State Girls’ Volleyball Playoffs : Newport Harbor, Irvine in Semifinals

The girls’ volleyball teams from Newport Harbor and Irvine high schools will go their separate ways tonight in the state tournament, hoping for a rendezvous Saturday.

Newport Harbor (23-0) will stay close to home, playing Davis at 7:30 tonight at Corona del Mar High in one semifinal of the Division 1 championships.

The Sailors, Southern Section 5-A champions, defeated Palisades, 15-9, 15-4, 15-6, in the quarterfinals.

Irvine (19-2), the 4-A champion, travels north to play at Fremont High (27-3).

Mark McKenzie, Irvine coach, isn’t exactly brimming over with scouting information on Fremont, the Northern California Section champion.

“I know the school is up north,” he said. “Besides that, I’m stuck. We’re going to go up there, play the best we can and hope.”

Irvine didn’t seem to have much hope in its quarterfinal match against Corona del Mar, a team Irvine had gone 0-3 against previously. But the Vaqueros came away with a convincing 15-13, 15-4, 15-4 victory Saturday night.

The winners of the semifinals will play Saturday at 7:30 in Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Gym.