STATE GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL SEMIFINALS : DIVISION III : May Sparks Newport Harbor’s Charge

NEWPORT BEACH —  At the beginning of the girls’ volleyball season, did Newport Harbor Coach Danny Glenn think his starting lineup of four sophomores, a junior and a senior would make it to the State championship match?

“No,” he said.

Guess again, Glenn.

The top-seeded Sailors, led by sophomore Misty May’s 26 kills, beat second-seeded South Torrance, 15-12, 15-2, 13-15, 15-9, in the Southern California Regional Division III final Tuesday night at the Corona del Mar High gym.

Newport Harbor (18-4) advanced to the State championship match against Northern Regional champion Aptos at 1 p.m. Saturday at Cal State Fullerton.

It’s the Sailors’ third appearance in the State championship match in eight seasons. They lost to Mira Costa in the 1985 Division I finals and to Irvine in 1987.

The Sailors won Tuesday night with solid serving (seven aces and only seven service errors) and consistent hitting by May (two hitting errors and another 20-plus kill match). Senior Dani Foley added 14 kills and sophomore Melissa Schutz had nine for the Sailors.

Newport Harbor got some strong serving from substitute Amy Evans in the first game.

With the score tied, 11-11, Evans forced a South Torrance receiving error and added an ace, giving the Sailors a 13-11 lead.

South Torrance cut it to 13-12, but a kill by May and a South Torrance hitting error ended the game.

Freshman setter Jenny Hecker continued Newport Harbor’s string of aces in the second game, serving three as the Sailors raced to a 7-0 lead. May added four kills and an ace in the game as the Sailors cruised to the victory.

In the third game, South Torrance built a 14-7 lead, but Newport Harbor fought off four game points to trim it to 14-13. South Torrance’s Stephanie Pfau had a block to end the game.

Newport Harbor’s momentum late in the third game carried over to the fourth. The Sailors built leads of 8-4 and 12-5 on the way to the victory.