Tars, CdM play semis

NEWPORT BEACH — When the Newport Harbor High girls’ volleyball team faced Mira Costa last month at the Durango Tournament in Las Vegas, it became one of just four schools this year to actually manage to win a game against the Mustangs.

Still, that’s the closest anybody has come to beating top-seeded Mira Costa (28-0), the top-ranked team in the country, according to MaxPreps.com.

Despite losing National Player of the Year Alex Klineman, now starting for Stanford, and Coach Daelea Aldrich, the 2006 CIF Division I-AA state champions have hardly missed a step.

Longtime assistant Lisa Zimmerman now coaches the Mustangs.

“I thought we served pretty tough,” said Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn. “But honestly, I don’t think they played that well in that match.

“I saw them later in the tournament when they won the final, and they were definitely playing at another level. I know they’re going to be playing at that level when we play them.”

Tonight, Mira Costa hosts the Sunset League co-champions at 7 in the Division I-AA semifinals. The victor will face the winner of the Redondo-Lakewood match.

While the Mustangs may have lost some of their power game, they are just as effective, Glenn said. No. 4-seeded Newport Harbor is ranked No. 7 in the nation.

“I think it was good for our kids to have played them just because they play a different style this year than they have in the past where they’re more of a ball-control-type of team,” Glenn said. “They’re going to win more rallies with their defense, while last year, they ended rallies very quickly.”

Sophomore outside hitter Falyn Fonoimoana has been key to Mira Costa’s ability to control the ball. It’s one of the factors that helped the Mustangs win the Durango Tournament, the Santa Barbara Tournament, and the San Diego Tournament of Champions.

“She’s probably the top sophomore in the nation,” Glenn said. “Both the outside hitters are not big, but they are phenomenal volleyball players.”

Last year, Newport Harbor lost to Vista Murrieta in the second round of the playoffs in five games. Saturday, the Sailors had to face a hostile crowd at Dana Hills to advance to the semifinals after five games.

It helps, Glenn said, to have three seniors — Alesha Young, Megan Munce, and Jamie Heenan — who have been playing on the varsity since they were freshman. They are not easily intimidated.

“I think it might have helped being at Dana Hills,” Glenn said. “It’s fun to go into someone else’s gym and battle, if you’re successful.”

Corona del Mar

Certainly, for Corona del Mar High, tonight’s contest against Bishop Montgomery has its merits.

It is, after all, the CIF Southern Section Division II-AA semifinal match.

But Bishop Montgomery might as well be a pit stop, because beyond tonight’s 7 o’clock match at Bishop Montgomery, lies the Southern Section title and another possible rematch between Corona del Mar (19-11) and Laguna Beach.

Assuming Laguna Beach (19-7) beats Ayala (18-5) in the other semifinal match, and CdM wins tonight, the Sea Kings would be facing a familiar foe en route to the CIF title.

CdM lost to Laguna Beach in last year’s CIF final, and lost again to the Breakers in the state quarterfinals. The Sea Kings lost this year in four games at Laguna Beach during the regular season. They’re ready for a win.

“We’re going win [tonight]” CdM Coach Bill Christiansen said Monday, “And we’re going to be in the final this weekend.”

Bishop Montgomery is the No. 2 seed while CdM is the No. 3 seed.

The Sea Kings finished the regular season atop the Pacific Coast League.

Christiansen thinks the two teams are fairly evenly matched.

“I think it’s probably a 50-50 match,” he said. “Whatever team has a good night is going to be the winner.”

He also said the team’s ball control has vastly improved since Corona del Mar faced the Breakers Oct. 15, when the Sea Kings made too many errors.

Since then, CdM has won five of its last six matches, losing only to Newport Harbor in a sweep.

“We’ve bonded a lot more,” Christiansen said. “The players are really embracing the team concept.”

SORAYA NADIA McDONALD may be reached at (714) 966-4613 or at soraya.mcdonald@latimes.com.