NEWPORT BEACH – It was the first match of the CIF Southern Section boys volleyball playoffs so of course every player was excited.
Maybe too excited.
“Early on there were some unforced errors by both sides,” said Newport Harbor coach Andrew Mabry. “Certainly by us.”
Newport Harbor settled down soon enough to beat Mater Dei in three sets, 25-21, 25-20, 25-23, at Newport Harbor High in the first round of CIF-SS Division 1 pool play.
The eight-team Division 1 playoffs continue Tuesday with the second round of pool play. Newport Harbor (27-6) will be home against Huntington Beach (26-6). Huntington Beach lost to top-seeded Loyola in five sets Wednesday.
Newport Harbor and Huntington Beach split their two Surf League matches. Newport Harbor beat Huntington Beach in a tournament match.
Mater Dei (21-11) will play at Loyola (28-1-1) on Tuesday. Mater Dei and Loyola split their two nonleague matches this season.
Newport Harbor senior Riggs Guy had a team-high 18 kills Wednesday. Sophomore outside hitter Henry Clemo had 10 kills and junior middle blocker Jack Berry added nine kills for the Sailors. Newport Harbor senior setter Grayson Springborn tallied 41 assists.
Berry said he and his teammates were fired up for the playoffs.
“I feel like we had a bunch more energy than we’re used to,” said Berry who, like Guy, was a starter on the Newport Harbor boys basketball team.
Mabry said that was to be expected.
“You’ve been working for this,” Mabry said. “There’s an excitement in the room. When the playoffs start you can feel that energy change, and I thought we did a really good job of managing it.”
Mater Dei, with USC-signed outside hitter Tyler Robinson and Eli McGhee among its standouts Wednesday, played evenly with Newport Harbor in the early portion of the first set until the Sailors began pulling away halfway through it to go on to a 25-21 win.
Newport Harbor never trailed in the second set and took a 25-20 win.
Mater Dei fell behind early in the third set. The Monarchs put together an 8-2 run to take a 23-22 lead. But Newport Harbor won the set’s next three points, including kills by Chandler Swanson and Berry, to win the match.
Mabry said the Sailors did not play their best match overall, but there were some high moments.
“It was probably our best side-out match,” Mabry said, “and our defense was good.”
Both teams are league champions. Mater Dei was 9-1 in the Trinity League to take the league championship. Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar were co-champions of the Surf League with their 4-2 league records.
