Head coach Travis Turner told me anything can happen if they get to the final four but they had to beat Moorpark College to get there.Earlier this year, the Pirates lost in straight sets to Moorpark but on April 21, Coast won in a hard-fought five-set game.
Turner said both teams are similar and he seemed confident that his players matched up well against Moorpark. All year long, he's said it's not the talent the team lacks, it's how they play once they're on the court.
In a press release by OCC Sports Information Director Tony Altobelli, Turner said, "It was by far, our best effort as a group of the season. Most of the year, we'd win a few points, lose a few points and get totally flustered. (On Tuesday), we'd lose a few points, but we did a much better job of shrugging it off and playing through the adversity."
The Pirates took the court on April 23 at the CCCAA Men's Volleyball State Championships to play against conference and school rivals the Golden West College Rustlers.
In its prior two meetings, the Pirates lost both games - one at home after starting off a set 5-0.
Altobelli wrote a great summary of the game so I won't say anything more about it. [Click here to read about the GWC vs. OCC matchup in the final four]
I want to give a shoutout to Turner for coaching another successful season and a thanks for allowing me to cover the team. Going to the third-straight final four is ridiculously impressive at a Community College program - it shows the strength of the coaches.
I want to give a shoutout to sophomore player Jake Melone. He's been leading the Pirates all year long, Turner has said nothing but good things about his character and one of the nicest guys I've met this year. I wish both of them nothing but good luck.
Also, the Coast Report got an e-mail from a "Mike Stewart" that said why the paper didn't cover the men's volleyball in the final four. There's also a Mike Stewart on the team also. I don't know if it's the same two but if it is, I want to say I didn't forget about you guys.
[Photo courtesy of Orange Coast College]
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