Chargers denied after first set

NEWPORT BEACH — There appeared to be an upset in the making at Newport Harbor High Tuesday night.

Edison came out hot, much more aggressive than the top-ranked team in CIF Southern Section Division I-AA. But the Chargers couldn’t sustain their momentum, especially after losing starting setter Alica Vogel to what appeared to be a broken pinkie finger.

Instead, Newport Harbor earned points at key moments on its way to a 17-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-16 Sunset League win.

“That first game we played great,” Edison Coach Trent Jackson said. “They’ve been No. 1, maybe they got a little complacent. I don’t know. Everything was working for us. We were hitting from everywhere. They couldn’t concentrate on one player. But we made too many errors in the second game and we lost [Vogel] in the third game.”

The Sailors’ Kirby Burnham, a senior outside hitter bound for USC, stepped up when Newport Harbor needed her most.

She scored three of the final four points to help the Sailors break away from a 21-21 tie in the second set.

Senior middle blocker Katey Thompson, who had 13 kills and three blocks, started the run in the second set with a big block.

Then Burnham (15 kills, 16 digs and two aces) stepped up. The third game was also close, as the teams were tied, 22-22, but junior Maddy Brown (12 kills) came up with some key hits. The Chargers also committed an error and sophomore Cinnamon Sary (35 assists, five digs and three blocks) ended the game with a huge block.

It was all a nice way for the Sailors (18-3, 5-0 in league) to respond from their loss in the first game, when Edison came out with more aggression.

“First game they just outplayed us,” Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn said.

“They played harder than we did and they dug a ton of balls. They had us well scouted and they just flat out beat us. I can sit here and say we played poorly the first game, but that had more to do with Edison than it had to with us.

“Their kids were ready to go tonight. We weren’t as much as we should be playing an opponent like that.”

But Glenn said his team was able to gain momentum from the second-game win and possessed control of the match when the Chargers suffered a crucial injury.

The Chargers (11-6, 3-2 in league) appeared out of sync soon after Vogel left in the third game with Edison ahead, 9-6.

Vogel’s absence became evident in the fourth game, and Newport Harbor took advantage, building a 15-5 lead.

Jackson thought his team missed some opportunities in the second and third games committing too many service errors and failing to extend the match.

When Vogel left, the Chargers still played well at times, but Jackson said it was evident the Chargers’ timing was off.

Vogel had 32 assists before her injury. Delaney McCraney led the Chargers with 14 kills. Cassie Strickland had 13 kills and four aces, while Taylor Knox had 10 kills.