Mustangs tower over Tars in four

Bryce Alderton

They tried to go around, above and even through, but the Newport

Harbor High girls volleyball team couldn’t topple the wall built by

Mira Costa in the CIF Southern Section Division II-AA championship

match Saturday at Cypress College.

The top-seeded Mustangs, behind a match-high 18 kills from

6-foot-3 freshman Alix Klineman, defeated the Sailors, 25-18, 22-25,

25-16, 27-25, to win the school’s 12th CIF title in the sport.

Junior outside hitter Kiley Hall led second-seeded Newport (25-6)

with 13 kills, while senior Alyson Jennings, a first-team All-CIF

selection last year, slammed 11 to go with 14 assists and three

blocks. Senior setter Kellie King led Newport with 16 assists.

The Mustangs (31-3) featured five players 6-foot or taller, while

junior Taryn Tarnutzer was the Sailors’ only player at that height.

Freshman middle blocker Lauren Bledsoe and Klineman each tallied

seven blocks, while senior Lauren Tyner sent two Newport hits back

over the net to seal the victory in a seesaw fourth game that

featured 13 ties and four lead changes.

“They made some good plays on the other side of the net with some

nice blocks, but we went down swinging,” Newport Coach Dan Glenn, in

his 18th year at the helm, said. “[Senior outside hitter] Lauren

Miller ran with her serve and gave us momentum. We like to score

points in bunches. I was just waiting for one more run.

“I thought we played well on defense, did a good job of competing

and Mira Costa gave its best. [Senior outside hitter] Stephanie

Donahue refuses to lose. I love watching her play. I won’t miss her

graduation.” Donahue soared for 16 kills and had 13 digs.

Twice in the fourth game Miller served four consecutive points,

tallying two of her four aces in that span. The Sailors, the 2002

Division II-AA champions and winners of seven section titles, led,

20-18, and 24-23, but a serve that went long and a Donahue kill gave

the Mustangs a brief lead. Hall sent a kill down the line on an

assist from Miller to tie the game at 25 before the two

aforementioned blocks sealed the win for Mira Costa. Miller slammed

seven kills.

“I was hoping it didn’t go to a fifth game because [Glenn] has the

advantage with eight seniors,” Mira Costa Coach Dae Lea Aldrich, in

her 21st year at the reins, said. “As always, his teams are so well

coached. They played strong defense.”

Hall tallied two digs, including one on a Donahue hit, and Miller

blasted a kill to give Newport an 18-16 lead in Game 2. The Sailors’

first lead of the match came at 7-6 in the second game. A King dig

resulted in one of senior outside hitter Emily Turner’s six kills.

Newport awaits its seeding in the Southern California Division II

regionals of the CIF State championships, which begin Tuesday.

Seedings are expected to be announced today. Mater Dei defeated

Redondo Union for the II-A title Saturday.

Glenn conceded the Monarchs would probably receive the No. 1 seed

followed by Mira Costa.

“We could be a No. 3 or No. 6,” Glenn said.