap up solid 2024 beach volleyball campaign
COSTA MESA -- It's been another strong and impressive 2024 season for the Orange Coast College beach volleyball program.
After a slow start, the Pirates turned things up at just the right time, finishing the season 12-7 overall and 12-2 in the Orange Empire Conference.
Led by the volleyball pairs of first-team, All-Orange Empire Conference selections Jordan Packer/Lulu Utterback and Rachel Blair/Kingsley Mason, the Pirates earned a pair of dual spots in the Southern California Regional Playoffs.
There, the team of Blair/Mason went from a No. 31-seed in this 32-seed tournament and finished fourth overall. It was upset city for the Pirate sophomores as they topped No. 2-seed Jaalyn Sotota/Natalie Repetti, 21-14, 21-15. In the next round, they overcame an early setback, but still topped MiraCosta's Emee Fellens and Allyson Alden, 18-21, 21-17, 15-12. The fun continued as Blair/Mason reached the Regional Final Four with a 23-21, 21-12 win over Long Beach City's Jubilee Allen and Mikayla Curry in the Elite 8.
But in the Final Four, Santa Barbara City's Ashley Rossi and Olivia Medina outlasted Blair/Mason, 23-21, 17-21, 15-7, giving the Coast pair a No. 4 seed in the 3C2A Beach Volleyball State Championships the following week in Saratoga at West Valley College, where they won match and lost two in pool play.
For the team of Packer/Utterback, their run to state had to take place in the consolation bracket. After losing their first match, the OCC duo bounced back with a 21-15, 21-17 win over Rio Hondo's Maria Begines and Osyris Roldan. To earn the 17th-seed, Packer and Utterback pulled out a 21-15, 21-9 win over Bakersfield's Kamryn Briggs and Bri Bowyer to punch their ticket to state. There, they took on three top-level duos and gave all three a battle, but went 0-3 for the tournament.
Also earning All-Orange Empire Conference honors for the Pirates were the duos of Sophia Wirtzer/Elodie Danet and Ellie Winter/Madison Hopkins.
OEC COACH OF THE YEAR
Myles Muangututia - Irvine Valley
OEC TEAM OF THE YEAR
Natala Brandlin and Audrey Fowler - Irvine Valley
ALL-OEC FIRST TEAM
Tessa Marocco and Kenzie Dews - Irvine Valley
Peyton McBride and Adriana Morales - Golden West
Jessica Ferreira and Zoe Zigler - Cypress
Kaelyn Arnold and Rose Whitter - Cypress
MacKenzie Dorney and Maci Hendry - Golden West
Jordan Packer and Lulu Utterback - Orange Coast
Avery Bennett and Mia Bertolone - Irvine Valley
Rachel Blair and Kingsley Mason - Orange Coast
ALL-OEC SECOND TEAM
Sophia Wirtzer and Elodie Danet - Orange Coast
Nina Peay and Jada Cottom - Riverside
Ellie Winter and Madison Hopkins - Orange Coast
Ava Guenther and Felicia Bonus - Irvine Valley
Laisha Hochstrasser and Peyton Speakman - Santiago Canyon
Larissa Samano and Hailey Church - Cypress
Elyse Varipapa and Ashlynd Larson - Golden West
Audrey Elias and Lanah Bergen - Riverside
