Pirates breeze past Comets in three-set sweep
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Palomar (2-6) | 13 | 13 | 14 | 0 |
|
Orange Coast (7-1) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
COSTA MESA -- There were plenty of points to go around as the Orange Coast College men's volleyball team used the majority of its squad to sweep past visiting Palomar on Wednesday night inside the Peterson Gym.
Jordan Hoppe had a team-best seven kills, while Jordan Kam added five kills to lead the Pirates (7-1) to a 25-13, 25-13, 25-14 win over the Comets.
For the Comets (2-6), Chandler Matteson had a match-best 11 kills.
Early on, the story revolved around OCC's 6-foot-9 middle blocker, Chris Orem, who was 3-for-4 on kill attempts and provided strength at the net as the Pirates jumped out to a 16-10 lead.
After a Palomar point by Matteson made it 16-11, Coast ripped off six straight points and cruised to the finish line to grab the opening set. Hoppe had a pair of blocks and a kill during that final OCC outburst as the Pirates took the opener, 25-13.
Another big run turned the tide towards the Pirates in the second set as a 7-1 outburst put OCC ahead for good. Three Hoppe kills and strong serving by libero Chase Moothart (five aces in the match) proved to be too much for the Comets to handle.
A mini-run by the Comets brought the guests to within seven at 20-13, before Elder wrapped up the set with three consecutive aces, capping off a 5-0 run.
Orem again was the story early in the third set as a pair of kills and a pair of blocks helped pave the way to a 14-5 OCC advantage.
Palomar got back into the set with a 5-1 run before the Pirates returned the favor with a 5-1 run of their own and coasted to victory from there.
The Pirates will play at Grossmont on Friday night before returning to the Peterson Gym on Wednesday against Moorpark. Both matches are set to begin at 6 p.m.
