DAILY PILOT HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:Newport’s Wells made most of senior year

Katie Wells is a rarity in high school girls’ volleyball.

The senior is one of the top players on a Newport Harbor High team that finished the season as co-champions of the Sunset League and ranked No. 6 in the CIF Southern Section Division I-AA.

But unlike the other elite players on the Sailors roster, Wells didn’t start her varsity career as a freshman or sophomore. Wells did not even play on the varsity team as a junior. But in her first varsity season, as a 6-foot middle blocker Wells made an impact and became a captain on a team full of players with more experience.

In the final league match of the season, with the title at stake, Wells played her best, smashing a career-high 22 kills to go with 11 blocks to lead the Sailors to a five-game victory over defending section champion Los Alamitos.

The way the Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week worked her way up the ranks earned her special praise from 21-year Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn.

“It’s been fun to watch the whole progression,” Glenn said. “Sometimes these are your best kids. The ones that paid their dues.”

Wells had to learn the hard way about what paying dues means in Glenn’s system. Before her junior year Wells planned to be a part of the varsity team after two years on the freshman-sophomore and junior varsity teams. But Glenn requires all of his players to run a mile in under seven minutes before they can play on the varsity team.

Wells ran it in 7:13. She stayed on the junior varsity team and wasn’t able to be called up with some of her teammates when the playoffs started.

“It was frustrating not being on varsity,” Wells said. “Only because I knew I could play. I had to get over it. It’s all or nothing. I had to accept his rules. Why would he budge for me if he wouldn’t budge for anyone else?”

So Wells continued to work. She was not foreign to adversity when it came to volleyball. Wells had never played the sport before enrolling at Newport Harbor as a freshman. She chose the sport instead of taking a physical education class her freshman year.

“I thought ‘I’m tall, so I might as well,” Wells said. “I was kind of scared. I didn’t know how to play.”

But in a system with plenty of players with years of club volleyball experience entering high school, there were just as many first-time players.

Wells enjoyed that the sport required teamwork in order to achieve success. She began playing club volleyball after her freshman year on the Sailors.

“I knew in order to go further in the program I had to play club,” Wells said.

And entering her senior year Wells was not about to miss out on the varsity experience. She ran a 6:56 mile.

“I had to do it,” Wells said. “I was just dreading it. I was so relieved. It was a huge weight taken off my shoulders.”

Even with the diversity of ages and experience at the varsity level Wells said the team gelled.

“Everyone gets along really well,” Wells said. “Sometimes being old on a young team is weird, but everyone is really accepting.”

With Glenn having such a long tenure with the Sailors to go with a history of success, making the playoffs all 21 years, Wells said there is a bond created between Newport Harbor volleyball players past and present.

“Having all experienced the program you can relate to anyone who has gone through the program. Even 10 years ago, the trips, the mile,” Wells said. “And everyone in volleyball knows who he is. You can start a conversation with anyone in volleyball.”

Playing for Glenn is one of the reasons she plans to play at the next level. Glenn said Wells can be a good player in college because of her quickness.

“She’s one of the quickest kids I’ve had,” Glenn said. “In college, getting up quick in transition is important. She’s just touching the surface. She’s going to get better. She has a very, very high hitting percentage.”

Glenn and Wells had a special bond throughout the season, with Wells the one player to understand her coach’s sarcastic side.

“He’ll say some joke and nobody gets it but I’ll laugh,” Wells said. “I think it’s good. I respect him.”

Even mid-game Glenn has had his effect on Wells.

“Even if you don’t think he’s right, he’s right,” Wells said. “He’ll tell you what to watch for then they’ll do exactly that. He’ll tell me where to block and it comes right to my hands. I’m grateful, because it’s like I’m doing it myself.”

As for college volleyball, Wells said it is in her plans, it is just a matter of where.