Pirates to send seven to Division I universities
COSTA MESA -- Seven members of the Orange Coast College men's volleyball team will take their academic and athletic talents to the Division I level following their Pirate careers, according to head coach, Travis Turner.
Four members of this year's squad -- Eric Beebe, Calvin Sanborn, Troy Culp and Cole Tran -- as well as redshirts DiAreis McRaven, Aryton Garcia and Geste Bianchi, will be continuing their trek to some of the best volleyball programs in the nation following their development here at OCC.
Beebe -- a 5'11 sophomore setter out of Boulder Creek (AZ) HS, has verbally committed to attend Long Beach State University in the fall. As a Pirate in 2021, the 5'11 setter out of Boulder Creek (AZ), HS has been the floor general for the Pirates, dishing out 256 assists through nine matches (second-best among conference setters) to go along with 31 digs and 14 total blocks. "Eric will fit in very well with the Long Beach culture over there," Turner said. "His leadership and work ethic will make him a valuable part of the team."
Sanborn -- a 6'4 sophomore outside hitter who joined OCC from Santa Barbara City College -- will join Beebe and attend Long Beach State University in the fall. In 2021, he quickly adapted to the OCC system and became the No. 1 weapon for Turner's offense. In nine matches this year, Sanborn has an Orange Empire Conference-best 120 kills and an impressive .383 hitting percentage (behind only OCC's Carter Depue for the conference lead). His 18 service aces are also tops in the OEC. "Calvin's ability to score from the right side, left side and the service line will allow him to contribute immediately for the 49ers next season," Turner said.
Culp -- a 6'4 sophomore middle blocker from Temescal Canyon HS -- will be heading to Grand Canyon University following his OCC career. In 2021, Culp has been an outstanding two-way player for the Pirates in the middle, racking up 55 kills on just 92 attempts with just 12 errors through nine matches and he's currently leading the entire conference in total blocks with 30. One of his best matches of the year came against Irvine Valley in the regular-season finale, where he nearly pulled off a "triple double" with 12 kills, eight blocks and seven digs as the Pirates topped the Lasers in four sets.
Tran -- a 5'9 sophomore libero from Godinez HS -- will be heading one town over to compete and study at UC Irvine in the fall. Tran has been a defensive machine for the Pirates during his two seasons with the program. His 89 digs in 2021 are second-most in the OEC this year and he's saved his best work for the matches that matter most, including a 15-dig performance at Irvine Valley on May 12 and a 19-dig outburst against the same Lasers squad at OCC two nights later. "Cole is one of the better liberos to ever play here at OCC," Turner said. "He started for us as a freshman and sophomore and has been extremely consistent the last two seasons. We will greatly miss him next year."
As for the three redshirts moving on, McRaven will return and compete for OCC next year before moving on to continue his academic and athletic careers at Long Beach State. He plays on the right side and as a middle blocker and should be a key player for the Pirates in 2022, according to Turner.
Garcia attended OCC after spending a season at George Mason University. The Laguna Beach native will be moving on from OCC next year to compete and study at UCLA in the fall.
Bianchi, another Laguna Beach product who plays on the right side, will be moving on from OCC and will compete at UC Santa Barbara and according to Turner, he expects him to make an immediate impact for the Gauchos in 2022.
