High School Boys’ Volleyball Preview: Newport Harbor is the team to beat

The high school boys’ volleyball season has been riddled with exciting, high-level action already, and the calendar is just now turning to league.

In the first month of the season, fans in the area have been treated to a handful of tournament titles, as well as the hottest team in the sport.

Newport Harbor has opened the campaign perfectly at 16-0. The Sailors are the top-ranked team in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 poll, and their latest win came against Back Bay rival Corona del Mar, ranked No. 5.

The appeal of the rivalry has never been higher, as the Sea Kings (11-3) drove the Sailors’ undefeated season to the brink of extinction in the Orange County Championships final on Monday at Edison High. After saving five match points, the Sailors’ run continues.

Sunset League play begins on Friday, and Newport Harbor will again be challenged when it enters a hostile environment at Huntington Beach. The Oilers (16-3) come into the match ranked No. 7 in Division 1, and they have a chance to turn the tables on the Sailors.

A couple of years ago, Huntington Beach was riding a 121-match winning streak that saw the Oilers win three straight CIF Southern Section and CIF Southern California Regional championships. The streak, which spanned parts of four seasons, was ended by Newport Harbor on the Oilers’ home court on April 5, 2016.

Huntington Beach, which won the Tesoro Tournament to open the season, is led by Long Beach State commits Mitchell Bollinger (outside hitter) and Aidan Knipe (setter).

Newport Harbor has won the Best of the West Invitational in San Diego and the Orange County Championships. The Sailors boast UCLA signee Cole Pender (outside hitter) and Ohio State-bound Ethan Talley (middle blocker). Junior Dayne Chalmers is another powerful outside hitter.

Edison will be looking to make a third consecutive trip to the Division 1 playoffs. The Chargers (5-9) have a balanced attack with juniors James Carpenter and Justin Pennington. When Edison is on its game, it passes well, with UCLA commit Cole Power taking the first touch at libero.

The unranked Chargers have played a tough schedule, also playing in the Best of the West before hosting the county championships.

Fountain Valley (7-6) is looking to reach the postseason for the first time since 2013. Marina (7-6-1) is in search of its first league win since 2015.

The results of Friday’s matches could shake up the Division 1 rankings. Local teams are involved in two top-10 matches. In addition to the Sunset League showdown between Newport Harbor and Huntington Beach, CdM will host No. 10 Beckman (22-4) at 5:15 p.m.

After an exhilarating match against Newport Harbor in the Orange County Championships final, some have been left to wonder how many times the Back Bay rivals might face each other this season. The Sailors’ win in the tournament final was their first against the Sea Kings since May 3, 2013.

The CdM lineup is full of college-committed players. Senior outside hitter Brandon Browning and junior outside hitter Adam Flood are headed to USC. The others are senior opposite Kevin Kobrine (UCLA), senior middle blocker Tyler Flood (New York University) and senior middle blocker Brandon Hicks (UC Santa Barbara).

CdM coach Steve Conti says depth makes his team dangerous.

“I think one of the strengths of this team can be the team,” he said. “I’ve been able to say that the last couple of years, and I think that’s one of the reasons why we’ve been successful.”

Sage Hill is the last of the area’s ranked teams. The Lightning (7-3-1) are ninth in Division 4.

Versatile senior hitter Logan Senn is effective from either side of the net, and he is a favorite target of sophomore setter Amin Sajjadian.

St. Margaret’s (6-1), ranked seventh in Division 3, could be a key opponent for the Lightning in the Academy League race.

Led by UCLA signee Samuel Burgi, Laguna Beach looks to cap its time in the Orange Coast League with a 12th consecutive league crown. The Breakers (4-5) have only lost one Orange Coast League match, which came on April 22, 2008, at Calvary Chapel.

Calvary Chapel (8-2) may present the greatest challenge to Laguna Beach this year, as the Eagles have received votes to crack the Division 2 rankings.

Estancia (2-6) hopes to make a return trip to the Division 3 playoffs after placing third in league last year. Costa Mesa (1-2) last made the playoffs in 2016.

The Battle for the Bell rivalry will take place at Estancia on April 10 and at Costa Mesa on April 26.

Joshua Nehls is the third different coach for Ocean View (3-5-1) in the last three seasons. The Seahawks have not made the playoffs since they were Golden West League champions in 2012.

andrew.turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @ProfessorTurner