By
Tony Lee
On
Friday, December 11, 2009
Orange Coast College's women's basketball team, fresh off a buzzer-beating, tournament winning shot at the 26th-Annual Conoco-Phillips Tournament, played at Cuesta College, adds one more heartbreaking loss to another team's standings.
According to OCC's Sports Information Director Tony Altobelli, the lady Pirates (8-3) "led most of the first half and carried a 41-31 lead one minute into the second half before the (Mt. San Jacinto) Eagles (7-1) found their spark and ripped off 12 straight points, forcing the Pirates into a pair of timeouts.
"Both teams traded baskets and the lead for the next few minutes before the Pirates responded with a game-changing 13-0 run, highlighted by eight points from Michelle Lewis (pictured) and a pair of buckets from (Samantha) Hansen, giving Coast a 64-52 lead with 6:40 left."
Coast's Amanda Deal led the lady Pirates once again with 11 and 10 apiece from Danielle Keneipp and Hansen.
Click here to read full game summary by Altobelli.
OCC returns to action on Friday in the opening round of the Coast Christmas Classic against El Camino, beginning at 7 p.m.
[Photo courtesy of Justin Yamasaki]
By
Tony Lee
On
Friday, December 11, 2009
Orange Coast College women’s volleyball team understands the saying “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” a bit too well from doing “boards” at their practices.
“It’s where you push this wooden block with carpet around it, push it with your hands and run across the floor,” said sophomore libero Nikki Osuna on Nov. 26 after beating Moorpark College in five sets. “We do those every day and I feel like we hate them so much, but they’ve made us so much better. Our stamina is insane that we can go for games like this and play the way we do.”
Head coach Chuck Cutenese said that ever since he became a coach, he’s incorporated using boards into his programs.
“It’s a lower body workout and you feel it in the back of your legs,” he said. “When I played at Chapman University, I hated them. They were the worst. But our coach kept saying it’s going to make you better.”
Though many of the Coast players agree that doing boards is painful, all of them recognize the benefits of pushing a two-by-four wooden block with carpet on it.
“Yeah they are tiring and yeah they made you want to throw up, but in the long run, we were probably in better shape than all the other teams,” sophomore middle blocker Briana Fields (pictured) said, “because of our hard work and boards we did everyday.”
But boards were also a used as a form of punishment.
“I set the record last year for 29 boards in a row because I was late for practice,” sophomore outside hitter Rachel Freeno said. “I’m like the queen of boards, but everyone hates them.”
Besides the increased strength and stamina, Freeno said that boards have contributed a big part to why the lady Pirates are such a cohesive group.
“Personally, I think it’s bringing us closer,” she said, “because everybody dreads doing boards so it’s pushing us as a team.”Click here to read "Lady Pirates on top again" article on the team winning its third state title in the last five years.[Photo courtesy of Hank Schellingerhout]
By
Tony Lee
On
Sunday, December 06, 2009
The lady Pirates volleyball team got off to a bad start by losing its first game at the California Community College Athletic Association state championship.But Orange Coast College won the next 12 out of 13 sets to make it to the finals today (Dec. 6) against Orange Empire Conference rivals Cypress College.Despite losing to the Chargers in their last meeting, the lady Pirates won the first set of games, 3-1, and then beat Cypress again in the sudden death, first-to-25 point set, to claim the state championship.Tournament MVP was freshman setter Kimya Jafroudi.More information will follow soon.[Photo courtesy of Nikki Osuna]
By
Tony Lee
On
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Karlee Skalla (pictured) tallied 13 kills and four blocks for the Orange Coast College women’s volleyball team in a 25-21, 25-12, 25-14 win against Sierra College Saturday (Dec. 5) in the California Community College Athletic Association state championships at San Joaquin Delta College.The No. 1 seeded lady Pirates (23-3) lost to the No. 4 seed Sierra in the opening round of the tournament and since then has played in the loser's bracket. “We underestimated our first opponent Sierra and it cost us," head coach Chuck Cutenese said in a press release on coasports.org. "We have six players who were there at the state tournament last year and we haven’t learned. Other teams are not going to play dead for us. We let up in the third game vs. Delta and lost a game we shouldn’t have there. It’s disappointing."Prior to the rematch against Sierra, Coast began Saturday with a 25-23, 25-14, 25-21 win over Sacramento City College, the No. 1 ranked team in the state. Poe Gantt led OCC with 10 kills, while Rachel Freeno had nine kills. Nikki Osuna led the Pirates with 22 digs.Against Sierra, Freeno led Coast with 17 digs, Gantt had 12 kills and Briana Fields added nine kills with a .533 hitting percentage.Skalla recorded a .480 hitting percentage in that contest.OCC will play against Irvine Valley College at 10 a.m. in the semifinal today. The winner will play against Cypress College, who is undefeated at the state tournament, in the final. In the lady Pirates' last match against IVC on Nov. 11, Coast won in five sets 19‐25, 25‐17, 25‐18, 22‐25, 15‐8.The last match against Cypress, on Nov. 4, resulted in a 25‐13, 22‐25, 25‐23, 19‐25, 15‐13 loss.[Photo courtesy of Hank Schellingerhout]
By
Tony Lee
On
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Orange Coast College's freshman setter Kimya Jafroudi (pictured) set a school Final 8 record against San Joaquin Delta Friday (Dec. 5) with her 64 assists at the California Community College Athletic Association state championships.She also racked-up 64 assists in only four sets.
The lady Pirates won that game 21-25, 22-25, 26-24, 18-25.
Congratulations Kimya.
Click here to see her Pirate of the Week article.
[Photo courtesy of Hank Schellingerhout]
Orange Coast College's women's basketball team, fresh off a buzzer-beating, tournament winning shot at the 26th-Annual Conoco-Phillips Tournament, played at Cuesta College, adds one more heartbreaking loss to another team's standings.
