A Neighborhood Battle Goes to Corona del Mar

Saturday’s Southern Section Division I boys’ volleyball final between Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor featured a little bit of everything.

The headliners sparkled in the spotlight. One of the stars played through not one, but two injuries. And the emotionally charged neighborhood rivalry lived up to its billing.

After 2 hours 15 minutes and five games, Corona del Mar won its first major division championship since 1989 with a 15-3, 6-15, 15-12, 9-15, 15-6 victory at Cypress College in front of an estimated crowd of 1,500.

Corona del Mar senior Greg Stampley, who will play at USC as a walk-on next season, had 32 kills and eight blocks, including one on match point against Stanford-bound Billy Clayton, who had 31 kills, to send the Sea Kings into their frenzied celebration.

It was the 19th consecutive victory for Corona del Mar (22-1), which lost its only match March 15 in Week 3 this season against Irvine, which shared the Sea View title with Newport Harbor (17-5).

The victory also avenged Corona del Mar’s four-game loss to Newport Harbor in last season’s Division I final. Four of Newport Harbor’s five losses this season came against Corona del Mar.

“This is pretty sweet,” said senior setter Kevin Hansen, who was a starter on last season’s runner-up team.

Hansen, a 6-foot-4 setter who will play at Stanford next season, jammed a finger on his right hand early in the match, making it difficult for him to set. Then he aggravated an ankle sprain he suffered two weeks ago in the playoffs.

“I couldn’t feel anything in my finger for a while so that’s why we had Evan Burden set a little bit,” said Hansen, who finished with 61 assists, 18 digs, five kills and four blocks.

But Hansen stayed out there, albeit with a limp.

“Kevin’s as tough as they come,” said Corona del Mar Coach Steve Conti, who won his first Division I title after leading the Sea Kings to the Division III crown in 1998. “And with him and Greg out there, they make the whole team tougher.

“This victory was just all guts.”

Newport Harbor showed some heart, twice battling back into the match.

Setter Kent Turner finished with 62 assists and seven blocks for Newport Harbor, which used an effective block to get back into the match. Dustin Illingworth, who had 15 kills, had five of his six blocks in the fourth game to help the Sailors force a fifth game.

But Stampley, who also had 17 digs, got hot in Game 5 and had 10 of his kills in the game to help the Sea Kings score seven consecutive points for a 13-3 lead. Charlie Alshuler, who had seven blocks, notched his 14th kill for the Sea Kings’ final side out before Stampley’s block ended it.

“In that fifth game,” Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn said, “teams are usually more tired, so I knew it would come down to whichever team would get on a run. And they got one.

“We were down pretty far and I’m proud that our kids battled. We made a few too many unforced errors tonight to beat a team like Corona.”