Newport Harbor Spikes Edison in the First Round

NEWPORT BEACH — Even though 10th-ranked Newport Harbor defeated Edison, 16-18, 15-5, 15-12, 15-6, in the first round of the Southern Section Division I boys’ volleyball playoffs Thursday at Newport Harbor High, winning was far from thrilling for Coach Dan Glenn.

“Rocky Ciarelli (Huntington Beach coach) and Eddie Rapp (Edison coach) are two of my best friends,” Glenn said. “I want to play to win, but I feel for the other person.”

“I’ve been thinking about it (playing against Glenn) since I heard the news and I had my adrenaline flowing since this morning,” said Rapp, a friend and an all-CIF setter (1986) and a former girls’ assistant coach under Glenn.

Newport Harbor (13-4 overall), the No. 2 team in the Sea View League, will meet the winner of Goleta Dos Pueblos, which finished No. 1 in the Channel League, and Encino Crespi on Tuesday.

After a few Sailor mental errors and a block by Edison’s Davis Ransom and Robert Ruiz, Newport Harbor found itself down a game. Sailor outside hitter Mitch McCoy, who finished with 31 kills, two solo blocks and three aces, sparked his squad, which had two five-point runs in the second game.

“It (winning after dropping the first game) shows we could step up,” McCoy said.

He got a crucial sideout for the Sailors and served out the third game (15-12) with a spike off the block by outside hitter Todd Jameson, who added 19 kills.

In the final game, McCoy served the Newport Harbor squad to a 5-0, a lead. The Chargers committed four service errors, allowing the Sailors to take control.

At 6-4, Newport Harbor won six unanswered points. Jameson had a kill to the right corner to give Newport Harbor the sideout at 12-6. Sophomore outside hitter Greg Slick, who had a match-total 19 kills, served out the game. Eric Vallely had 78 assists.