The Irvine Valley women's volleyball team played its first match at home in almost a month, took on the last undefeated team in the state, and earned a hard-fought, five-set victory over Orange Coast Wednesday night at home.
It was the first match for IVC with fans in attendance - with social distancing and mask requirements.
And it was a battle between two of the top-ranked teams in the state.
Irvine Valley went into the highly-anticipated match ranked No. 9 in the state and Orange Coast was ranked No. 11.
It went down to the wire, but Irvine Valley pulled out a 25-20, 25-23, 25-27, 17-25, 15-7 win.
The Lasers won for the 18th-straight time over the Pirates and handed OCC its first loss of the season.
Irvine Valley moved to 7-1 overall and stayed unbeaten at 3-0 in conference. Orange Coast went to 10-1 overall and 3-1 in conference.
IVC looked good early, using a 6-0 run in the first set to take control. OCC fought back and made it a 21-19 game. But Irvine Valley won four of the final five points to take the set. A kill by freshman opposite Jayli Nealy made it 24-20 and a kill by Emily Guenter ended the set.
The second set was close throughout. It was tied eight times before IVC turned a 17-16 lead into a 19-17 advantage on a kill by freshman outside hitter Jaclyn Sanchez.
But OCC tied the set at 22 after a kill by Sara Enright and an ace by Kylie Terakawa.
The Lasers closed again. IVC won three of the final four points, getting three kills by Nealy to end the set.
Orange Coast did not go away.
The Pirates came back from a 16-10 deficit to take the third set.
Irvine Valley had a match-point at 24-22 after a kill by Guenter, but OCC got a kill by Brisa Zapata-Reaves and then another kill by Summer Hanks to tie the set at 24.
A kill by Hanks soon after made it 26-25, and OCC earned the set on the next point.
The Pirates used the momentum in the fourth set, getting out to a lead and a Hanks kill gave OCC a 25-17 win to send the match to a fifth set.
But the Lasers played their best volleyball of the match in the fifth.
Irvine Valley jumped out to a 4-0 lead on an ace by freshman outside hitter Angelina Griego, a kill by Sanchez, another ace by Griego (team-high four on aces on the night) and a hitting error by OCC.
The Lasers were soon up, 7-1, after a kills by Nealy and Sanchez.
OCC got within four points three times, but IVC won the final four points to take the match.
Back-to-back aces by Guenter to end things gave IVC its biggest victory of the year so far.
Nealy lead the Lasers with 25 kills and seven blocks, freshman setter Maddie Harkey had 50 assists, two aces and 13 digs and sophomore libero Alexandra Pestolis finished with 17 digs.
The Lasers have another tough conference match on Friday, traveling to No. 24 Golden West for a 6 p.m. contest. The Rustlers swept Saddleback Wednesday night.
