Easy sweep for Newport Harbor

Steve Virgen

As the season draws closer to the end the seniors of the Newport

Harbor High girls volleyball team are becoming more familiar with

what Coach Dan Glenn discussed with them in years past.

Glenn would tell his players they would become more motivated and

play with a different sort of emotion during their senior year, and

he told them, “You won’t totally understand that until you’re a

senior.”

Well, the message is hitting home, and the Sailors are hitting

back ... at opponents. Newport Harbor, in particular the seniors,

managed to show emotion while easily sweeping visiting Aliso Niguel,

25-9, 25-15, 25-8 as the Sailors remained undefeated in the Sea View

League Tuesday.

Newport (14-4, 7-0 in league), ranked No. 2 in CIF Southern

Section Division II-AA , also won its eighth straight match on a day

when all other sporting events were canceled because of the Southland

fires’ damage to the air.

“The kids are playing hard; they all are working hard,” Glenn

said. “There are so many things you can improve on in volleyball and

they understand that.”

Glenn said he can identify with what his seniors are going through

this season. He has coached seven of them, Hannah Lindquist, Emily

Turner, Kellie King, Alexis Kerns, Lauren Miller, Elizabeth Clayton

and Holland Osadche for three years, and then there’s Alyson

Jennings, who Glenn has coached for four years.

“I’m feeling it, too,” Glenn said of the season winding down.

“[Jennings is] one of the kids that’s up there with Misty [May],

April [Ross] and Maureen McLaren. Not too many girls have gone

through here for four years and have been so good. She’s right there

with them all. She’s fun for me to watch.”

Glenn also showed excitement when talking of his team’s potential

because he expects his seniors to increase their level of their play

in the postseason. Jennings certainly displayed such as she delivered

five kills, 14 assists and three service aces to help put away Aliso

Niguel (3-12, 1-6).

Turner and junior Kiley Hall contributed seven kills each, while

Kerns added five kills and Miller provided two kills and a service

ace. King chipped in with seven assists.

“We have really improved,” said Jennings, who will play at the

University of Texas next year. “I still think we have a long way to

go, but just overall, we are playing with a lot more emotion. It’s a

lot more fun when we play together. It’s also clicking with all the

seniors. This is it. This is coming toward the end. We just want to

finish strong.”

With the Sailors trailing 10-6 in the second game, Jennings led

Newport’s comeback, as they went on a 12-3 run with Jennings

producing two kills, three assists and two service aces in the spurt.

After Jennings established order, the Wolverines could only score two

more points.

Newport also easily won the third game, which featured two hard

kills by Hall on the overpass, which was the first hit back from

Clayton serves. The Sailors’ victory pleased Glenn, especially with

the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions coming Friday.

Harbor opens with Stockdale (22-2) at 9 a.m. The Sailors will also

play at 5 p.m. Depending on whether they win or lose they will face

Presentation of San Jose or Oxnard.

“I’m excited about the spot we’re in because to win this we would

have to beat four real good teams,” Glenn said.