Boys volleyball: Sea Kings win Round 1

Tony Altobelli

CORONA DEL MAR - Newport Harbor High boys volleyball coach summed

it up best when describing a clash between the Sailors and Back Bay rival

Corona del Mar.

“That’s why I’m coaching at Newport Harbor,” he said. “So I can coach

against CdM. The principals and CIF can do whatever they want as far as

the leagues are concerned, but whatever it takes, Newport and CdM are

going to play against each other in volleyball. It’s kind of like a

two-game league all by itself.”

Imagine how long he would have gone on about the rivalry if he had won!

The Sea Kings knocked off the Sailors, 15-5, 13-15, 15-10, 15-9, forever

being the known as the winners of the first Newport-CdM volleyball clash

of the new Millennium.

But it was their last match of the 20th century in which the Tars

prevailed for the CIF Southern Section Division I championship that might

have added fuel to the Sea Kings’ gas tank.

“We’ve waited nearly 11 months to play them again,” Coach Steve Conti

said. “Sure I think that match last year added a little more intensity

into the preparation. But it’s Newport Harbor and the rivalry. Our

biggest problem was staying focused throughout the week before even

getting to this match.”

It still doesn’t get any less exciting, even for the grizzled veteran

like Glenn, in his 14th season at the Harbor helm.

“One of my players said that CdM was going to be fired up to play us

after last year,” Glenn said. “I’ve probably gone up against CdM about 70

times with boys and girls volleyball and let me tell you, they’re always

fired up to play us.”

Glenn stressed it before the match and Corona del Mar made it a reality:

Too many mistakes and CdM will make you pay.

That was the case Saturday night, when Corona del Mar (7-1) knocked off

its former Sea View League rival.

“We made way too many unforced errors out there and that really hurt us,”

Glenn said. “Right now, Corona del Mar plays better volleyball than we

do. (The Sea Kings’) overall play is at a higher level.”

Senior Greg Stampley led the Sea Kings’ attack with 28 kills, while

senior Chris Shepardson and junior Brian Gallagher each chipped in with

12 kills. Standout senior setter Kevin Hansen had 61 assists.

“I was really pleased with how our seniors stepped up tonight and took

care of business,” Conti said. “I think this type of match was needed by

both schools, as far as intensity and competition goes.”

For the Sailors (5-3), senior Billy Clayton had 15 kills and 11 digs,

while senior Dustin Illingworth added 13 kills.

“Dustin is still young on the volleyball learning curve, but I thought he

played exceptionally tonight,” Glenn said. “Billy played well too, just

like he’s done all year long.”

After Newport took a 5-4 lead in game one, CdM turned up the intensity

and scored the final 11 points, led by Stampley, who had six kills and

two blocks during that streak.

The Sailors responded in game two, jumping out to a 6-2 lead, before CdM

came back to tie the score.

CdM, in its first season in the Pacific Coast League, took a 12-8 lead,

but a 7-1 run down the stretch gave Newport game two and tied the match

at a game apiece. Three solo blocks by Christian Berg-Hansen, Clayton and

Blake Tippett enabled Newport to rally.

Once again, Newport started out quickly in game three before CdM clawed

its way back, led by some sparkling digs by Hansen, who had 12 for the

match.

“When two evenly matched teams are battling out there, it’s the little

things that make the difference,” Conti said. “Kevin made some incredible

digs out there and that really gave us a lift as a team.”

CdM took advantage of costly Harbor errors to win game three.

After both teams traded points early in game four, a 4-0 run gave CdM an

11-7 lead. Newport cut the lead in half before CdM closed out the match

with another 4-0 run.

Both teams will resume their respective league schedules this week. The

Sea Kings will host Costa Mesa Tuesday at 6 p.m., while Newport plays

Tuesday at Aliso Niguel at 5:45 p.m.

The Sailors and Sea Kings will renew the rivalry Friday, May 5 at 6 p.m.

at Harbor.