Kiyomi Kikuchi
The Pierce College men’s volleyball team ended it’s three-year losing streak against Orange Coast College last night with a 3-0 victory.
“We played strong (and) we executed well,” said Pierce head coach Eddie Stanislawski about the first and second sets.
After losing the first and second sets (30-25 and 30-24), Orange Coast managed to keep a point-to-point game on the third set until Pierce managed to get three points ahead at the match point, 29-26.
“We should have closed them up 30-27,” Stanislawski said. “The came back.”
Pierce made some mistakes which put them in a corner, where Orange Coast matched the set until the score of 32-32, until Pierce’s eventual 34-32 victory.
“They played better than us,” said Orange Coast head coach Travis Turner. “They played like a very well coached team.”
“It was good for us,” said Pierce team captain Jackson Metichecchia. “[It] showed us what we have to work on, but it was a good thing we did some of the stuff we were taught in practice.”
Starting the season in a good way, breaking off their three-year curse, the team will see if they can keep the momentum going as they go to face Long Beach Community College in a tournament all day Saturday.
Pierce opposite hitter Javael Boykins shows his joy after he successfully dug a ball against Orange Coast College in the first set at the Pierce South Gym on Jan. 28. (Kiyomi Kikuchi – Roundup)
(L-R) Joseph R. Finnerty, Pierce outside hitter, Randy Metichecchia, deffensive specialist, blacks a spike against Jake Melone, Orange Coast outside hitter in the first set. (Kiyomi Kikuchi – Roundup)