Laser surgery fells OCC

COSTA MESA — It was more than memories that came back Friday night at Orange Coast College for Irvine Valley men’s volleyball coach Ki Yi.

Yi, who played at OCC in 1994 and later coached there for five years, saw his Lasers rally for a 26-30, 28-30, 30-24, 30-18, 16-14, victory in a battle for first place in the Pacific Coast Conference.

The Lasers improved to 13-2, 8-1 in conference, dropping OCC to 13-2, 7-2 with three conference matches remaining.

It was the second win over the Pirates this season for Yi’s squad, which topped OCC in five games March 10 at IVC.

This time, the Lasers prevailed without freshman starting outside hitter Jon Griffith, who was dismissed from the team Tuesday for disciplinary reasons,” Yi said.

“We’re down a player who started for us all year,” Yi said. “So to beat Golden West in four on Wednesday, then to beat OCC in five, we definitely achieved in spite of adversity this week.

“This win was very important to us. It let us know that we’re better than just one player. We’re great as a team.”

The Pirates, however, had the great start before a large, inspired crowd.

After erasing a 2-1 deficit in the opening game, OCC led through Game 2. The Pirates then erased deficits of 4-0, 10-5 and 12-7 to gain the lead in Game 3. The hosts eventually led, 23-22, before IVC scored eight of the next nine points to not only avert the sweep, but also snatch the momentum.

The Lasers controlled the fourth game to force the decisive fifth, before which OCC Coach Travis Turner escorted his players out of the gym and into the cool evening air to try to inspire one final hot streak.

“Because we got hammered in the fourth game, I thought I could just get them fired up again,” Turner said. “I told them it was just one game to 15 and whatever had happened before that, didn’t really matter.”

The same could be said of IVC’s regular-season sweep of the Pirates, as both coaches agreed there is a strong likelihood that the two programs will collide once again in the postseason.

“I think we could see them in the [state] final,” Turner said. Such a rematch would be at OCC, which plays host to the state semifinals and final, April 22 and 24, respectively.

“Oh, no doubt,” Yi said when asked about a potential rematch. “OCC has a great coaching staff and great players. There is no doubt in my mind they’re going to be in the postseason.”

OCC was in position to assume the lead in the conference standings late in the final game, rallying from a 6-3 deficit to claim its first fifth-game lead at 8-7.

The Pirates, led by 22 kills from freshman opposite Troy Tomasello and 18 kills from freshman outside hitter Brad Hemmerling, extended the lead to 13-10. OCC was up, 14-12 after a back-row kill by Hemmerling, who had four kills and one of his four aces in Game 5.

But IVC scored the final four points to spark a wild celebration.

“I think they out-competed us,” Turner said of the Lasers, who posted a 17-7 advantage in team blocks. “I just think they played a little bit harder than we did. The third game was probably the turning point.

“We’ve had trouble blocking all year. [IVC] is a better blocking team than we are. They have two sophomore middles and we have two freshmen middles. And that makes a big difference.”

Yi said the bench made a big difference for the Lasers, who benefited from 21 kills by outside hitter Alex Reis, who played at OCC last year.

Oposite Caleb Brophy had 19 kills for IVC, Garret Dvoracek had 65 assists and libero Nick Castello led the Lasers with 28 digs.

IVC freshman Sam Cornell, who wound up filling the spot vacated by Griffith, had six kills, including the final point of the match.

“It was a team effort,” Yi said. “We had subs come in who had not had much of an opportunity to play.

“And [Dvoracek and Castello], the heart of our team, just kept everyone’s head into it. No one ever freaked out.”

Turner said there is no reason for OCC to panic.

“We’re fine,” Turner said. “We’re still in a good spot.”

Yi and the Lasers, however, earned the better spot, in what for Yi was certainly a familiar spot.

“I played here and coached here, so this place brings back memories, for sure,” Yi said.