Girls volleyball: Newport fights off Eagles

Steve Virgen

NEWPORT BEACH - With the Newport Harbor High girls volleyball team

on its bye from the Sea View League, Sailors Coach Dan Glenn made sure to

schedule a formidable opponent Wednesday. The visiting Santa Margarita

Eagles didn’t disappoint and the Sailors had to regroup a bit to fight

off the scrappy Eagles for a 15-6, 15-3, 14-16, 15-12 nonleague victory.

“(Santa Margarita is) a good team and that’s why we scheduled them,”

Glenn said. “The Sea View League is not as strong as it once was and with

the bye, Santa Margarita along with (Corona del Mar), are very good for

us.”

While generally coasting through the first two games, Glenn sat five

of his starters in Game 3 and the Eagles responded with a 16-14 win.

Then, with the starters back in for Game 4, Santa Margarita never dropped

its momentum and nearly stole another win.

But, seniors Katie King (35 assists) and Liz Lord (14 kills) and

junior Kristin McClune (15 kills) were too much for the Eagles. The trio

was crucial in the Sailors’ victories.

“We’re improving right now,” Glenn said of his Sailors (13-5). “Even

though we lost (Game 3), I thought Lindsay Thayer did a good job at

setter.”

Thayer, a senior, came up with 12 assists, making the most of her

playing time. Sophomore Elizabeth Clayton slapped a service ace to give

Newport a 14-12 lead, but the Eagles (3-6) would not go away. Santa

Margarita’s Erika Mannix, who led the Eagles with 13 kills, served up an

ace of her own to tie the score at 14, and she later served another ace

for the game-winner.

Santa Margarita of the Serra League kept coming in Game 4. Down 14-7,

they crawled back to within 14-12, but King ended the match with an ace.

The Sailors will resume league play today at 3:15 p.m. at Aliso Niguel, before entering the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions Friday.