Newport Harbor Stays Strong

NEWPORT BEACH — Newport Harbor shook off last weekend’s championship afterglow and quickly advanced to the second round of the girls’ volleyball state tournament Tuesday at Newport Harbor High.

Sophomore April Ross had 11 kills and junior setter Jennifer Carey had 23 assists, six kills and three blocks to lead Newport Harbor past San Diego Mt. Carmel, 15-4, 15-8, 15-3, in a Division I match that lasted a little more than an hour.

Newport Harbor (21-2) advanced to Saturday’s second round and will host Marina (19-2), which defeated Clovis Buchanan in four games. Mt. Carmel finished 14-5.

“I thought the kids did a good job of staying focused,” Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn said. “I’ve never had a team that has played well in this round.”

Newport Harbor defeated Manhattan Beach Mira Costa in four games to win the Southern Section Division I-AA championship just three days earlier.

And its second-round opponent in the state tournament, Marina, also won a section title, defeating Mater Dei to win the Division I-A championship.

The pairings for the Division I bracket seem a bit odd considering Newport Harbor and Marina will meet in the second round instead of possibly meeting in the regional final. In the four other divisions, the Southern Section champions were placed in opposite sides of the bracket.

“You can’t do anything about the pairings,” Glenn said. “We just have to go out and play.”

Tuesday, the Sailors played smoothly for the most part, except for a hiccup in Game 2.

Holly Alsup (seven kills) used an effective jump serve to help the Sun Devils score six consecutive points and take the lead, 6-2.

But then Alsup served one into the net, and a block and kill by Krista Dill (eight kills, three blocks), a service ace by Ross, and a kill by Carey evened the score, 6-6. Newport Harbor closed out the game scoring nine of the next 11 points.

And Sailors won the final game easily with Kathy Lavold notching four of her eight kills.