Pirates to host Moorpark in SoCal Regional playoff

COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College men's volleyball team earned a No. 2 seed in this year's postseason and will host No. 7 Moorpark in the opening round of the CCCAA Men's Volleyball playoffs on Saturday inside the Peterson Gym, beginning at 6 p.m.

The Pirates (17-1), winners of the Orange Empire Conference for the fourth straight season and winners of 12 straight, return to the postseason in search of their eighth state men's volleyball title in school history.

"At this point of the season, all of the top teams are so evenly matched," OCC head coach Travis Turner said. "Whichever team can serve and pass the best over the next two weeks will come home with a state championship. Hopefully, that's us."

It's been another impressive run for the Pirates in 2022, losing just seven sets throughout the entire season, while winning 51.

Leading the way for the Pirates has been sophomore hitter Will Anderson, who leads OCC and all of California with 221 kills and is second in the state with 33 aces. 

"Will's consistency and athleticism are what have always set him apart from his peers," Turner said. " This year, he has added strength and a potent serve which makes him a handful for other teams."

Anderson is not alone in the offensive options for Turner's Pirates. Freshman outside hitter Cash Adamsen has come on strong over the past few weeks and delivered 92 kills and 44 digs, while fellow outside hitter Sam Warren has 99 kills and 46 digs. Middle blockers Jake Diddy (76 kills, 42 total blocks) and Zach Weston (73 kills, 41 total blocks) give Turner several weapons to choose from, which will stretch out the opponent's defense throughout the match.

Freshman setter Josh Friedman has been a steady distributor of the offense with 358 assists, while teammate Grayson Kling has added 208 assists to the Pirate stat sheet, again, giving Turner more lineup options at any given time.

Freshman libero Tyler Vedder has anchored the OCC defense with a team-best 74 digs, with Anderson close behind with 71.

Moorpark College finished the 2022 season 11-9 overall and 6-6 (fourth place) in the Western State Conference. 

Sophomore outside hitter Michael Stahl has paced the Raider offense with 208 kills, second-most in the state behind Anderson's 221. Sophomore opposite Dakota Deuter is close behind with 150 kills, while OH Connor Burroughs has notched 100 kills this year. 

The setting trio of Daniel Ramirez (222 assists), Eddy He (195 assists) and Hunter Maier (156 assists) have paced the Moorpark offense, while sophomore libero Trever Nachimzon has been all over the floor with 183 digs.

This is the second meeting between the two schools this year, with the Pirates sweeping past the Raiders in the season opener, 26-24, 25-17, 25-18, on Feb. 3.

The winner of Saturday's match will take on the winner of the Irvine Valley/Santa Monica match on Thursday, April 21 at El Camino College at either 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. Be sure to log onto www.occpirateathletics.com for the latest playoff information as it becomes available.

Per the rules and guidelines set forth by the CCCAA, ticket prices for Saturday's matchup are as follows ...  

• $12 for Adults
• $8 for seniors over 55 and children under 12

All tickets must be purchased online. Cash will NOT be accepted.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS.