Cypress sweeps Pirates

Much like the start of Wednesday’s Orange Empire Conference match with visiting Cypress College, good fortune in the early part of the women’s volleyball season may be a bit misleading for Orange Coast.

The Pirates, who came in 9-1, 1-0 in conference, seized a 4-1 lead, before being overwhelmed by the Chargers, 25-23, 25-18, 25-12.

It was OCC’s second loss of the season to the Chargers, ranked No. 8 in the state, and halted the Pirates’ seven-match win streak.

Winning streaks may be hard to come by from here on out for OCC, which is down to nine available players and recently lost returning stater and Estancia High product Lehua Alama-Jordan, who left the program.

Coach Chuck Cutenese’s Pirates have piled up wins against opponents who all lack a winning record, a fact that has led to their exclusion from the state top-25 poll, despite a glistening record. The nine wins have come against opponents with a combined 32-76 record.

In addition, four of the five Orange Empire Conference teams that OCC has yet to play, do not possess a losing record.

Cypress (11-5, 2-0), shone brightest Wednesday, including a 9-0 advantage in the third set, before OCC salvaged some respect by outscoring the visitors, 6-3, down the stretch.

Cypress handled OCC, 25-15, 25-15, 25-13, in the Cerritos Tournament on Sept. 12, but the Pirates appeared poised to take advantage of some potential complacency in the first set Wednesday.

After a 9-7 lead turned into a 24-20 deficit for the Pirates, they staved off three set points, before succumbing in the opening game.

But their last lead came at 3-2 in the second set and the Chargers maintained control to collect their fifth sweep of the season and their third straight victory.

Sophomore Danyelle Brown, a second-team all-conference performer as a freshman, had 10 kills to lead the Pirates. The 5-foot-8 outside hitter was aided offensively by sophomore opposite Kaitlynn Biard (nine kills) and freshman Newport Harbor High product Katie Duhoux (seven kills).

Freshman setter Measha Lindstrand had 26 assists, while freshman libero Alisa Ricciardi had 15 digs for the Pirates.

Brown and Lindstrand each had one stuff block to account for the Pirates’ total in that department. And while OCC had just two service errors, it did not register an ace.

Sophomore outside hitter Madison May had a match-high 17 kills to pace the winners, who received eight kills from freshman outside hitter Raquel Medina and six more from sophomore middle blocker Jazmyn Covington.

Cutenese maintained his ongoing policy of declining to speak to the Daily Pilot.

OCC visits Fullerton on Friday at 6 p.m.