Girls volleyball: Sailors reload for CIF title defense

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Those hopeful that the loss of nine seniors --

including national player of the year April Ross -- as well as a

season-ending knee injury to UCLA-bound senior Heather Cullen would end

the recent Newport Harbor High girls volleyball dynasty, may be

disappointed.

Coach Dan Glenn, entering his 15th season, returns three players with

starting experience from last year’s CIF Southern Section Division I-AA

and Division I state champions. He also welcomes several more from a

junior varsity squad that shared the Sea View League title.

“Hopefully, this will be a group like our (CIF Division I finalist)

guys last year, which lost a lot (to graduation), but got hot at the

end,” Glenn said. “We may take some lumps early, because people are going

to be fired up to play us. We’re not as strong as we’ve been, but we can

compete with people. We’ll just try to keep getting better and we’ll see

what happens at the end of the year.”

That conclusion may include a chance to defend back-to-back Division I

state crowns, after the Sailors surpassed the Division I minimum

enrollment of 1,500 (grades 10-12) by 20 students. Had they not reached

the Division I cutoff, a change in section rules would have prohibited

them from “playing up” in Division I.

“We’re very excited to be Division I,” said Glenn, an outspoken critic

of the prohibition against playing bigger schools in the enrollment-based

playoffs.

Newport has won the last three Southern Section Division I-AA titles,

while playing up. It will be Division I-A for this year’s section

playoffs, but the I-A and I-AA are combined for state playoffs.

Taylor Govaars, a 5-11 senior outside hitter, is one of the returning

starters. She shares the captain’s role with Cullen, who will continue to

add moral support while recovering from a torn ACL.

“(Govaars) will be our go-to girl,” Glenn said. “She’s our best

passer, our best defender, and has been doing a nice job hitting for us.”

Liz Lord, a 5-11 junior middle blocker, is another returning starter

and junior Katie King started several games at setter last fall.

Lord will be the top attacker in the middle, where Kristin McClune, a

developing 6-2 sophomore, also figures to start.

King will share setting chores with 5-9 senior returner Colby George

and Glenn said the duo will shoulder a large responsibility.

“Setting will be a lot more critical this year,” Glenn said. “Last

year, with April (now at USC), you could throw it up there in a 10-foot

range around the net and April would get to it. This year, we don’t have

that kind of margin for error, so our setting will have to be better.

“Colby and Katie will switch off, so both can get a rest at times and

see what’s happening on the floor. If one steps up ahead of the other,

she’ll play more.”

Alyson Jennings, a 5-7 freshman, will alternate with Andrea Trinen, a

5-10 junior, at one outside hitter spot.

Glenn said Jennings’ ball control skills are ahead of her ability at

the net, while Trinen, up from the JV, is a bigger hitting threat.

Lauren Bald, a 5-6 senior, will start in the back row and provide

added depth at setter, while Christine Woller, a junior left-hander, will

pound sets from the right side.

Claire Allen, a 5-11 sophomore, will fill a utility role in the front

row, while Amy Burlingham, a 5-8 sophomore, brings supreme athletic

ability to the outside hitter spot.

Burlingham, a standout in soccer and a star sprinter for the track

team, missed the Tars’ recent trip to Hawaii for the Iolani Invitational,

as well as some early practices, while in Brazil for a soccer tournament.

Kristin Maberry, a 5-7 senior, should also contribute in the back row,

as well as at outside hitter, according to Glenn.

The Sailors finished third in Hawaii, avenging a pool-play loss to St.

Francis of Hawaii and earning playoff wins over Hawaiian schools Iolani

and Punahou. A loss to Thousand Oaks-based La Reina in the championship

playoffs, put them in the loser’s bracket and they were eliminated in the

semifinals by Mira Costa.

“I told our girls we’d be in good shape if we were going for the

Hawaii state title,” Glenn said after the tournament, which is considered

a summer event, thus not reflected on their record. “But we had some

trouble against California teams, so we have our work cut out for us.”

That work includes a Sept. 7 scrimmage against Edison, before opening

the regular season Sept. 12 at Laguna Beach.

After a typically rugged preleague schedule, the Sailors will gun for

their eight straight Sea View League championship.

Newport Harbor girls volleyball

1 Christine Woller 6-0 Jr. RS

2 Lauren Bald 5-6 Sr. DS

3 Amy Burlingham 5-8 So. OH

4 Claire Allen 5-11 So. MB

5 Andrea Trinen 5-10 Jr. OH

7 Alyson Jennings 5-7 Fr. OH

8 Heather Cullen 6-1 Sr. MB

9 Liz Lord 5-11 Jr. MB

10 Colby George 5-9 Sr. S

11 Taylor Govaars 5-11 Sr. OH

12 Katie King 5-7 Jr. S

15 Kristin McClune 6-2 So. MB

16 Kristin Maberry 5-7 Sr. OH

Coach Dan Glenn