Breakers drop opener

It was only the first match of the year, but Tuesday’s girls’ volleyball battle between Laguna Beach and host Newport Harbor had a postseason feel to it.

The Breakers dropped the first two games, won the third but ended up falling to the Sailors, 25-16, 25-14, 15-21, 25-18.

Laguna, which won a CIF-Southern Section title last year, entered the match ranked No. 1 in the Division II-AA poll.

Newport Harbor, a Division I-AA school and member of the Sunset League, was unranked.

“It’s the first game of the year, but we weren’t as sharp as we needed to be in order to beat a team as good as Newport,” Laguna Coach Lance Stewart said. “They served and passed better and they controlled that first ball, and those were the key factors in the match.”

Dana Hutchinson led Laguna with 12 kills and Piper Obradovich had nine kills.

Megan Munce topped the Sailors with 19 kills.

The two teams might meet again in the next few days, a both will be competing for the Dave Mohs Tournament title.

The tournament, hosted by Edison at played at five county school sites, includes 32 teams in both Division I and Division II brackets and features some of the top programs from the CIF Southern and San Diego sections.

Laguna won the Division I tournament title last year, defeating Harvard/Westlake in the final.

Both the Breakers and Newport Harbor are included in the Division I side of the tournament.

“We’d like to win it again,” Stewart said. “We’re inexperienced in a few spots and the tournament will be a good test for us.

“It’s a much stronger tournament this year, than a year ago. We have Mater Dei in our pool, and they’re good.”

Laguna opens tournament pool play at 3:30 p.m. today against Temecula Valley. The Breakers will also play Redlands following the Temecula Valley match.

At 8 a.m. Saturday, they’ll take on Mater Dei.

Laguna will play all its matches at the Edison High gym.

The tournament concludes with finals action on Monday, also at Edison.

The tournament field:

Division I

At Edison High gymnasium:

Pool I: Santa Margarita, Edison, San Clemente, Ayala.

Pool 4: Santa Barbara, La Costa Canyon, Esperanza, Valencia/Valencia

Pool 5: Laguna Beach, Mater Dei, Temecula Valley, Redlands

At Newport Harbor High gymnasium:

Pool 2: Newport Harbor, Torrey Pines, Bishop Montgomery, Los Osos.

Pool 3: Upland, Dana Hills, El Dorado, San Marcos.

At Corona del Mar High gymnasium:

Pool 6: Dos Pueblos, Corona del Mar, Mission Viejo, El Modena

Pool 7: Carlsbad, Vista Murrieta, Rosary, Tesoro

Pool 8: Harvard/Westlake, Los Alamitos, Peninsula, Woodbridge

Division II

At Fountain Valley High gymnasium:

Pool 1: Francis Parker, Villa Park, Claremont, Sage Hill

Pool 2: Santa Fe Christian, South Torrance, La Habra, Irvine

Pool 5: Norco, Trabuco Hills, Fountain valley, Katella

At Newport Harbor High gymnasium:

Pool 3: Brea Olinda, Great Oak, Aliso Niguel, Calvary Chapel/Santa Ana

Pool 4: Foothill, Notre Dame Prep, Downey, Fullerton

At Costa Mesa High gymnasium:

Pool 6: Murrieta Valley, Northwood, Simi Valley, Costa Mesa

Pool 7: La Quinta/La Quinta, University, Valencia/Placentia, Oxford Academy

Pool 8: Huntington Beach, St. Margaret’s, Laguna Hills, Canyon/Anaheim

Today

(3:30 p.m.)

Laguna vs. Temecula Valley

Laguna vs. Redlands

(at Edison High)

Saturday

(8 a.m.)

Laguna vs. Mater Dei

(at Edison High)