Newport Harbor Outlasts Marina

Sunset League champion Marina threw everything it had at top-seeded Newport Harbor, and the the Sailors had to sweat it out for more than 2 1/2 hours and four games before the host Vikings succumbed in a Southern Section Division I boys’ volleyball quarterfinal Friday.

Setter Ty Tramblie had 73 assists and 25 digs and middle blocker Scott Dore had 18 kills and six blocks to help Newport Harbor remain undefeated with a hard-fought 15-10, 16-14, 13-15, 15-12 victory at Marina High.

Although sophomore Jeff Wootton had 27 kills and sophomore Robert Kijewski added 21 for Marina (15-6), Newport Harbor (20-0) advanced to the semifinals to play fourth-seeded Manhattan Beach Mira Costa (19-2). Newport Harbor defeated Mira Costa in five games earlier this season.

“[Wednesday] is going to be a battle,” Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn said. “Tonight was a great win.”

Tramblie and Dore provided the spark, but the Sailors got contributions from everyone.

Outside hitters Matt Jameson (23 kills), Scott Archbold (22 kills, four blocks) and Zachary Wells (10 kills, 19 digs) gave Tramblie plenty of options.

Even senior setter Travis Nelson got into the act, serving two aces with his jump serve. Nelson, who began the season as the team’s starter, broke his left middle finger in an earlier match and he won’t be able to set for the rest of the season.

But with four pins in the finger and lots of padding and tape, Nelson still played sparingly, coming out after he would serve.

“There’s no quit in this team,” Glenn said.

Marina led, 13-9 and 14-13 in the second game, but Newport Harbor rallied each time. After a service ace by Archbold and a kill by Dore made it, 15-14, Wells dug a tip shot by Kijewski, then Jameson spiked for a kill to give Newport Harbor the second game, 16-14.

Marina fought back from a 6-0 deficit in the third game. Middle blocker Scot Austin had four of his eight blocks in the game and setter Jeremy Blain (54 assists, six blocks) closed out the game, 15-13, with a block on Jameson.

Newport Harbor seized momentum late in the fourth game after trailing, 12-9. The Sailors scored six consecutive points on Wells’ serve to close out the match.

A block by Tramblie and two kills by Archbold pulled Newport Harbor even, 12-12. Then Wells’ acrobatic dig of a tip by Kijewski helped set up a kill by Dore before two Marina hitting errors ended the match.

In other Division I matches:

Santa Margarita 3, La Crescenta Crescenta Valley 0--Second-seeded Santa Margarita won on the road, 15-4, 15-11, 15-6. The Eagles (15-3) will play Laguna Beach in the semifinals Wednesday.

Laguna Beach 3, Santa Monica 0--Tyler Reynard had 24 kills for third-seeded Laguna Beach (17-2), which won on the road, 15-7, 16-14, 15-5.