Newport Harbor’s Pender is MVP again

Newport Harbor High junior outside hitter Cole Pender earned the Sunset League MVP award for the second straight year after the boys’ volleyball team won the league championship for the second time in as many years.

Pender, a UCLA commit, is on the first team with Newport Harbor senior middle blocker Spencer Lawrence, senior Landon Monroe, a setter and opposite, junior middle blocker Ethan Talley and sophomore outside hitter Dayne Chalmers.

The five led the Sailors (29-5, 10-0 in league) to their first undefeated league championship since 2011, their first semifinal appearance since 2008, and their first appearance in the CIF Southern California Regional Division I playoffs.

Huntington Beach senior opposite Alex Anastassiades, senior outside hitter Noah Franklin and junior libero Grant Guinasso made the first team, along with Edison senior outside hitter Kyle McCauley, senior setter Corey Taylor and sophomore libero Cole Power, and Fountain Valley senior middle blocker Jake Loudenback.

The Oilers and Chargers shared second place in league at 7-3.

Newport Harbor, the No. 4 seed, lost at No. 1 Los Angeles Loyola in three sets in the section semifinals.

In the SoCal Regional semifinals, the No. 4 Sailors lost at No. 1 Corona del Mar in four sets.

Huntington Beach (24-11 overall) reached the Division 1 quarterfinals, losing at No. 2-seeded Oak Park in four sets, while Edison (18-13) lost at home to Beckman in five sets in the second round.

Pender, who made the first team for the third straight year, finished with 348 kills and a .340 hitting percentage.

Pender had 49 service aces, 18 solo blocks, 34 block assists and 155 digs.

Lawrence, an Ohio State signee, produced 109 kills and a .484 hitting percentage.

Lawrence, a three-time first-team selection, had 14 solo blocks, 57 block assists and four aces.

Monroe, who is headed for UC Santa Barbara, had 186 kills and .359 hitting percentage.

Monroe, a two-time first-team pick, added 425 assists, 14 solo blocks, 55 block assists, 94 digs and 14 aces.

Talley had 159 kills and a .366 hitting percentage.

Talley, who is committed to Ohio State, had 20 solo blocks, 51 block assists and 18 aces.

Chalmers finished with 203 kills and a .457 hitting percentage.

He added 75 digs, eight solo blocks and 18 block assists.

Anastassiades produced 423 kills and .322 hitting percentage.

The future Long Beach State player had 57 total blocks.

Franklin, a USC signee, had 387 kills, 35 total blocks and 45 aces.

Guinasso finished with 349 digs, 67 assists and 20 aces.

McCauley had 307 kills and 135 digs.

Taylor totaled 926 assists and 110 digs.

Power finished with 225 digs and 102 assists.

Loudenback helped Fountain Valley to a share of fourth place in league at 3-7.

The members of the second team were Newport Harbor sophomore libero Ryan Schroeder, Huntington Beach junior outside hitter Mitchell Bollinger and sophomore setter Aidan Knipe, Edison senior outside hitter Trent Williams, senior middle blocker Connor Hanks and senior middle blocker Joe Leas, Fountain Valley senior outside hitter Downey Huynh, junior outside hitter Ben Minch, senior middle blocker Luke Davis and senior setter Matt Gemeinhardt, and Marina senior outside hitters David Graham and Alec Maya.

— From staff reports