Sea Kings awarded top seed

Barry Faulkner

The Corona del Mar High girls volleyball team, which earned Back Bay

bragging rights with a five-game nonleague win over Newport Harbor

Friday night, can erase another form of Sailor supremacy in this

year’s CIF Southern Section playoffs.

The Sea Kings (22-5), champions of the Pacific Coast League, begin

their quest for a seventh section crown, which would match the

Sailors’ total, as the No. 1 seed in CIF Division III-A.

CdM, which plays host to San Dimas in Thursday’s first round, lost

in the III-A final to Bishop Montgomery last fall after making the

semifinals in each of the previous five seasons.

This year, Coach Bill Christiansen’s senior-dominated squad

figures to face its strongest competition from No. 2-seeded St.

Matthias, No. 3-seeded Nipomo or No. 4-seeded Notre Dame of Sherman

Oaks.

CdM is the only seeded entry among four Newport-Mesa schools

competing in three divisions, beginning Tuesday.

Newport Harbor (12-12), meets visiting San Gorgonio in Tuesday’s

Division II-AA first round.

Costa Mesa (9-5) visits Nordhoff in a Division III-A first-round

match Thursday, while Sage Hill (14-6) opens Division IV-A play

Tuesday at home against San Gabriel Academy.

All matches are 7 p.m.

CdM, having won section titles in 1997, ‘93, ‘92, ‘90, ’78 and

‘77, went 9-1 against league competition.

The Sea Kings are paced by 6-foot senior middle blocker Lindsey

Ensign, senior UCLA-bound outside hitter Jordan Smith and senior

defensive specialist Breanne Ogden. All three earned All-CIF laurels

in Division III last season. Ensign was a first-team honoree. Smith

and Ogden were second-team picks.

The Sea Kings also will rely upon seniors Britta Nielsen, setter

Traci Lawson and Shannon McMenomy, as well as sophomore Kelly

Christian.

Newport Harbor, ranked No. 7 in the final Division II-AA poll,

finished runner-up in the Sea View League.

Coach Dan Glenn’s Tars were swept by top-seeded Mira Costa in last

year’s Division II-A title match.

The Sailors, who have won section crowns in 2002, 1999, ‘98, ‘97,

‘94, ’87 and ‘79, were swept by top-seeded Mira Costa in the II-A

title match last season.

The Sailors are led by 5-9 senior outside hitter Kiley Hall,

sophomore outside hitter Coco Yokoyama, junior middle blocker Bryana

Carey and senior setter Taryn Tarnutzer.

Costa Mesa, making its second playoff appearance in three seasons,

was third in the Golden West League. Coach Allison Salladin’s

Mustangs, ranked No. 10 in the final Division III-A poll, feature

junior Tracy Bjelland, senior Lindsay Navarette and senior setter

Jackie Havens.

Sage Hill, which last year advanced to the IV-A second round, is

paced by co-captains Cat Dailey, a 6-0 junior outside hitter, and

Vista Murphy.

Haywood Wright, a 6-1 junior middle blocker, is another weapon for

Coach Dan Thomassen’s Lightning, who finished second in the Academy

League.