CIF title contenders abound

The question may not be whether or not one Newport-Mesa area high school boys’ volleyball team can bring home a CIF championship, but how many.

Boys’ volleyball appears to rule the spring in terms of successful teams like girls’ water polo did the winter. But while Newport Harbor High and Corona del Mar were the main CIF Southern Section title contenders in girls’ water polo, four Newport-Mesa area boys’ volleyball teams look capable of going deep into the CIF playoffs. And multiple teams may find themselves in CIF championship matches.

Corona del Mar, the defending CIF Division II champion, is ranked No. 2 behind Valencia of Valencia.

After defeating Edison to win the Orange County Championship on March 20, Newport Harbor moved into the No. 1 slot in CIF Division I. The Sailors are now ranked No. 4.

Estancia, which reached the CIF Division III semifinals last year, is ranked No. 2 in CIF Division III.

Costa Mesa is ranked No. 9 in Division III and Sage Hill got some votes in earlier Division V polls.

Corona del Mar, which went 26-7 last year and won the Pacific Coast League, returns three starters and add several newcomers to the starting lineup who are already making an impact and help make the Sea Kings a front-runner again.

The Sea Kings have a strong base with returning starters Scott Slaughter, a 6-foot-7 UC Santa Barbara-bound middle blocker,, 6-1 junior setter Phil Bannon and 6-1 junior outside hitter Adam Smith. Slaughter became a force at the net for the Sea Kings in the playoffs last year.

“He’s athletic and has a great volleyball frame,” Corona del Mar Coach Steve Conti said. “And he still has a lot of room to get better.”

Conti said Bannon has grown three inches and added 15 pounds since last year and is as solid a setter as there is. Smith is the team’s most experienced varsity player.

“He likes to get after it and compete,” Conti said.

Gus Ellis, a 6-6 sophomore middle blocker, and Blaine Nielsen, a 6-4 junior outside hitter, received valuable time in reserve roles last year and move into the starting lineup this season. They made the transition without skipping a beat.

“Gus has worked hard to improve his overall game and he’s consistent,” Conti said. “Blaine was pushing the starters and making them better every day in practice last year.”

Among the newcomers, setters Jeff Carlson and Sam Stafford look primed to make contributions. Outside hitters David Yi, a senior captain, and sophomore Spencer Brown figure to play big roles.

“Yi is one of our best defenders,” Conti said. “He flies all over the court. Brown is one of our better ball-control guys.”

Conti believes there is less pressure on this year’s club because expectations were not skyrocketing after the team lost several key players to graduation.

“A lot of people didn’t think we’d be that good,” Conti said. “The Welches [brothers Tom an Kevin] left so people thought there’d be a drop-off. People used to focus a lot on them. Now, the defense can’t focus on any one player.”

The Sea Kings boast a strong setter in Bannon, who knows how to run an offense. They are a good ball control team and have stellar middle blockers in Slaughter, Ellis and senior Brian Baldwin.

Conti said Tesoro returns five starters, while Laguna Beach and Northwood look strong, but a Pacific Coast League title and a run at a CIF championship don’t appear out of reach for the Sea Kings.

“I’m not a coach who believes in rebuilding years,” Conti said.

The Sailors are not known as a stellar blocking team, but they were strong at the net in their 25-15, 22-25, 15-10 victory over Edison in the Orange County tourney title match, posting eight blocks.

With Newport Harbor’s size ? it has eight players 6-2 or taller ? blocking should continue to be a strength. Junior Weston Dunlap is an experienced ? at times dominant ? middle blocker and Brett Auer is an electrifying outside hitter for the Sailors, who reached the CIF Division I quarterfinals last year and look primed for another run deep into the playoffs in a wide-open division.

Costa Mesa returns five starters and, after upsetting Estancia, believes it has a shot not only at the Golden West League title, but the CIF Division III championship.

“Expectations are pretty high,” first-year Costa Mesa Coach Chris Komer said. “Once we beat Los Alamitos, the guys started believing in themselves.”

Returners Ryan Bagwell (a senior outside hitter and Daily Pilot Dream Team pick a year ago), senior outside hitter Will Lefebvre (out for another week or so with a broken foot suffered in practice), Mitchell Caldwell (a senior middle blocker), senior outside hitter Trevor Smith and Tony Krikorian (a senior setter and defensive specialist), will try to produce the school’s first league title.

“Winning league is our No. 1 goal,” Komer said. “Our second goal is to take CIF.”

Has a lot of talent and high expectations created pressure for a first-year coach to handle?

“I think so, but I like it,” Komer said. “It’s a good problem to have.”

Estancia started the season ranked No. 1 in Division III but has experienced some growing pains with first-year Coach Mark Cygan and a first-year setter trying to get in tune with returning stars like senior outside hitters Shaun and Scott Markley and senior middle blockers Dallas Kopp and Alex LaGrand. But the Eagles could be in the hunt for a league and CIF title when it is all said and done.

Sage Hill has struggled early against tough teams but has the potential to mesh into a CIF playoff team.

“I like that we started with tough competition,” Lightning Coach Merja Connolly-Freund said. “It’ll make us better in the end.”

Newcomer Bayle Smith gives the Lightning a potent outside hitter to complement athletic middle blockers Shane Webster and Michael Morgan.

“We’re progressing,” Connolly-Freund said. “I’m satisfied with the way things are going.”dpt.28-volley-nhvedi-2--CPhotoInfoAU1PCBON20060328iwgo8jknKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)Junior middle blocker Weston Dunlap is a strong hitting threat for Coach Dan Glenn’s Sailors.dpt.28-vb-cdm-lb-1-CPhotoInfoAU1PCBL420060328iwo2p6knMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Gus Ellis, right, a 6-foot-6 sophmore middle blocker, is a first-year starter for the Sea Kings, who Coach Steve Conti said can challenge for a CIF crown.