Sea Kings Put Stamp on Season With Title

Greg Stampley got the exclamation point he wanted to cap his high school career, helping Corona del Mar win its first major division title since 1989 with a victory over Newport Harbor in Saturday’s Southern Section Division I boys’ volleyball final.

Stampley blocked Newport Harbor’s Billy Clayton, who will go to Stanford, on match point to seal the 15-3, 6-15, 15-12, 9-15, 15-6 victory for the Sea Kings.

Stampley, who will play at USC as a walk-on next season, didn’t receive as many headlines as some of the other talented seniors in this deep class, including Clayton, or junior national team members such as El Toro’s Jimmy Pelzel, who will go to UC Irvine, or Marina’s Jeff Wootton and Rob Kijewski, who will both go to Long Beach State.

But Stampley’s 32 kills and eight blocks were key to Corona del Mar’s final victory.

Plenty of attention also fell on his Stanford-bound teammate, 6-foot-4 setter Kevin Hansen.

Hansen suffered a finger injury and he aggravated an ankle sprain later in the final, but he hung tough in the five-game victory.

“I’ve said all along that Kevin Hansen is the player of the year,” Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn said. “He did nothing [in the final] to change that perception.”

Hansen finished with 61 assists, 18 digs, five kills and four blocks, leading the way with Stampley, who was the emotional lightning rod for the Sea Kings.

Stampley averaged 8 1/2 kills per game in the Sea Kings’ first 13 games of the playoffs and he didn’t disappoint in the final either. He had five kills in seven attempts in a 15-3 Game 1 victory and he finished strong too, tallying 10 kills in Game 5. He also had eight blocks and 17 digs.

“I think Stampley is the best player in the county,” said one Southern California college coach. “But you take away Hansen or Stampley from that team, who means more to them? It’s tough.”

The Sea Kings will find out next season when they try to defend their title.

Corona del Mar’s junior class includes three starters--middle blocker Charlie Alshuler, who had 14 kills and seven blocks in the final, opposite Brian Gallagher and 6-foot-6 middle blocker Forrest Mack--and reserve Evan Burden, Hansen’s backup at setter.

NEXT YEAR’S BUMPER CROP

Besides Corona del Mar’s key returners, other top seniors next season include Marina’s Steffin Rangel, Santa Margarita’s Blake Robinson and Damien Scott, Irvine’s Kris Kraushaar, Newport Harbor’s Blake Tippett and Mater Dei’s Mike Gazzano.

FOUR STRIKES, YOU’RE OUT

Maybe a fifth time would have been the charm.

Although Newport Harbor wasn’t a favorite to successfully defend its 1999 Division I championship, the Sailors ran into only one road block this season: Corona del Mar.

Newport Harbor played Corona del Mar four times this season and lost four times. The Sailors extended the Sea Kings to five games for the first time this season in Saturday’s Division I final, but still came up short.

The Sailors finished 17-5 and the Sea Kings were the only team the Sailors didn’t beat this season. Newport Harbor’s other loss came against Irvine, with whom it shared the Sea View title.

RAPPING IT UP

Santa Margarita sent Coach Eddie Rapp out with the first Serra League championship, but the Eagles’ postseason run ended with a loss to Corona del Mar in the semifinals.

Rapp, who coached the boys’ team to consecutive section titles in ’97 and ’98 and led the girls’ team to four consecutive section titles from 1996-99, has taken a full-time teaching and coaching position at Fullerton College, where he will coach the women’s team.

Sunset League champ Marina also came up short in its attempt to send out Coach Darrick Lucero with a section title. Marina lost to Newport Harbor in the Division I quarterfinals.

Lucero, who led the Marina girls to section and state titles in 1997, is taking over the women’s program at Vanguard.

If you have an item or idea for the boys’ volleyball report, you can fax us at (714) 966-5663 or e-mail us at mike.itagaki@latimes.com