STATE GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : Newport Harbor Doesn’t Let It Slip Away This Time : Division I: Sailors take a firm hold on State title from the start, defeating Stockton St. Mary’s, 15-4, 16-14, 15-10.

It was the perfect ending to an almost perfect season.

After a long rally in which Newport Harbor’s Misty May had three digs, teammate Melissa Schutz spiked a free ball at the net to give the Sailors a 15-4, 16-14, 15-10 victory over Stockton St. Mary’s in the State Division I girls’ volleyball championship Saturday at Cal State Fullerton.

Four-year starters May, who had 21 kills, and Schutz, who had 11, led Newport Harbor (33-1) to its first State Division I title.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn said. “The kids have done a great job of staying focused all season and they picked it up in the playoffs.”

Last season, the Sailors lost a heartbreaker to Corona del Mar in the Division I final, 16-14, 15-8, 16-18, 9-15, 15-10. The victory helped Corona del Mar earn a mythical national championship, finishing the season ranked No. 1 in the nation in a USA Today poll.

But the defeat taught the Sailors a valuable lesson.

“I really think you need to experience tough losses to make you a better player,” Glenn said. “This team has had some tough defeats, but that experience showed this whole season.”

Newport Harbor entered Saturday’s match ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today and Volleyball Monthly. And the Sailors made sure there would be no repeat of last year’s final performance.

After a slow start, Newport Harbor closed out Game 1 with junior setter Jenny Hecker, who had 33 assists and 11 digs, serving for 10 consecutive points.

In Game 2, St. Mary’s (35-5) rallied from a six-point deficit to take a 13-11 lead, then Newport Harbor’s seniors took charge.

Laura Osborne’s service winner and kills by Schutz and May put the Sailors ahead, 14-13.

Although St. Mary’s drew even at 14-14, the Sailors pulled it out after a kill by May, a St. Mary’s error and another kill by senior Sara Fairborn, who had five kills and nine digs.

In Game 5, Newport Harbor took a 13-3 lead. Senior Tina Bowman, who had two kills and two blocks, spiked from the middle to give the Sailors a side out at 13-10 to set up the final point-scoring kills by Schutz.

“We didn’t want to let it slip through our fingers again,” May said. “We knew we had to get them right from the start.”

St. Mary’s Coach Kathy Hardigan thought May made the difference in the match.

“They set Misty 50 times tonight,” Hardigan said. “And if you get her up and going and she’s on . . . “

May has terrorized Orange County coaches for the last four seasons, but she will move on to Long Beach State next season. Schutz has orally committed to Colorado.

The only blemish on Newport Harbor’s record was a loss to San Jose Archbishop Mitty, the State Division III champion, in the Santa Barbara tournament Nov. 4.

The Sailors played the match without Jenny Hecker. But with Hecker, they marched through the section Division I playoffs, sweeping Manhattan Beach Mira Costa in the final Nov. 19.

The Sailors continued their hot play in the State tournament, losing only one of 13 games.