Men’s Volleyball Suffers Heartbreaking Loss at 3C2A State Championships

(Courtesy of Rafael Guerrero, El Camino College)

TORRANCE - For the ninth time and second straight year, No. 3 Orange Coast claimed the California Community College Athletics Association Men's Volleyball State Championship after a thrilling 3-2 (25-23, 17-25, 21-25, 25-20, 15-12) victory over No. 1 Long Beach City on Saturday night at the El Camino College Gym Complex in Torrance, Calif.

The Pirates (18-3) downed the Vikings (19-2) in the finals for the second straight season, although this year it took five riveting sets with 30 ties and 12 lead changes between two of the most storied men's volleyball programs in the state.

Sebastian Lara claimed the 3C2A All-Tournament Most Valuable Player Award after hammering down a season-high 23 kills to lead the Pirates. He attacked at a .370 clip and posted 20-plus kills for the second straight match in the tournament after doing so just once during the regular year.

For the tournament, Lara posted 43 kills on 95 swings with just eight errors (.368). Teammate Myles Henderson added 11 kills and Brock Henderson dished out 32 assists.

The Pirates also did an excellent job at the net, posting nine total blocks with Henderson leading the way with five (one solo).

The title is the Pirates' fifth title in nine appearances since 2010 and is also their fourth victory over the Vikings in the title match in six meetings.

For the Vikings, Matthew Pennala led the way with 23 kills on 52 swings but attacked at a .212 percentage, his second-lowest mark in a double-digit performance this season. Georgi Binev added 14 kills and Sean Nguyen dished out 50 assists.

The opening set lived up to the billing between two powerhouses as they were tied 15 times and traded the lead on four occasions. But those lead changes came early as the Pirates took a 16-15 lead on a Vikings attack error and then never relinquished the lead. It was the first of four straight points for the Pirates and part of a 6-1 run to give them a solid cushion.

The Vikings then ran off a 7-1 run to tie things up at 22-22, the 15th tie of the set. The teams then alternated points until a kill from Hide Nakamura clinched the set for the Pirates and gave them a 1-0 lead.

It also marked an end to the Vikings' streak of 48 straight sets won, a streak that began on Feb. 15 against Orange Coast when the Vikings lost the opening set and won the next three in the match and 48 consecutive overall during the season. 

In the second set, the Vikings responded with a flurry as they used a 10-1 scoring run to turn a tight set into a rout. Pennala and Binev combined for nine kills in the frame on 18 swings and the Vikings service game was on point, recording four aces after coming up empty in the first.

The Vikings would take a tightly contested third set with the Pirates running away with the fourth set, setting up a winner-take-all final frame for the title.

In the fifth, the Vikings jumped out to a 2-0 lead but a 5-1 spurt from the Pirates proved to be the 12th and final lead change of the match. Lara capped off his brilliant tournament with perhaps his best set, slamming down five kills on 10 swings without a miscue. The Pirates would outhit the Vikings .368 to .133 in the final frame and Henderson's slam for the 15th point locked up OCC's second straight state crown.

3C2A Men's Volleyball State Championship All-Tournament Team

3C2A Tournament MVP: Sebastian Lara, Orange Coast

Brock Henderson, Orange Coast

Hide Nakamura, Orange Coast

Sean Nguyen, Long Beach City

Cian Slade, Long Beach City

Austin Kinnear, San Diego Mesa

Michael Stahl, Moorpark