DIVISION I VOLLEYBALL : Corona del Mar Makes Good on Its Predictions With Title

It was immediately after Corona del Mar had lost its consecutive Sea View League match to Newport Harbor that Coach Lance Stewart boldly went where he never hesitates to go: predictions about the future and repeat Southern Section Division I and State girls’ volleyball championships.

It wasn’t hot air.

In the sequel to their first two meetings, this one had a plot twist: Corona del Mar won, in a 10-15, 15-3, 17-15, 15-8, pull-the-stops-out battle of the top two high school teams in the nation, according to USA Today.

Who would argue, the way these teams played at Cerritos College? They reached a level they seem to find only when they play each other.

“I expected to win CIF this year,” Stewart said. “I know that sounds conceited, but I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think we could.”

Newport Harbor jumped to a 1-0 lead with a first game in which they rallied from a 4-1 deficit. The Sea Kings bounded back in the second and took it easily and quickly--a 14-minute fire drill.

The third game started in favor of the Sailors, who took a 9-2 lead. But Corona del Mar roared back to pull to within 11-9, then tied it at 12-12. After ties of 13-13, 14-14 and 15-15, the Sea Kings won it on two Newport Harbor mishits.

Corona del Mar led throughout the fourth game and won it on a cross-court kill by Jennifer Stroffe.

“We missed a couple of key serves, and they picked it up a notch,” Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn said. “We played not to lose. The third game is always a key to the match. The first two times, we were able to win the close games. They out-dug us, and they outplayed us.

“It doesn’t matter who you lose to, losing (stinks).”

The statistics were staggering: for Corona del Mar (24-2), Jennifer Stroffe had 21 kills, Kim Coleman had 15 and Kathryn Rick added 15; for Newport Harbor (21-3), Misty May had a game-high 27 kills, and Melissa Schutz added 16.

May, Newport Harbor’s all-powerful weapon, has had a series of nagging back and shoulder injuries all season but was undaunted Saturday after popping six Advil.

Newport Harbor had 18 hitting errors to Corona del Mar’s 10.

The significance of this match was not lost on the fans, many of whom were holdovers from the previous all-Orange County clash between Los Alamitos and Fountain Valley in Division II.

School ties weren’t a prerequisite to hold an interest in this shootout.

‘I don’t know anyone on either team,” said a Newport Beach man. “I came because I know what a great rivalry this is.”

This was Newport Harbor’s fifth appearance in a section championship, since 1977, and the fourth time the Sailors have met Corona del Mar for the crown.

Although Corona del Mar has been here 11 times since its first entry in 1976--and four times in the last five years--the Sea Kings had managed only three titles before Saturday.

Newport Harbor held a 2-1 section finals advantage, winning in 1979 and 1987 and losing in 1977.