Hitting gives girls win

The Sowers Middle School eighth-grade girls’ volleyball team captured its first championship in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District athletic league last Friday by upsetting No. 1-seed Harbor Day.

Sowers came back from an 0-1 deficit in games to win, 21-25, 25–12 and 15–9. The win atoned for an earlier season defeat the Vikings had suffered to Harbor Day.

Sowers was led by the duo of Amanda Kaae and Andrea deJesus, both of whom were starters as seventh-graders last year. In addition to the power hitting from Kaae and deJesus, outside hitter and serving ace Allie Schuck provided additional offense punch and setter Tyler Davis and middle blockers Alexa Hasen and Mercedes O’Connor also turned in key performances.

Sowers had reached the district final by prevailing in a tough match against perennial power Ensign, winning a pair of grueling 25-22 games.

Elizabeth Curtis and Lauren Deats provided crucial play off the bench to help send the Vikings to the title game.

“It’s been a real pleasure to work with such a fine group of athletes that are not only extremely talented, but are kind and respectful as well,” Sowers Coach Kyle Morita said. “Those are important qualities that can’t always be taught or coached.”

The Sowers seventh-grade team ended its season in third place.

In youth baseball

The Nitro 12-and-Under travel baseball team of Huntington Beach won its second-consecutive tournament title of the season last weekend.

In the Presidents Day Super Series tournament held at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex, Nitro went 4-0 against the competition, capped by a 7-3 win over Play Hard, to win the division championship.

Nitro entered its first tournament of the season the weekend of Feb. 9-10 and won the championship of the Amateur Athletic Union’s Boys’ Under-12 tournament in San Clemente.

Nitro defeated the Huntington Beach Clippers, 4-3, in the tournament final.

Nitro team members are Max Willingham, Jarrett Anton, Jake Weiser, Ryan Morrissey, Arnold Zinovev, Andrew Bogard, Drew Andary, Davis Holman, Matt Tavakoli, Peter Goode, Ryan Fishel and Sean O’Toole. The team is coached by Brett Baldwin and assistant coaches Ron Anton, Steve Bogard and Dave Weiser.