Living on the edge

Joseph Boo

NEWPORT BEACH - The cardiac kids did it again.

For the second time in 48 hours, Newport Harbor High’s girls volleyball

team, No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division I-AA, pulled out a

heart-pounding victory out of the jaws of defeat.

This time, it was against nonleague, but Back Bay rival, Corona del Mar

on Saturday, and instead of facing match point in the fourth game as in

Thursday night’s victory over Irvine, the Sailors were down two games and

9-13 in the third.

Instead of collapsing, Newport Harbor rallied again and won that third

game, 15-13, on its way to a 6-15, 8-15, 15-13, 15-7, 15-13 win.

“I don’t know if it’s good or bad,” Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn said

about another huge comeback. “But it’s a good thing to come out on top.”

CdM put Newport Harbor in a deep hole while Glenn was trying out new

lineups in the first two games. Outside hitter April Ross did not start,

and the Sailors went through nine different players, using some in

unfamiliar positions.

“We’re trying some different things,” Glenn said. “Some work, some don’t.

We have a lot of seniors who will be playing CdM for the last time at

home, and I wanted to give them the opportunity to play them.”

While Glenn tried new lineups, CdM Coach Steve Conti stuck with the same

cast that earned the Sea Kings a 10-4 record. And that combination has

Jacqueline Becker setting, Dimitra Havriluk or Jamie Brownell spiking

from the outside, or Meghan Gallagher comes from behind on a set play for

the kill.

Havriluk had 11 of her 32 kills in the first two games. Brownell got nine

of her 18 kills and Becker had 21 of her 57 assists in that span as the

Sea Kings easily won the first two games.

In the third game, Newport Harbor finally put in its starting lineup in,

and it promptly paid off with an 8-1 lead. But CdM came back, big time.

Havriluk got a kill to make it 8-2, and the Sea Kings outscored the

Sailors, 12-1, to take a 13-9 lead. Havriluk had four kills in that span,

and the CdM fans smelled the upset.

Instead, Newport Harbor came back behind Heather Cullen, who had three

kills, as Newport Harbor scored six points in a row. The Sailors were

also helped out by a couple of hitting errors by CdM.

“In game three, we had chances to close it out,” Conti said. “We were up,

10-13, and then we hit bad shots. We had our best opportunity to finish

the match and we didn’t.”

Barely escaping with their lives, the Sailors easily won game four, 15-7,

behind five kills and an ace from Ross.

With the match even, leads were exchanged in a tightly contested game

five. Newport Harbor took a 4-2 lead, then CdM managed to go up, 8-7. But

Newport Harbor took another two-point lead at 10-8 when Ross got a kill

and an ace.

Conti called a timeout and CdM came out ready. Newport Harbor mistakes

and Brownell built a CdM 4-0 run for its 12-10 lead.

But Newport Harbor came back again. Krista Dill got a kill to close the

lead to 12-11 and Cullen served an ace that tied up the game. CdM also

unraveled toward the end with two hitting errors to make to 14-12

Newport.

“We got tentative,” Conti said. “You cannot tip balls over when you’re

down. You have to go down fighting. We lost the game because they were

more aggressive than us.”

CdM did manage to get a sideout and another point to close it to 14-13.

But Newport Harbor got the serve back, and Brenda Waterman closed out the

match with the kill.

Dill led Newport Harbor with 23 kills, and Cullen had 22. Ross had 12

kills and 12 important digs in three games, and Katie Kings had 55

assists.

For the Sea Kings, Marissa Becker matched Ross’ defensive effort with 25

digs. Gallagher ended up with 12 kills for the match.

After the game, Glenn hoped his team learned a thing or two from the

Irvine and CdM match.”They know the matches are never over until the

other team gives up 15 points. We don’t want to come back from behind in

every match, or it will come back to bite you sooner or later.”

The two rivals will meet again in two weeks, and Glenn said he can’t wait

for that match. Warnings for the weak of heart might be necessary.