Boys volleyball: Round 2

Newport Harbor High and Corona del Mar have supplied Back Bay fans

a choice, if they wish to attend a CIF Southern Section boys second-round

boys volleyball playoff match tonight.

The Sailors (25-6) host San Clemente (14-1) in a Division II clash,

while the Sea Kings (12-7) are at home against South Pasadena in the

Division IV action. Both matches begin at 7.

Newport Harbor Coach Dan Glenn said after the Tars’ 48-minute

first-round sweep of California Friday, he expected a much tougher battle

against the Tritons.

After a five-game first-round triumph over No. 3-seeded Ocean View,

however, CdM may or may not be pushed to the same degree by the visiting

Rio Hondo League champions.

In any case, a trip to Friday’s quarterfinals is on the line, so both

Glenn and CdM Coach Steve Conti will expect their troops to be focused on

the task at hand.

Leading the troops for the Sailors will be seniors Greg Perrine, Brian

Gaeta, Loyd Wright and Erik Peterson.

The foursome helped the Sea View League champions finish the regular

season as Orange County’s top-ranked team.

Newport defeated San Clemente, 15-10, 10-15, 15-12, in a best-of-three

pool play tussle March 15 at the Orange County Championships.

CdM will count upon senior starters John Grod, Spencer Miller and Ryan

Inman, as well as freshman Kevin Welch. Junior Bart Welch, who sprained

an ankle in the victory over Ocean View, is questionable, after not

having practiced Monday. If Bart Welch can’t go, the Sea Kings will have

to overcome the loss of one of their most reliable passers.

CdM has only videotape of South Pasadena’s four-game, first-round

conquest of St. Francis on which to judge the Tigers, but Conti has seen

enough to know a challenge exists.

“It’s tough to tell how big they are from the video, but you can see

they have talented players,” Conti said. “They have one opposite, who

they like to set a lot, even when he’s in the back row.”