Pirates run the table

Coach Chuck Cutenese’s squad wins every game of every match, then gives him a celebratory dunk in the pool.COSTA MESA -- It’s a rule at Orange Coast College that whenever the women’s volleyball team wins the conference title, head coach Chuck Cutenese gets thrown into the campus pool.

The Pirates (20-0, 14-0) officially clinched the Orange Empire Conference championship Friday night at Irvine Valley, so they waited for their last regular-season home match to do the deed.

Wednesday night’s 30-18, 30-26, 30-18 victory over Santa Ana gave the team an undefeated regular season and an unprecedented 60 consecutive games without a loss. Afterward, the Orange Coast women lifted Cutenese off his feet and combined for one last spike -- their head coach into the pool.

Despite the tradition, Cutenese was surprised to end up drenched.

“I didn’t think they knew about it,” he said, clothes sopping wet.

It marked Orange Coast’s first conference title since 2001, but none was more impressive than this season’s. Eight freshmen joined five sophomores and meshed into one cohesive unit that failed to drop even one game.

“I didn’t expect this,” Cutenese said. “I expected a successful team and a good season, but I didn’t expect this.”

Winning 60 straight games and 20 consecutive matches didn’t come easy. Irvine Valley took a swing to win game two in last Friday’s match, but Orange Coast came back to win 33-31.

“You might look at our record and think it all came easy,” Cutenese said. “But we’ve had some real tough games.”

Earlier this season, an injury to 6-foot-1 middle blocker Eva Johnson put the streak in jeopardy, but the team responded well.

“I never had a team like this,” Cutenese said. “There is no drama, no conflict. I’ve had this kind of talent, but not this kind of team chemistry.”

Kiwi Winkler, a 5-foot-10 freshman outside hitter from Germany, led the Pirates on Wednesday night with 13 kills and 12 digs. She’s the team leader this season with 289 kills.

“There’s no fights, everyone likes and respects each other,” Winkler said. “Plus, we have the best ball-control in the conference.”

Sophomore outside hitter Brittney Ray had nine kills and four aces, 6-foot-2 freshman left-hander Aabria Lipscomb had nine kills and setter Caitlin Parker tallied 25 assists and four aces for the Pirates, who used their whole roster.

Everybody -- from liberos Ashlee Moon and Kissa Kent to outside hitters Joanna Johnson and Christina Witt -- has helped Orange Coast this season.

“The best thing about it is everyone has played and contributed,” Cutenese said.

After an easy victory in game one, Orange Coast ran into some resistance from Santa Ana in game two. The Pirates trailed, 26-25, when Winkler’s kill on a back set by Parker tied the score. Ray and Lipscomb each produced a pair of kills down the stretch to help ward off the threat.

In game three, a kill by Johnson got the Pirates on the scoreboard and a kill by Ray gave the team its first lead.

The Pirates were ahead, 25-18, when a Winkler kill started a 5-0 run -- highlighted by Lipscomb’s kill off a back set and capped off by Ray’s kill off Parker’s pass that closed out the game, the match and the perfect regular season for the Pirates.

For Orange Coast, it’s on to the regional playoffs. The Pirates expect to host a first-round match Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. The team’s goal is to reach the state tournament at Selland Arena in Fresno.

“I hope so,” Winkler said. “It’s single elimination -- one bad game and it’s over. Hopefully, we’ll bring all of our power together for the playoffs.”20051117GP1L1KP7No Caption20051117iq31r5knOrange Coast College’s Eva Johnson, left, and Kiwi Winkler block the shot of Santa Ana College’s Brittany Thompson during Wednesday’s match. 20051117iq31w0knKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)Orange Coast College’s Brittney Ray, right, hits the ball past a Santa Ana College defender for a point during Wednesday’s match.