After starting the season 7-0 and not losing a set, the Orange Coast College women's volleyball team finally lost a set and game - largely due to compiling 15 missed serves and 13 hitting errors against Golden West College Wednesday (Oct. 7).
Coast looked poised to continue its unbeaten streak after winning the first set 22-25, but the Rustlers won the next three sets 25-23, 25-21, 29-27 to take away home court advantage from the lady Pirates at the Peterson Gym.
“I’m completely disappointed in my team’s performance, especially in game four.” Coast head coach Chuck Cutenese said. “We came out in game one and played well, then we got flat in game two and flat in game three. You know, good teams don’t lose (after leading) 24-21. We lost our focus. People couldn’t put the ball away. We weren’t swinging to win, we were swinging not to lose.”
In that fourth set, the No. 3 ranked Coast (7-1, 1-1 in Orange Empire Conference) had a 23-17 lead against the No. 10 ranked Golden West (9-2, 2-0) but the Rustlers came back with a 8-1 run of its own to make it 24-25 and eventually won the game.
Even though Coast played on its home gym, it was a pro-Rustlers crowd and the lady Pirates often seemed phased by the opposing fans' noises.
"It didn't even seem like our gym," said Coast's libero Nikki Osuna, who led her team with 24 digs. "We let (the opposing crowd) get into our heads. We let them ruin our game."
Osuna added the team's had couple bad practices this week and hoped to improve on "a lot of unforced errors." the team had Wednesday in the next few days.
"I think mentally we just shutdown as a team," said sophomore outside hitter Rachel Freeno, who played in her first game since recovering from surgery on her hitting shoulder. "We're a lot better than we played - a whole lot better. And we'll get them next time in their gym."
Freeno, who had 15 digs in the contest, said her shoulder hurt after the game and was excited to play again but added, "I played the worst game I've ever played."
Coast's sophomore Poerava Gantt led Coast with 18 kills with 14 digs, sophomore Briana Fields added 10 kills and freshman setter Kimya Jafroudi paced the offense with 42 assists.
"It wasn't our night," Gantt said.
The lady Pirates' next home match will come Friday (Oct. 16) at 6 p.m. against another high-ranked opponent, No. 4 ranked Irvine Valley College.
[Photos by Tony Lee]
Coast looked poised to continue its unbeaten streak after winning the first set 22-25, but the Rustlers won the next three sets 25-23, 25-21, 29-27 to take away home court advantage from the lady Pirates at the Peterson Gym.
“I’m completely disappointed in my team’s performance, especially in game four.” Coast head coach Chuck Cutenese said. “We came out in game one and played well, then we got flat in game two and flat in game three. You know, good teams don’t lose (after leading) 24-21. We lost our focus. People couldn’t put the ball away. We weren’t swinging to win, we were swinging not to lose.”
In that fourth set, the No. 3 ranked Coast (7-1, 1-1 in Orange Empire Conference) had a 23-17 lead against the No. 10 ranked Golden West (9-2, 2-0) but the Rustlers came back with a 8-1 run of its own to make it 24-25 and eventually won the game.
Even though Coast played on its home gym, it was a pro-Rustlers crowd and the lady Pirates often seemed phased by the opposing fans' noises.
"It didn't even seem like our gym," said Coast's libero Nikki Osuna, who led her team with 24 digs. "We let (the opposing crowd) get into our heads. We let them ruin our game."
Osuna added the team's had couple bad practices this week and hoped to improve on "a lot of unforced errors." the team had Wednesday in the next few days.
"I think mentally we just shutdown as a team," said sophomore outside hitter Rachel Freeno, who played in her first game since recovering from surgery on her hitting shoulder. "We're a lot better than we played - a whole lot better. And we'll get them next time in their gym."
Freeno, who had 15 digs in the contest, said her shoulder hurt after the game and was excited to play again but added, "I played the worst game I've ever played."
Coast's sophomore Poerava Gantt led Coast with 18 kills with 14 digs, sophomore Briana Fields added 10 kills and freshman setter Kimya Jafroudi paced the offense with 42 assists.
"It wasn't our night," Gantt said.
The lady Pirates' next home match will come Friday (Oct. 16) at 6 p.m. against another high-ranked opponent, No. 4 ranked Irvine Valley College.
[Photos by Tony Lee]
