PREP VOLLEYBALL / SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS : Newport Harbor Scores Upset

It was supposed to be a dream season for the Huntington Beach girls’ volleyball team but the reverie was abruptly shattered Saturday, when Newport Harbor defeated the Oilers, 15-13, 5-15, 8-15, 15-13, 15-6, in a quarterfinal match of the Southern Section Division I tournament.

The Sailors (12-5) were four points from elimination with the score tied, 11-11, in the fourth game in front of about 500 at Newport Harbor. But Melissa Snow came up with three kills, including the game-winner, to force a fifth game.

Newport Harbor won the coin toss to decide the serve in the fifth game and quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead behind two more kills by Snow and an ace serve by Julia Hecker. The Sailors soon extended their lead to 8-1 and Snow came on like a storm with eight kills in the game before Huntington Beach star Melissa Wendt hit one wide to give the Sailors match point.

The top-seeded Oilers (19-1), ranked No. 1 in the nation, stood in shock for a few moments after the loss before rushing out of the gym. Wendt, one of the nation’s top recruits, had a match-high 26 kills.

The Sailors, who will play Manhattan Beach Mira Costa (17-1) in the semifinals Tuesday, could empathize with the pressure the Oilers were under--the Sailors were the tournament’s top-seeded team last season before they won the Southern Section and State titles.

Dan Glenn, Newport Harbor coach, said key things were winning the first game and playing at home, where one of the florescent lights flickers every few minutes.

“Home court advantage is huge. This is a dungeon. No one likes to play here. That stupid ceiling is so low. I love this gym,” Glenn said.