Newport Harbor boys' volleyball falls to Los Alamitos, splits league set

The Sailors couldn't finish the Griffins after taking the first set in a 19-25, 25-22, 25-12, 25-22 loss Wednesday in a Sunset League match.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 12:23am

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Newport Harbor boys' volleyball team fell to Los Alamitos in a Sunset League match on Wednesday, despite taking the first set. Middle blockers Noah Igo and Luke Charleton combined for 22 kills to lead the Griffins' comeback. The loss evened the season series between the two teams, who are tied for third place in the league standings.

Why it matters

This match was an important Sunset League clash between two of the top teams in the league. The result keeps the race for playoff positioning tight, with both teams still in contention for a top-three finish and automatic playoff berth.

The details

After Newport Harbor jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the first set, Los Alamitos rallied to win the next three sets and take the match. The Griffins' middle blockers, Noah Igo and Luke Charleton, combined for 22 kills to lead the comeback. Newport Harbor struggled with its serving, committing multiple errors that allowed Los Alamitos to side out effectively.

  • The match took place on Wednesday, March 26, 2026.
  • Newport Harbor won the first meeting between the teams on February 26, 2026.

The players

Noah Igo

Middle blocker for Los Alamitos High School.

Luke Charleton

Middle blocker for Los Alamitos High School.

Ben Panzica

Player for Los Alamitos High School.

Raphael Chang

Player for Los Alamitos High School.

Michael Komer

Setter for Los Alamitos High School.

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What they’re saying

“Both of them did an outstanding job. They never got down, they did the right thing. We're making the good moves to the pins but, at the same time, trying to control the middles on Newport Harbor. They're ready to play every single time, and we appreciate their effort.”

— Tony Panzica, Los Alamitos head coach

“I think we served the way we wanted to serve in game one, not a lot of misses, and with a lot of aggression. Our consistency just wasn't there tonight, so we had to kind of switch some guys to some float serves. I think those guys did a pretty good job, but I think our situational serving wasn't great tonight.”

— Pat Eaton, Newport Harbor head coach

“We needed more of that. That was a moment where we really needed someone to step up and make a play. Tyler Pence has done a great job of that all year, and he's kind of been known for that in his career. It was a great moment. It was too bad we couldn't capitalize much more on that. … We needed to make a play, and he made it, and when guys do it, right, I'll get as fired up as anybody.”

— Pat Eaton, Newport Harbor head coach

What’s next

Newport Harbor will host Edison on Friday for its senior night contest, while Los Alamitos will look to continue its push for a top-three finish in the Sunset League.

The takeaway

This match showcased the competitive nature of the Sunset League, with two evenly matched teams battling it out. The result keeps the league race tight, setting up an exciting finish to the regular season as teams jockey for playoff positioning.