State championship tournament preview
by Chris Ruiz, CCCMBCA Sports Information
April 17, 2015
Western State Conference champion Santa Monica College and Pacific Coast Athletic Conference winner Grossmont College have been named the top seeds for the 2015 California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Men's Volleyball State Championship tournament. The event opens this Friday, April 17 and concludes next week. Quarterfinal matches will be played at the home site of the higher seed while state championship semifinals and final matches will be played at San Diego City College in San Diego, CA.
Four teams will play state championship quarterfinal matches on Friday (Apr. 17) to earn a chance to face Santa Monica and Grossmont in the state championship semifinals next Thursday (Apr. 23). The state final is set for April 25 at 6 p.m.
El Camino College (WSC #2 seed) hosts Irvine Valley College (PCAC #3 seed) and defending State champion Orange Coast College (PCAC #2 seed) hosts Long Beach City College (WSC #3 seed) on Thursday at 6 p.m. for the right to advance.
Earlier this season in their lone meeting, El Camino defeated Irvine Valley in a marathon five-set match at home on February 4. Long Beach also needed five sets to knock off Orange Coast on the road on January 30.
The winner of Friday's Long Beach/Orange Coast match will face Santa Monica in Thursday's 4:30 p.m. semifinal and the Irvine Valley/El Camino winner will take on Grossmont in the 7 p.m. semifinal in San Diego.
About the Grossmont College Griffins (PCAC, No. 1 seed)
Grossmont returns to the postseason for its fifth straight year. Grossmont captured the PCAC championship with a 13-1 record and is 16-4 overall heading into the state championships. The Griffins look to win their first ever state title this season after reaching the state final in 2013 and 2011. Grossmont was swept by Santa Monica in last year's state championship quarterfinals. Grossmont is led by fourth-year head coach Travis Lee.
About the Orange Coast College Pirates (PCAC, No. 2 seed)
Defending state champion Orange Coast returns to the state tournament for its ninth consecutive season. The Pirates closed the regular-season with a 15-5 overall record and finished second in the PCAC at 12-2. Orange Coast has won six state titles (1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 2014). Last year, OCC capped a 20-1 season with a five-set win over Santa Monica in the state championship final. Orange Coast is led by ninth-year head coach Travis Turner.
About the Irvine Valley College Lasers (PCAC, No. 3)
Irvine Valley returns to the postseason for the second straight year and is in the playoffs for the 10th time over the past 11 seasons. Irvine Valley compiled a 12-7 overall record and finished third in the PCAC at 11-3. Irvine Valley looks to win its fifth state title (1993, 2007, 2008, 2010). The Lasers are led by sixth-year head coach Ki Yi.
About the Santa Monica College Corsairs (WSC, No. 1 seed)
Santa Monica returns to the postseason for the second consecutive season after falling just short of winning its first state championship in 2014, losing in five sets to Orange Coast in the state final. SMC captured just its second Western State Conference championship this season with an 11-1 record and enters the playoffs with a state-best 16-2 overall mark under head coach John Mayer. The Corsairs will look to win their first state title.
About the El Camino College Warriors (WSC, No. 2 seed)
El Camino returns to postseason for its fifth consecutive season. The Warriors look to win their first state championship after last reaching the state final in 1983. This season, El Camino brings a 16-3 overall record into the playoffs after finishing second in the WSC with a 9-3 mark. Last season, El Camino was swept by Santa Monica in the state championship semifinals. El Camino is led by 11th-year head coach Richard Blount.
About the Long Beach City College Vikings (WSC, No. 3 seed)
Long Beach enters the state tournament for the 10th straight season and comes in with a 13-5 overall record. The Vikings went 8-4 in conference play to finish in third place in the WSC. Long Beach has won eight state championships overall (1976, 1980, 1982, 1985, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2012). Last season, the Vikings lost in five sets to Irvine Valley in the state championship quarterfinals. Long Beach is led by fourth-year head coach Jonathan Charette.
The volleyball State championship will be broadcast live on April 23 and 25th at San Diego City College