Pirates make quick work of Raiders
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Moorpark | 16 | 15 | 22 | 0 |
|
Orange Coast | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
COSTA MESA -- There would be no marathon men's volleyball battle between Moorpark and Orange Coast on Tuesday night as the host Pirates need just under 90 minutes to roll to a three-set win over the visiting Raiders inside the Peterson Gym.
A year ago at Moorpark College, it was the Raiders who pulled out a never-ended match over the Pirates, taking the usually-15-point fifth set, 34-32. This year, the drama was stifled by dominant Pirate play as OCC rolled to a 25-16, 25-15, 25-22 nonconference win.
Victor Loiola led the Pirate offense with 10 kills to go along with three digs, three total blocks and a pair of service aces. Adam Haidar and Quentin Ryan knocked down six kills each, with Haidar adding four total blocks. Ben Bray continued his strong play with five kills, two digs, three aces and three total blocks.
After both teams traded points early in the opening set, Coast (3-0) used a 6-1 run to jump out to a 12-7 advantage over the Raiders (0-1). Moorpark got to within three before Coast closed things out with a 9-3 run to take the opening set.
It was more of the same in the second set. Moorpark hung around and pulled to within three points after a mini run. On the next point attempt, the Raiders had a kill opportunity, but Loiola came up with a big block turning a potential two-point lead into a four-point lead at 18-14. That turnaround sparked six straight points by the Pirates, including another block and two kills by Loiola, giving OCC a 2-0 lead in the match.
Moorpark did its best to extend the match and had a 17-15 lead late in the third set. But, a 7-2 OCC run turned the lead back over to the Pirates and from there, Coast hung on for the sweep. Coast finished with 39 kills and just seven hitting errors for a .471 hitting percentage and used eight aces and 14 total blocks to keep the Raiders on their heels the entire night.
Coast returns to action on Friday at Santa Barbara City College before returning to the Peterson Gym on Wednesday against El Camino. Both matches will begin at 6 p.m.
