Harbor seeks to replace, repeat

Bryce Alderton

That imposing shadow cast by a certain middle blocker won’t be cast

on the court for the Newport Harbor High girls volleyball team this

fall, but not to fear, said Dan Glenn.

The coach, who will enter his 18th year at Harbor, still has a

slew of returners from a team what went 28-7, won a CIF Southern

Section Division II-AA championship and reached the Division II

Southern California Regional final, largely on the heels of 6-foot-3

middle blocker Kristin McClune, who will continue her volleyball

career at Pepperdine University. McClune ended an accomplished prep

career with CIF Co-Player of the Year honors for Division II.

“We lost 30 kills a match,” Glenn said of McClune’s departure.

“Last year we would rally with people, get the ball to [McClune] for

a kill and the rally would be over. This year we are better

ball-control wise. All the kids have improved. Overall, we are a

better team.”

The onus during preseason practices and the first matches of the

season will be finding consistency in the middle. Shelly Langford, a

5-11 middle blocker, graduated last spring along with McClune and

teammates Jordan Carmack, Christina Fulce and Whitney George.

Glenn will count on 6-foot sophomore Bryana Carey and 5-8 senior

Elizabeth Clayton, both returners, to supply help in the middle.

Senior Holland Osadche, who stands 5-9, along with Hadley Burnham, a

5-10 junior, may work into the varsity rotation from junior varsity,

Glenn added.

Surrounding the middle will be a formidable, experienced cast.

Four-year varsity starter Alyson Jennings returns for her final

Sailor season as the Harbor’s main hitting threat. The 5-9 Jennings

earned first-team All-CIF Division II accolades a year ago and will

play for the University of Texas next year. Depending on the size of

Newport’s opponent, Glenn may use Jennings as a setter.

“For us to do well against some teams, we have to get bigger on

the right side block,” Glenn said. “Kellie [King] is not always in

the front row to help us match up better. If it doesn’t work out,

Kellie will set the whole time and that has worked out well.” King

returns for her senior season and is a three-year varsity player and

captain.

Three-year varsity player and captain Emily Turner played the back

row during Newport’s second-place finish in the Ann Kang Invitational

in Hawaii in mid-August, despite chronic tendinitis in her knees.

When healthy, she plays outside hitter and earned second-team All-Sea

View League honors last year.

Senior outside hitter Lauren Miller enters her second varsity

season and is a threat when healthy. Like Turner, Miller, a

first-team all-league honoree as a junior, is suffering from

tendinitis in her knees and Glenn is unsure when she will be ready

for competition.

“Emily took awhile off before playing in Hawaii, but Lauren has

done nothing at all this summer,” Glenn said in reference to

competitive volleyball. “I hope she can play in the middle. Our first

match is Sept. 12, but I don’t have her penciled in until the 15th or

16th.

“Emily can play in the back row, the question is whether she can

play in the front row. I’ve dealt with this on the [boys] side with

Jamie [Diefenbach] coming back at the end of the year and Brett

Perrine missing the entire year.”

Diefenbach missed the six weeks of the boys volleyball season last

spring after recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Perrine missed the entire volleyball season after suffering the same

injury during a Sailor basketball game last winter.

“I hate to see it happen when it’s a player’s senior year,” Glenn

said.

Alexis Kerns, a 5-9 senior outside hitter, returns for her third

varsity season, providing a strong serve. Kiley Hall, a 5-9 junior

outside hitter, enters her second varsity season. Glenn said she had

a solid tournament in Hawaii.

Senior Hannah Lindquist, a 5-6 outside hitter, played the back row

and started many of Newport’s matches in the Ann Kang Invitational.

Junior outside hitter Stephanie Trinen makes her varsity debut and

Taryn Tarnutzer, a 6-foot junior opposite, adds to the Sailors’

depth.

For the players making their varsity debuts, Glenn said the most

important element to learn is the speed of the game, which should

intensify with the advent of rally scoring this season.

“If they can adjust and be ready [for the increased speed of

games], then we will improve,” Glenn said.

Additional rule changes include let serves counting and players

receiving serves with their hands, which Glenn disputes.

“One of the key things we teach is foot movement,” Glenn said.

“This rule enables players to be lazy.”

No matter the changes to the books, Glenn knows this year’s team

will have to produce points a bit differently than last season.

“We are not as strong in the middle so we will have to serve tough

to manufacture points this year,” Glenn said. “These kids understand

how to be successful and that is to win long rallies and keep the

ball in play.”

Newport will get its chance to test its proficiency against not

only the volleyball powerhouses of Orange County, but those of the

entire state.

The Sailors face Mater Dei and Los Alamitos, the Division I-AA

champ last year, in nonleague action, along with trips to take on St.

Francis High of Mountain View, the defending state champion in

Division I, and Archbishop Mitty from San Jose, a state-title holder

two years ago.

Glenn isn’t shy about assessing the Sailors’ chances of returning

to championship form.

“We won’t match up physically with some teams, but we have

experience in the state playoffs last year and many girls are three-

and two-year varsity players,” he said. “If we are healthy, we can

play with anybody.”