Big week of volleyball ahead in O.C.

Charlie Brande will sure to experience nostalgia Friday night at UC Irvine, but he could also be discovering the future of the NCAA Championships when taking in the Battle of the Bay boys’ volleyball match.

This year’s rivalry features players that will go on to play for NCAA Division I programs. The match between Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar high schools will also be part of a busy and eventful week of volleyball in Orange County.

“There are a lot of them going to schools that are very capable of being in the Final Four two or four years down the line,” said Brande, who coached the boys’ and girls’ teams at Newport Harbor in the late 70s and at Corona del Mar in the late 80s.

Newport Harbor, ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division I, takes on CdM, ranked No. 3 in CIF Division II, Friday at 8 p.m. at UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center. Kyle Caldwell (UCLA), Tucker Peleuses (USC) and Mark Liebermann (UC Santa Barbara) play for Newport Harbor, while Gus Ellis (Stanford) stars for the Sea Kings.

“I’ve just been lucky enough to be a part of those kids lives through club,” said Brande, the director of the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club. “Kyle’s mom and dad played for me at Newport. Dillon Flinn’s dad played for me at Newport. Danny Baker’s dad played for me. I can go on and on.”

The Battle of the Bay match comes one night after the semifinals of the NCAA Championships at 6 and 8 p.m., featuring players with local connections (see Colleges story), also at the Bren.

“It’s going to be so great to have that caliber of volleyball here in Orange County,” said Brande, the UCI women’s volleyball coach. “And then to also have that sandwiched around two high school rivalries is just great.”

Before the Battle of the Bay, Woodbridge will face Santa Margarita at 6. The night has been dubbed, “Battle at the Bren.”

“The Newport-Corona rivalry in any sport is something that really parallels to [the NCAA Championships], especially with the number of people following it,” Brande said. “I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it.”

Saturday at 4 p.m. is the title match of the NCAA Championships.

Meanwhile, the Huntington Beach Open of the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals will take place Friday through Sunday. And, that also features players with local connections, including former Newport Harbor High standouts Misty May-Treanor and April Ross.

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or by e-mail at [email protected].