Newport Harbor Focuses on Ending Marina’s Streak

Newport Harbor, barely challenged in the girls’ volleyball postseason, received a test Tuesday, but the Sailors passed it with their usual flair by sweeping Marina, 15-9, 16-14, 15-7, in the semifinals of the state Division I playoffs.

The match--played in front of a capacity crowd of 1,400 at Newport Harbor--was a rematch of one in the same gym in the second round of the state playoffs last season.

Marina won that 2 1/2-hour match in five games and went on to win the state title, but this year the top-seeded Sailors were intent on forcing a different result.

“We were fired up and focused,” Newport Harbor setter Jennifer Carey said. “We weren’t going to let what happened last year happen again.

“Not in our gym.”

Newport Harbor will play in the Division I title game against the Northern California champion Stockton Lincoln, which defeated San Jose Archbishop Mitty in five games, at 7 p.m. Saturday at Cypress College.

The Sailors have not lost a game during the postseason, but Coach Dan Glenn thought that streak might end Tuesday against Marina. “I wasn’t thinking sweep,” Glenn said. “I just came in here hoping for the W.”

Glenn was worried because the Vikings (21-3) were on a roll, winning state playoff matches on the road against Torrey Pines and Simi Valley Royal.

And Marina seemed prepared to make it a match. After losing the first game, Marina battled into position to win the second.

Katie Keating’s kill gave the Vikings a 14-11 lead, but they couldn’t convert on four game points and Newport Harbor battled back. It was reminiscent of Marina’s collapse in the fourth game of the Southern Section Division I-A championship, in which they led Royal, 14-9, before losing, 16-14.

“We never were able to put it away on that 14th point,” Keating said. “We just needed that one extra point and we haven’t been able to do it all year.

“But I’m happy how we all played; I think we played really well.”

Newport Harbor just played better.

Marina was hampered by the loss of outside hitter Sarah Smith, who broke a finger last week in practice. Without Smith, almost all of the hitting fell to Keating and Chanda McLeod, who had 26 kills.

Carey, a 6-foot-1 senior headed for Hawaii next season, controlled the match. She had 40 assists, six kills, 11 digs and won the highly contested Game 2 with a block. Carey spread the sets around; three Sailor players had at least nine kills: outside hitter April Ross (23), middle blockers Kathy Lavold (12) and Krista Dill (nine).

Ross, a 6-1 junior, had nine kills in the second game, four after Marina scored its 14th point.

Newport’s Game 2 rally seemed to crush Marina’s spirit. The Vikings took a 2-1 lead in Game 3, but the Sailors scored the next five points and never trailed again.