COSTA MESA — Kevin Welch set the Orange Coast College men’s volleyball career kills record Wednesday, but it was the kill that wasn’t that hurt the most.
Welch hit the shot down the left sideline late in the match, turning and celebrating what he thought was match point for Orange Coast.
Problem was, the first referee called the shot out, and he didn’t think it was touched by Irvine Valley sophomore Peter Johnson as Welch and the linesman had indicated.
The OCC sophomore argued with the referee, but it was all for naught. There was no 14-12 lead and match point for the Pirates. Instead, it was defending state champion Irvine Valley College that had forged a 13-13 tie.
The Pirates then committed a hitting violation and Irvine Valley took advantage of its match point, surviving for a 30-24, 30-24, 30-32, 25-30, 15-13 win in the Pacific Coast Conference match at OCC. The Lasers ended the Pirates' 16-home match winning streak dating back to 2006.
Welch set the Pirates’ career kills record with his match-high 25. The Corona del Mar High product now has 676 career kills, surpassing Kevin Reid’s 657 kills in 1996-97.
But the intense Welch said he would have rather had the win, especially since he was forced to miss the teams’ first meeting on March 7, an Irvine Valley sweep, with a back injury.
“I didn’t understand [the call at 13-12],” said Welch, who added six digs and three service aces. “I was just a little frustrated.”
But, he said, arguing the call was probably not the best decision. The Pirates (10-6, 6-3 in conference) still had the momentum, after battling back from two games down and a 10-5 deficit in the fifth game.
“I definitely take the blame for the loss, and it’s a tough one,” Welch said. “That was a really tough call, but it happens. Calls like that happen in the first game, even on the first point of the match. No matter what it is, you’ve just got to go with it. That’s how the game goes sometimes.”
Irvine Valley (14-1, 9-0) had appeared to be cruising. The Lasers led for most of the first two games, winning both, and appeared to be well on their way to their eighth sweep in nine PCC matches.
