SOUTHERN SECTION VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS : Newport Harbor Sets Up Rematch With League Rival

Taking chances led Dana Hills down a promised path, but the Dolphins hit a roadblock in a Southern Section Division I girls’ volleyball semifinal playoff match against Newport Harbor on Thursday night at San Clemente.

Top-seeded Newport Harbor dispatched South Coast League champion Dana Hills, 15-2, 15-7, 15-6, to advance to the section championship Saturday night at Cerritos College, where the Sailors will meet Sea View League-rival Corona del Mar, the defending section and State champion.

“We lost in the semis last year,” Newport Harbor middle blocker Tina Bowman said. “We weren’t about to let that happen this year.”

From the beginning of the season, all signals have pointed toward a section title meeting between the league rivals. Dana Hills Coach Mike Hurlbut thought his team could break up the intra-league party, but the Sailors did too many things well.

Not that Dana Hills did everything it could to help itself. In consecutive games, the Sailors (21-2) won seven points off Dolphin mistakes. That number increased to nine in the third.

“We said in the beginning the pressure was on them,” said outside hitter Jenny Kessy, who led the Dolphins with 10 kills. “But we didn’t do the things we needed to do to win.”

The Dolphins (18-3) took a brief 4-1 lead in Game 2, but behind Misty May and Melissa Schutz, the Sailors regrouped and cruised.

May’s 14 kills led Newport Harbor.