Division I Features Return Engagement

The Southern Section Division I boys’ volleyball championship match is a neighborhood rivalry once again.

Last season, Newport Harbor won its first title since 1987 with a four-game victory over Corona del Mar in the Division I final. The two meet again tonight with the same title at stake at 7 at Cypress College.

And there are plenty of story lines.

Third-seeded Corona del Mar boasts perhaps the two best all-around players in the county--Stanford-bound setter Kevin Hansen and USC-bound outside hitter Greg Stampley. The two should be eager for some redemption after starting in last season’s narrow loss in the final.

Unseeded Newport Harbor is led by one of the county’s most dynamic offensive players, Stanford-bound Billy Clayton, an outside hitter. The 6-foot-5 senior, a starter on last season’s championship team, will also try to win his second section title this school year. He was a starting safety/receiver for the Sailors’ Division VI champion football team.

Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn led an overpowering girls’ team, which featured two-time county player of the year April Ross, to section and state championships in the fall. Now, he has an overachieving boys’ team one victory away from another title.

“I’m just jazzed to be back in the finals,” Glenn said.

Injuries could have sidetracked both teams, but they found ways to overcome those potential setbacks:

* Newport Harbor senior Kent Turner, a part-time starter at outside hitter last season, had to move to setter when sophomore Lloyd Wright suffered an early-season hand injury. He has kept the job since, and Blake Tippett, Adam Tomalas and Brian Gaeta have filled the Sailors’ need at outside hitter.

* Corona del Mar starting outside hitter Alec Hanson suffered an early-season ankle injury, but he has returned and helped the Sea Kings compile a 21-1 record, including a march to the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions title earlier this month.

In that tournament final, Corona del Mar defeated Newport Harbor (17-4) for the third time in three tries this season, 15-13, 15-9, 15-10. So the Sea Kings know a fourth victory could be the sweetest, but it also the toughest.

“Sure, we’ve been keeping an eye on them,” Stampley said. “But we’ve really been focused on what we need to do. It’s going to be fun playing them for the title. But anything can happen.”

Even Santa Margarita Coach Eddie Rapp, whose team lost to Corona del Mar in the semifinals, said the Sea Kings’ three regular-season victories over the Sailors don’t translate into an automatic title.

“Nah, it’s Newport-Corona and it’s the finals,” Rapp said. “It’s going to be a battle.”

*

In the Division II final at 4 p.m., also at Cypress College, third-seeded Mater Dei will play unseeded Cerritos Gahr.

Mater Dei, runner-up in the Serra League, won its semifinal match against Woodbridge, which was ranked second in the final Division II poll, to reach its first-ever section final. Gahr defeated fourth-seeded Redondo Beach Redondo Union in the quarterfinals and top-seeded Santa Barbara in the semifinals.

After an injury-plagued season, the Monarchs are rounding into top form with senior opposite Brian Costanzo, senior middle blocker Brandt Wicke and junior setter Mike Gazzano leading the way.