Newport Harbor sweeps Mater Dei in first round of CIF-SS boys volleyball playoffs – Orange County Register

NEWPORT BEACH – It was the first game of the CIF Southern Section boys volleyball playoffs, so of course all the players were excited.

Maybe too excited.

“Early on, there were a few unforced errors on both sides,” Newport Harbor coach Andrew Mabry said. “Certainly by us.”

Newport Harbor settled in early to beat Mater Dei in three sets, 25-21, 25-20, 25-23, at Newport Harbor High in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 pool.

The eight-team Division 1 playoffs continue Tuesday with the second round of pools. Newport Harbor (27-6) will host Huntington Beach (26-6). Huntington Beach lost to top-seeded Loyola in five sets on Wednesday.

Newport Harbor and Huntington Beach split their two Surf League matches. Newport Harbor defeated Huntington Beach in a tournament game.

Mater Dei (21-11) will play at Loyola (28-1-1) on Tuesday. Mater Dei and Loyola split their two non-league matches this season.

Newport Harbor senior Riggs Guy had a team-high 18 kills on Wednesday. Sophomore outside hitter Henry Clemo had 10 kills and junior middle blocker Jack Berry added nine kills for the Sailors. Newport Harbor senior setter Grayson Springborn had 41 assists.

Berry said he and his teammates are pumped for the playoffs.

“I feel like we had a lot more energy than we’re used to,” said Berry, who, like Guy, was a starter on the Newport Harbor boys basketball team.

Mabry said it was normal.

“You worked for this,” Mabry said. “There is excitement in the room. When the playoffs start, you can feel that energy change, and I think we’ve done a really good job of handling it.

Mater Dei, with USC-signed outside hitters Tyler Robinson and Eli McGhee among its stars Wednesday, played evenly with Newport Harbor early in the first set until the Sailors began to pull away midway through to earn a 25-21 victory. .

Newport Harbor never trailed in the second set and cruised to a 25-20 victory.

Mater Dei fell behind early in the third set. The Monarchs went on an 8-2 run to take a 23-22 lead. But Newport Harbor won the next three points of the set, including kills from Chandler Swanson and Berry, to win the match.

Mabry said the Sailors didn’t play their best game overall, but there were some highlights.

“It was probably our best offside game,” Mabry said, “and our defense was good.”

Both teams are league champions. Mater Dei was 9-1 in the Trinity League to win the league championship. Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar were co-champions of the Surf League with their 4-2 league records.