Artists Score Big Victory

Laguna Beach girls’ volleyball Coach Vickie Gentry couldn’t say enough about her team’s five-game victory over Del Mar Torrey Pines over the weekend.

For starters, there was the finish--a 25-23 victory in rally scoring in the decisive fifth game of the Torrey Pines Tournament.

It gave the Artists a 16-17, 15-6, 15-6, 11-15, 25-23 victory.

Laguna Beach was ranked No. 5 in the State Division I rankings and Torrey Pines was ranked No. 10 heading into the tournament.

“This was probably the most stupendous match I’ve seen this year,” said Gentry, whose team cruised through its first four matches. “It was like a college match. It was just great volleyball. The energy was there, the team was together. They were just honed in.”

Laguna Beach setter Carolyn Kittell was selected the tournament’s most valuable player and Liz Belloni was a member of the all-tournament team. Michelle Chambers of Dana Hills, which placed fourth, was also selected to the all-tournament team.

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Professional beach volleyball player Scott Ayakatubby made a surprise visit to see the Marina girls’ volleyball team defeat Los Alamitos, 3-0, last week, and he got a startling welcome from the Vikings when the team ran into the bleachers to acknowledge him as the match was about to begin.

Ayakatubby, cousin of sophomore Viking defensive specialist Shannon Yarbrough, donated funds to buy the Vikings’ varsity uniforms. He blushed as players greeted him with high-fives and kisses as Athletic Director Larry Doyle introduced Ayakatubby to the crowd.

“It was my pleasure to do this,” said Ayakatubby, the fifth-ranked point-getter on the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour.

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Krissy Duperron, who begins her third year at forward for state champion Woodbridge girls’ basketball team, has orally committed to attend UC Irvine. She is recovered from the torn meniscus that sidelined her most of last season.

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Tustin celebrated its 75th anniversary and its homecoming Friday night.

At halftime, the school inducted 10 charter members into its Alumni Hall of Fame.

They were: current major league baseball players Mark Grace (1982) and Shawn Green (1991); Evelyn Furtsch Ojeda (1932), Olympic track and field gold medalist in the 400-meter relay in the ’32 Games; Linda Blower Dempsay (1956), first women’s athletic director at a Division I college (UC Irvine, 1963-84); Jim Steffen (1954), professional football player and Washington Redskins’ MVP in 1965; John Dailey (1952), Marine Corps general and acting deputy administrator at NASA; Al Enderle (1947), civic and community leader; David Leestma (1967), astronaut; T. Jefferson Parker (1972), best-selling author; Scott Storey (1981), television art director/set designer.

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Santa Margarita went into Friday’s Sea View League football game against unbeaten Newport Harbor ranked sixth in Orange County. Coach Jim Hartigan couldn’t emphasize enough the value of winning the league opener against the Sailors because: “I know Newport Harbor is not going to roll over and play dead,” Hartigan said--before the game. “The winner is going to be in great shape, and the loser will go out and [beat] somebody.”

Santa Margarita won, 36-22, and plays at ninth-ranked Irvine (4-2, 1-0) on Saturday. On Thursday, Newport Harbor plays host to El Toro (4-2, 1-0), which was ranked as high as No. 4 only two weeks ago.

It was also a good night to be wearing the jersey No. 4. Newport Harbor’s Ray Ohrel rushed 34 times for 272 yards and one touchdown, and Santa Margarita’s Billy Newman rushed 28 times for 267 and one touchdown. Both offenses combined for 1,002 yards.

Also contributing to this report were correspondent Ryan T. Blystone and Times staff writers Martin Henderson and Paul McLeod.