Newport Harbor Needs Rally to Beat Esperanza

Top-seeded Newport Harbor dug itself another big hole, but the Sailors climbed out again and posted a three-game victory over fourth-seeded Esperanza in the Southern Section Division I-AA semifinals Tuesday at Esperanza High.

April Ross had 17 kills and 15 digs and sophomore setter Katie King had 35 assists to lead Newport Harbor, which won 17-15, 15-11, 15-8 to advance to play Manhattan Beach Mira Costa in the finals this weekend at Cypress College.

Newport Harbor’s chances to play for a third consecutive section Division I-AA championship looked dubious in the first game when the Sailors came out flat and the Aztecs started hot, taking a 14-6 lead in front of their partisan crowd of about 1,000.

But Esperanza, which hadn’t lost a game in its first three playoff matches, couldn’t put away Game 1 as Newport Harbor (21-1) calmly erased six Aztec game points.

In a Sea View League match 3 1/2 weeks ago against Irvine, Newport Harbor rallied from a 14-3 deficit in the fourth game, erased seven match points to win the game and eventually the match in five games.

And Tuesday, the Sailors didn’t waver in the face of another big deficit.

“Falling behind like that is not really a good trait,” said Newport Harbor’s Krista Dill, who had seven blocks and six kills. “But we knew we could come back.”

Said Ross, who has committed to USC: “We knew we just had to hang in there.”

Ross used her jump serve to notch two aces and another point to pull the Sailors within five, 14-9. Then junior Heather Cullen served for six consecutive points, with Dill tallying two blocks and a kill in the run to put Newport Harbor ahead, 15-14.

Lisa Addeo, who finished with nine kills and provided a big spark for the Sailors, eventually served out the game.

“When Newport came back like that it took all the momentum away from us,” Esperanza Coach Kurt Kersten said. “And we never got it back.”

Esperanza setter Toni Anderson finished with 30 assists and 11 digs, sophomore Kristy Chester had 11 kills and Laura St. John had 10 kills and nine digs for Esperanza, which finished with only two blocks.

In another Division I-AA semifinal:

Manhattan Beach Mira Costa 3, Irvine 1--Second-seeded Mira Costa advanced with a 15-7, 9-15, 15-7, 15-2 victory. Julianna Bayley had 11 kills for Irvine (13-5).