Boys volleyball: Tough act to follow

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - This year’s Newport Harbor High boys volleyball

team certainly isn’t as experienced or, as yet, not as cohesive as last

year’s senior-driven CIF Southern Section Division I champions.

But Coach Dan Glenn’s 14th edition may be just as athletic as the group

that went 22-1 in best-of-five matches and topped Back Bay rival Corona

del Mar in four games in last spring’s section title match.

Senior Billy Clayton, an All-CIF football standout who has signed with

Stanford for volleyball, anchors a group for which Glenn has growing

optimism.

A gifted leaper with rare athleticism, the 6-foot-5 Clayton shifts from

middle blocker to outside hitter, where sets will be pumped his way to

take advantage of what Glenn terms “a very live arm.” He was second-team

All-Sea View League as a junior.

Senior Kent Turner, a 6-1 opposite who was a part-time starter a year

ago, is the other notable returner, but 6-4 senior Dustin Illingworth,

who could earn All-CIF honors for his recently completed basketball

campaign, may step into the volleyball spotlight after taking last season

off.

“(Illingworth) played volleyball as a freshman and a sophomore (on the

junior varsity) and he’s played on the beach,” Glenn said. “So, it’s not

like he’s just a basketball player out here. He’s another tremendous

athlete with unbelievable jumping ability. He’s a very competitive kid

and we’re excited to have him. He’ll start at middle blocker.”

Brad Craig, a 6-2 senior who is one of three team members to have earned

a CIF title ring in football last fall, will bring intangibles to the

other starting middle blocker spot.

“Brad is a winner,” Glenn said. “He’s been in the program and I expect

him to get better and better this year.”

Blake Tippett, a 6-3 junior, is another outside hitter, whom Glenn said

has improved enough to earn a starting spot.

“He’s our best passer,” Glenn said.

Lloyd Wright, a sophomore who played for the Santa Margarita JV last

season, steps in at setter, a position which has produced the last two

Newport-Mesa District Players of the Year in Ty Tramblie (now at Cal

State Northridge) and Travis Nelson (Golden West College).

“He plays for the Balboa Bay club program, so he has quite a bit of

volleyball experience,” Glenn said of the 6-0 Wright, who figures to be

the architect of the Tars’ offense the next three seasons.

Senior Adam Tomalas, a 6-1 outside hitter, will contribute heavily in the

back row, where sophomore Greg Perrine, the starting point guard on the

basketball team, also figures to see action.

“We have 12 guys and all of them will play,” Glenn said. “It will give

everyone some experience and help them learn the game at the varsity

level. We may eventually figure things out and go with a regular lineup.”

Sophomore Brian Gaeta, another football player who played varsity

volleyball at Edison High as a freshman, is a 6-2 outside hitter with

promise.

Christian Berg-Hansen, a 6-4 junior, adds depth at middle blocker, as

does 6-3 sophomore Erik Peterson.

Jimmy Sanders, a 5-11 senior, rounds out the roster.

In addition to All-CIF standouts Matt Jameson and Alan Limon, as well as

Tramblie and Orange County All-Star Match MVP Adam Hearlson, who all

graduated, the Tars will be without senior Brendon Hansen. Hanson’s

commitment to play water polo at Stanford next year required him to swim

this spring.

“It hurts us, because (Hansen) is a good all-around player,” Glenn said.

“But he has a great opportunity at Stanford, so he really had no choice.”

Glenn maintains his typically challenging preleague schedule, which

begins Friday night at Huntington Beach and includes two nonleague

matches with former Sea View rival CdM.

Irvine and Harbor, most agree, are a class above the rest of the revised

league, which includes Woodbridge, Aliso Niguel and Laguna Hills. The

Tars open Sea View play March 28 at home against Irvine.

Newport Harbor boys volleyball roster

2 Brian Gaeta So.

4 Billy Clayton Sr.

5 Kent Turner Sr.

7 Blake Tippett Jr.

8 Chrisitian Berg-Hansen Jr.

10 Jimmy Sanders Sr.

11 Eric Perrine So.

12 Erik Peterson So.

13 Lloyd Wright So.

16 Adam Tomalas Sr.

35 Dustin Illingworth Sr.

45 Brad Craig Sr.

Coach: Dan Glenn