Pirates conquer Bobcats in OEC battle for first
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Orange Coast (14-2, 6-1) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
|
Saddleback (10-4, 6-1) | 15 | 11 | 22 | 0 |
MISSION VIEJO -- Nika Safavi had 22 kills and 13 digs to lead the Orange Coast College women's volleyball team to a convincing three-set sweep over Saddleback College on Wednesday in a matchup between two of the top teams in the Orange Empire Conference.
With the win, the Pirates (14-2, 6-1 in the OEC) -- ranked No. 14 in the state, earned a share of first place with the 25th-ranked Bobcats (10-4, 6-1) atop the conference standings, along with Riverside City College (12-5, 6-1). Cypress continues to lurk close behind the aforementioned trio of schools at 5-2 in conference play (8-9) as the OEC wraps up the first round of conference play this Friday. Coast will play at Fullerton College, Cypress will play at Saddleback and Riverside will travel to Santa Ana to take on the Dons tonight before the second round of OEC play kicks off on Wednesday.
Kennedy Cutler had a solid hitting night for the Pirates on the outside, ripping 10 kills with just one error to go along with eight digs, while Caprie Troccoli and Scarlet Ray each had three kills. Setter Jordan Packer dished out 36 assists in the win, while libero Caroline Vasquez led the OCC defense with 14 digs.
Safavi is having a solid 2024 campaign and is second in the OEC with 185 kills, while Packer ranks second among OEC setters with 441 assists and a conference-best 38 service aces.
The Pirates will return to the Peterson Gym on Wednesday against Santiago Canyon, beginning at 6 p.m.
