Briefs: OCC’s Riggs earns top honor

Orange Coast College sophomore outside hitter Karlee Riggs has been named Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year in women’s volleyball.

Riggs, who led the state in kills and kills per game in the regular season, tops five Pirates on the first and second teams.

Riggs has also been selected all-state.

Bound for the University of Hawaii, the powerful 5-foot-9 standout produced 373 kills in 2012 to help lead the Pirates to a 19-3 record and a second-place finish in conference. Riggs’ 748 kills in two seasons puts her at No. 2 on the all-time OCC list. Only Kiwi Winkler (895 kills from 2005 to 2006) had more in Pirates annals.

Riggs was a first-team all-conference performer as a freshmen, when she also led the state in regular-season kills. She hit .321 as a sophomore, when she contributed 195 digs and 26 aces.

Also earning first-team recognition for a second straight season from OCC were setter Allison Lumsden and middle blocker Morgan Link.

Sophomore libero Andi Frisina and sophomore opposite Isabel Emrich were both second-team honorees for the second straight year.

Lumsden had 698 assists in 2012 and her 1,456 career assists rank No. 5 all-time at OCC.

The 6-1 Link led the Pirates with 16 solo blocks and 23 block assists in 2012. She had 115 kills and hit .378.

Frisina produced a team-best 270 digs and 29 aces. Her 655 career digs are third-best all-time at OCC.

Emrich, who has signed to continue her career at Academy of Art University in San Francisco, had 64 kills, 51 digs, 11 aces, 16 block assists and three solo blocks to help Coach Chuck Cutenese’s Pirates hold the No. 2 state ranking for much of the season.

Orange Coast freshman Kourtney Chadderdon, a middle blocker who had 45 kills, received honorable mention.

— From staff reports

Lions’ Davidson

Player of Year

Vanguard University junior forward Jordan Davidson has been named Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year in women’s soccer, while the Lions’ Randy Dodge was Coach of the Year.

Davidson, who amassed a conference-leading 18 goals, while adding 10 assists, tops five Lions named all-conference. She was twice named GSAC Offensive Player of the Week.

Davidson, a transfer from Paradise Valley Community College in Arizona, posted eight game-winning goals to help the Lions post an 18-2-1 record and advance to the NAIA Tournament quarterfinals. The most successful season in Vanguard history included a 10-0 conference record. The Lions outscored GSAC opponents 35-1 in the regular-season, 65-8 overall in 2012 and 47-3 during a 15-match unbeaten streak to end the season.

Dodge helped Vanguard earn its first regular-season conference title and its second conference tournament crown. The Lions defeated Embry-Riddle of Arizona in the opening round of the 32-team NAIA Tournament, then topped Baker University of Kansas in the second round. They were eliminated by Spring Arbor of Michigan in the NAIA quarterfinals, falling 4-3 on penalty kicks after the two teams were scoreless after 90 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods.

Couch, a four-year standout who played center midfielder and forward, also earned all-conference honors, as did teammates Lauren Evans, Rachel Rucireta and Lauren Terry.

Couch collected nine goals and 14 assists as a senior. She had three game-winning goals to give her 10 in her career. She was named GSAC Offensive Player of the Week once this season.

Evans, a senior center defender, helped the Lions post 15 shutouts in 2012. She produced three assists from the back line. She was a four-year contributor for the Lions.

Rucireta, another four-year standout at center midfielder, started 77 games in her career. She had two goals and six assists in 2012.

Terry, a sophomore goalkeeper, posted a 0.42 goals-against average and had nine shutouts in games she was the sole keeper. She made 46 saves in 19 appearances, including 17 starts. She was named GSAC Defensive Player of the Week twice.

Vanguard seniors Charlotte Wisniewski, Annamaria Tedeschi and Jordan Cleary were named GSAC scholar-athletes.

