Newport Harbor boys’ volleyball holds off Huntington Beach in CIF Division 1 opener
The intensity felt in the gym could be attributed as much to the matchup as it could to the start of the playoffs.
Newport Harbor, the reigning CIF Southern Section Division 1 champion, welcomed in Surf League rival Huntington Beach to begin its title defense.
More than two hours after it started, and following several plot twists, senior middle blocker Lukas Johnson spiked down the decisive point in a 25-16, 23-25, 25-18, 25-27, 15-12 win for the Sailors on Wednesday night on their home floor.
“I think the emotions were high,” Jake Read, a senior outside hitter headed to Loyola-Chicago, said. “It’s always a fun one between us and Huntington. I think our rivalry has kind of grown over these past few years because we’re both great, great volleyball schools. With our student section and their student section, it always gets rowdy.”
Senior outside hitter Luca Curci, bound for UCLA, had 25 kills and 10 digs to lead Newport Harbor (31-2), the No. 2-ranked team in the section and top seed in Pool B. The pool play format keeps the higher seed at home throughout the playoffs, so the Sailors will host No. 7 Mater Dei on Tuesday and No. 3 Manhattan Beach Mira Costa on May 6 in their pursuit of another CIF finals appearance.
Read added 18 kills. Junior opposite Riggs Guy had nine kills and 2½ blocks, Johnson chipped in with nine kills and two blocks, and sophomore middle blocker Jack Berry supplied three kills and three total blocks.
Huntington Beach (22-8), the No. 6 seed, played with unbridled passion, riding some highs and lows in its play. The Oilers succumbed to an 11-4 run by the Sailors to end the first set — one that saw junior opposite Aidan Dubno exit with a right ankle sprain. He would not return.
“We play at a super-high emotional level all the time,” Huntington Beach coach Craig Pazanti said. “Maybe sometimes to our detriment because it takes a lot, all that extra expended energy throughout the match, but my guys don’t know how to play any other way. I think they might take a little bit on from their coach’s personality.”
In Dubno’s stead, senior opposite Jay Pearson (five kills, 2½ blocks) and middle blockers Nick Ganier (nine kills), a sophomore, and Drew Bjork (three kills, 2½ blocks), a senior, provided some much-needed production.
“He’s come a long way in a short period of time, and he’s just a tremendous athlete,” Pazanti said of Ganier. “He played a little travel ball with us … when he was 14. … People, I think, overlook him because he’s only 6 feet tall, but he jumps almost 50 inches, so it definitely makes up for it.”
The Sailors won the first and third sets going away, but the match took another turn in the fourth set. More than once, a fire alarm interrupted play. When play resumed, a scramble led to a ball being chased down near the Newport Harbor student section.
Pazanti said fans made contact with two of his players. An individual was removed from the stands.
“I would have pulled my team off the floor if they didn’t kick that guy out because you can’t touch players,” Pazanti said.
Newport Harbor coach Andrew Mabry said he didn’t see the incident occur, but he said he apologized to Pazanti for any wrongdoing.
After failing to convert a match point in the fourth set, the Sailors put the distractions behind them to close the match out.
“Even though those different variables might come into play, we don’t want to back down [and] play passive,” said Newport Harbor senior setter Korbin Francisco, who had 55 assists. “We always want to keep going, keep swinging, keep going for blocks, all that. It’s just a great part of our game to stay aggressive.”
Senior outside hitter Liam Phinizy had 16 kills to pace Huntington Beach. Junior outside hitter Ben Bray had 11 kills and three blocks. Junior setter Jake Pazanti contributed 42 assists, 11 digs and two blocks.
Mabry remarked that the teams know each other well. It was a tough opening match for the defending champions against an opponent that has now played six deuce sets in 12 total sets between the sides this season.
“It’s two really good teams going at each other for the third time this year,” Mabry said. “When there’s that much familiarity, when there’s that much awareness of the other team and competitive respect for the other team, for how good they are, I think it’s just going to be close.
“I thought it was a really good, high-level, energy-driven match. There’s certainly moments of unforced errors, but I think the playoffs kind of force that upon you. I thought this was a pretty energetic gym tonight, and I thought our guys played really hard.”
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