Tars outlast CdM in playoff primer

Barry Faulkner

After three seasons on the junior varsity, Newport Harbor High senior

Gavin Galey knew he’d only get one chance to perform in the Back Bay

bustle that surrounds the annual boys volleyball match with

arch-rival Corona del Mar.

He made the most of it Friday night.

The 6-foot-2 outside hitter posted a career-high 22 kills to lead

the host Sailors to a 15-25, 25-17, 25-21, 20-25, 15-10 nonleague

victory in the final regular-season match for the two league

champions.

Newport Harbor (22-7), ranked No. 6 in CIF Southern Section

Division I and No. 2 in Orange County, clinched the outright Sea View

League crown Thursday with a five-game road triumph over second-place

Woodbridge.

CdM (19-10), ranked No. 4 in CIF Division II and No. 8 in Orange

County, capped its second straight 10-0 Pacific Coast League campaign

Thursday with a home triumph over Laguna Beach.

The consequences Friday had nothing to do with anything but pride.

And both teams showed plenty of same in what both programs have come

to regard as a supreme postseason primer.

“I told my kids this was a playoff match,” Sailors Coach Dan Glenn

said. “Some people wondered if we’d be able to reach a high level

after having such a tough night against Woodbridge Thursday. But I

knew I wouldn’t have to say a word to my guys. I never talk about the

playoffs before this match is over.”

The end came grudgingly, nearly two hours after the match began in

the stifling hot air inside the Sailors’ gym, filled to near capacity

by energized supporters of both schools.

“This is the first match I looked at when I saw our schedule,”

said Galey, who had plenty of help from senior Morgan Govaars (17

kills), junior Brett Perrine (12 kills) and senior setter Adam

Schlesinger (38 assists and a match-high six stuff blocks).

But it was Galey who seemed to come up big when the Tars needed it

most.

“He kind of carried us,” Glenn said of Galey, whose overpass kill

gave CdM a 4-2 fifth-game lead. Galey also scored the hosts next two

points, powering a kill through a blocker and stuffing a back-slide

attempt to create a 6-4 edge.

Kevin and Tom Welch, junior twins, paced the visitors, collecting

15 and 12 kills, respectively, and contributing heavily to what Glenn

described as typically strong CdM ball control.

Kevin Welch also had three ace serves and two stuff blocks and

senior setter Dominic Rubino chipped in 30 assists.

“I told our guys I was really proud of the way they battled,” CdM

Coach Steve Conti said. “I think a lot of people thought we didn’t

have much of a chance and there may have been doubt even in our

minds. But I think that was part of our motivation.”