— From staff reports

‘Eaters’ Winkler All-Big West pick

UC Irvine senior Kristin Winkler has been named first-team All-Big West Conference in women’s volleyball, while UCI’s Marisa Bubica earned a spot on the conference’s All-Freshman Team.

Winkler, a four-year starter at libero who became the Big West all-time leader in career digs (2,260) also set school records this season for digs in a single match (36) and single season (627).

Bubica, a 6-foot-3 outside hitter, had 341 kills and her 3.13 kills per game ranked second on the team. She was fifth among Anteaters with 138 digs and had 58 blocks and 12 aces.

Bubica posted double-figure kills in 18 matches for the Anteaters, who finished 11-22, 5-13 in conference.

Aly Squires, a 6-1 junior outside hitter who led the team with 443 kills) and Shannon Fleming, a 6-1 junior middle blocker, received honorable mention.

Emily Hartong of Hawaii was named Player of the Year, while Dave Shoji (Hawaii) and Brian Gimmillaro (Long Beach State) shared Coach of the Year honors.

— From staff reports

VU trio All-GSAC

Vanguard University seniors Kevin Cornwall and Kyle O’Brien have been named All-Golden State Athletic Conference in men’s soccer for a third straight season.

Lions senior defender Sam Nicholson was also recognized all-conference by conference coaches.

Cornwall, a three-year starter whose career was limited due to injuries, had six goals and two assists in nine games in 2012. The native of Dublin, Ireland was an NAIA first-team All-American as a sophomore in 2010, when he amassed 16 goals and three assists in 21 games with eight game-winning goals.

Cornwall, a forward, posted 33 goals, including 16 game-winners, and eight assists in his 46 career matches for the Lions.

O’Brien, a midfielder, had five goals and three assists in 17 games this season for the Lions, who finished 7-9-3, 5-3-2 in conference. He had two game-winning goals in 2012.

O’Brien earned third-team All-American recognition as a sophomore, when he had 11 goals and seven assists in 22 games. He had eight goals and seven assists in 19 games as a junior.

O’Brien played his freshman season at Southern Illinois.

Nicholson is a first-time all-conference honoree after posting three assists and helping the Lions post five shutouts.

Vanguard senior defender Christian Popke earned GSAC Scholar-Athlete recognition.

Senior forward Christian Ramirez, who led Concordia to the GSAC regular-season and tournament titles, was named Player of the Year.

— From staff reports

Locals key South

Six Newport-Mesa boys’ water polo seniors helped the South squad capture a 14-12 victory in the Orange County All-Star game Sunday at Costa Mesa High.

South team members included Dan Stevens and Curtis Fink of Newport Harbor, Jake Wyatt and Jack Harryman of Corona del Mar, Wyatt Ferris of Costa Mesa and Hayden Swift of Estancia.

Stevens led the way with three goals. Fink had two, and Wyatt, Ferris and Harryman scored one goal each. Harryman’s goal, with 50 seconds left in the game, helped preserve the win.

Costa Mesa Coach Justin Taylor coached the South to victory.

Newport Beach resident Jon Walters of Mater Dei led the North team with five goals.

Taylor said the Orange County All-Stars will now compete in a one-day tournament Sunday at Whittier College against all-star teams from Los Angeles County, San Diego County and the Inland Empire. Orange County is scheduled to play games at 10 a.m. and noon, and with two wins would advance to the championship game at 3 p.m.

— From staff reports

Fight card looms

Roy Englebrecht Promotions, along with Fight Club OC, will offer a series of bouts Thursday through Saturday at the Hangar at the OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa.

Thursday will feature five boxing and three mixed-martial arts bouts. Two undefeated heavyweight boxers will look to stay perfect, as Alexander “The Great” Flores (10-0) takes on Matt Hicks (10-4) and Vince Thompson (11-0) faces Giovanni Sarran (4-5).

Admission is $50. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with fights getting under way at 7:30 p.m.

For information, visit https://www.fightcluboc.com.

— From staff reports