Pirates make Vikings walk the plank in three-set sweep
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Orange Coast | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
|
Long Beach | 17 | 16 | 18 | 0 |
LONG BEACH -- On paper, it looked like another matchup between two men's volleyball powerhouses as the Orange Coast College Pirates traveled to Long Beach in a second rematch of last year's state championship finals. Instead, the Pirates controlled the action from the conclusion of the National Anthem and rolled through the Vikings, 25-17, 25-16, 25-18, on Wednesday night.
The second-ranked Pirates (4-1), who needed five grueling sets to defeat LBCC less than two weeks ago, needed just over an hour this time as strong serving throughout the match led to quick, easy points for the guests.
"We've really been working on our serving and (on Wednesday), we served phenomenally," OCC head coach Travis Turner said. "With the right type of float-serve, these balls really move all over the place, which makes it hard to set up any offense. That really set the tempo for the match and we never let up."
Sophomores Justin Kam (three blocks) and Jordan Hoppe each had 10 kills for Coast, while sophomore middle blocker Austin Marriott added seven. Bradley Hankus added three kills and four blocks and five different players notched ace serves.
Pirate setter Colby Elder had 20 assists to pace Coast's offensive attack, while Matt Ujkic added six kills in the middle.
Coast will return to action on Wednesday at home against Miramar College, beginning at 6 p.m.
