Strong performance for Pirates in sweep over Lasers

COSTA MESA -- The wins keep piling up for the Orange Coast College women's volleyball team, thanks to an impressive three-set sweep over visiting Irvine Valley on Wednesday night.

Karlee Riggs had 23 kills to lead the Pirates -- ranked No. 2 in this weeks state poll -- to a 25-18, 25-23, 25-21 Orange Empire Conference win over the 11th-ranked Lasers.

Dana Nicholson added six kills, while Isabel Emrich chipped in five for the Pirates (10-0, 4-0 in OEC). 

Setter Allison Lumsden dished out 37 assists, while libero Andi Frisina came up with 15 digs.

For the Lasers (8-2, 2-2), Allison Cook led the offense and defense with 17 kills and eight digs. Christine Connally contributed with 34 assists.

Both teams came out swinging in the opening set, but before too long, the Pirates began to take control, using a 7-2 run to take a 10-5 lead. A pair of kills by Nicholson and a pair of blocks by Lumsden helped contribute to that scoring outburst by OCC.

The Lasers tried to stay in the set and trimmed the deficit down to three at 19-16, thanks to strong play by Cook and Amanda Kaae, who had four kills in the opening set.

But the Pirates would not lose the lead as they used kills by Riggs and Morgan Link and a couple of wide returns by the Lasers to win the opener.

In the second set, Coast used several "mini-runs" to push ahead of the Lasers, but IVC stayed in it throughout and the lead was just three at 23-20 when IVC called timeout.

Whatever was said in the Lasers' huddle worked to perfection as a long serve by OCC and back-to-back kills by Cook tied the set at 23, forcing the Pirates into a timeout.

Coast regrouped and after a big dig by Frisina, a Riggs kill gave OCC a 24-23 lead. On the net point, the Lasers sent back a wide return and the Pirates grabbed a two-set lead in the match.

A slow start by the Pirates gave IVC an early lead, but Coast regrouped and used a 10-2 run to double-up the Lasers at 10-5.

The lead was still at five (16-11) when the Lasers used a 9-3 run to grab a 20-19 advantage.

But strong serves by Emrich (three aces) helped propel the Pirates forward as a 5-0 run put the hosts out in front for good. After a Cook kill made it 24-21, a wide return by the Lasers ended the match.

OCC will return to action on Friday at Santa Ana College, beginning at 7 p.m. Coast's next home match will be on Friday, Oct. 19 against rival Golden West College (6 p.m.).