Boys volleyball: Tars hold off CdM in five

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - The Newport Harbor High boys volleyball team

turned its only meeting with Back Bay neighbor Corona del Mar into a

block party Friday night at CdM.

The Sailors amassed 10 stuff blocks in a third-game victory to fuel a

15-17, 15-12, 15-6, 11-15, 15-9 nonleague triumph in the 165-minute

regular-season finale for both teams.

The Sailors prolific blocking performance in the crucial third game

came after they had collected just nine blocks as a team the first two

games.

No less than five Sailors contributed to the roof job, with senior

Blake Tippett topping the list, taking part in six blocks. Senior

Christian Berg-Hansen was in on three stops, while Greg Perrine, Morgan

Craig and Erik Peterson also chipped in.

The victory for Newport avenges four losses to CdM last season,

including the CIF Southern Section Division I title match.

The Sailors (11-7) are ranked No. 7 in Orange County and No. 2 in CIF

Division II, behind Santa Margarita, as they enter the playoffs next

week.

CdM (12-6), ranked No. 3 in CIF Division IV, enter the postseason

after sharing the Pacific Coast League crown.

Coach Steve Conti’s hosts survived six game points to win the opening

game, putting the Tars away on their fourth game point on a Newport

hitting error. The game lasted 38 minutes, typical of the workload

required by both teams to combat one another’s impressive defenses.

Newport led early in the second game, which included deadlocks at 1,

5, 5, 7 and 8, 10 and 12.

After the last of those deadlocks, however, Harbor closed it out with

three straight points, including a game-ending block by Tippett, which

was, indeed, a Harbor harbinger.

Tippett, who was told Monday he had mononucleosis, was cleared to play

Friday after results from a second blood test said otherwise.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said Newport Coach Dan Glenn,

referring to whether to play Tippett and risk weakening him for the

playoffs. “But we lost four times to CdM last year, so I know he is

really pumped up to play tonight.”

Tippett finished with a team-high 20 kills and eight blocks, while

Berg-Hansen, a 6-foot-5 middle blocker, chipped in 19 kills and five

blocks.

Harbor junior setter Loyd Wright amassed 66 assists, while his CdM

counterpart, senior Evan Burden, finished with 63.

CdM received 23 kills from senior outside hitter Charlie Alshuler, and

22 more from senior Brian Gallagher. Burden also utilized junior outside

hitter John Grod, who pounded 13 kills.

The difference, however, was in the blocking department, where Newport

totaled 27 to CdM’s 11.

After trailing, 1-0, Harbor assumed command in the third game, but CdM

forged a 4-0 lead in the fourth game, only to see the visitors rally.

Newport pulled even at 5-5, then scored the next three points.

But, typical of this crosstown rivalry, CdM responded to lead, 9-8.

After Harbor tied it up, CdM got on a roll to claim a 14-9 edge. And,

after the Sailors closed to within three, CdM finished the deal on its

second game point.

Newport led, 9-0, in the deciding game, but CdM rallied to within

12-9.

Then, after a Perrine kill produced a sideout, Tippett blasted

back-to-back kills, the closed the match out with, fittingly, a stuff

block.