Sailors become favorites

NEWPORT BEACH — As the new athletic director at Newport Harbor High, Mike Zimmerman says he’s been overwhelmed trying to learn names and remember faces since being hired Oct. 5.

Zimmerman, who commutes from Baldwin Park, should definitely get to know Coach Dan Glenn and his girls’ volleyball team. They’re the ones that have a good shot to bring the school a Sunset League title and a CIF Southern Section championship in Zimmerman’s first season as A.D.

The Sailors, ranked No. 1 in Division I-AA, showed their stuff, introducing themselves as the favorites of the Sunset League Tuesday night at Newport Harbor High. They controlled the match and took out league defending champ Los Alamitos, 25-17, 25-15, 23-25, 25-23. The Griffins entered ranked No. 4 in the Division I-AA poll. Yet they also played without junior starting outside hitter Jane Croson, who was out with an abdominal injury.

Newport Harbor (15-3, 3-0 in league) also wasn’t at full strength, as senior team captain Mackenzi Campbell, a setter, is out with a broken right pinkie finger sustained during practice last week. In her place sophomore Cinnamon Sary had 36 assists, six digs and three kills. She distributed the ball mainly to Kirby Burnham (15 kills), Katey Thompson (12 kills) and Maddy Brown (12 kills).

Los Al (1-1 in league) didn’t seem to have an answer. Brown continually kept the Griffins off balanced, Burnham delivered an indefensible hit when needed and Thompson produced sound defense with five blocks.

“We’ve been working really hard in practices, but we know this is only one match,” said Burnham the senior outside hitter, bound for USC, who had 15 digs. “We have to get the next one if we want to be [Sunset League] champs.”

The next one comes Oct. 27 at Los Alamitos. Tuesday night’s match featured an energetic crowd that backed the Sailors. Among the fans was former Newport Harbor High standout April Ross. She saw the Sailors show aggression in the first two sets, when they took advantage of several Los Alamitos’ errors.

In the first set, they extended a 16-15 edge to a 22-15 advantage, as the Griffins appeared out of sync. The Sailors executed its attack frequently in the second set, building a 22-8 lead.

Though they lost the third set, the Tars nearly rallied from a 19-9 deficit, catching the Griffins at 23, but Los Al ended Newport Harbor’s comeback by scoring the final two points.

Still, the Sailors were able to carry the momentum into the fourth set, as they led 23-15 before Los Al made a furious run to get back in it, nearly forcing a fifth set. Perhaps fittingly, Brown ended the match with a kill after a set from Sary.

“Maddy Brown had a great match,” Glenn said. “She played real well. That’s a good combo (Burnham and Brown) to have. She really stepped it up.”