Sailors’ Young earns share of league’s MVP award

Newport Harbor High senior setter Alesha Young earned All-Sunset League Co-MVP honors, making her one of four Sailors receiving first-team laurels in girls’ volleyball.

Young shared the top honor with Los Alamitos senior setter Katie Crosby, as the two helped their respective teams finish as co-league champs for the second straight year. Young, bound for Loyola Marymount University, finished with a team-high 839 assists and added 219 digs, 39 kills, 32 blocks and 30 service aces. This is the second straight year Young has been on the first team.

The three other senior Sailors receiving first-team recognition were middle blocker Alex Penewell, opposite Megan Munce and opposite hitter Jamie Heenan, the last two were second-team picks last year. The first-team selections played a vital role in Newport Harbor (26-4, 9-1 in league) making its first CIF Southern Section semifinal playoff appearance since 2004.

Munce, who’s headed to Texas Christian University, led the team with 245 kills and added 140 digs, 63 assists, 31 blocks and 10 aces. Penewell, who plans to walk on at the University of Colorado, finished with 207 kills and 57 blocks. Heenan had 216 kills, 153 digs, 42 aces and nine blocks.

Second-team picks were junior outside hitter Mary Buckingham and sophomore libero Kelly Heenan.

— From staff reports