Daily Pilot High School Athlete of the Week

Dan Glenn always pushed his youngest starter to show more personality on the court.

With a name like Cinnamon Sary, some expected her to be cheery.

In many ways, volleyball calls for that kind of attitude. Players celebrate more after a play than in any other sport.

Sary took her job with the Newport Harbor High girls’ team far more seriously.

The position in which the sophomore found herself in early October, the approach made sense. She became the team’s quarterback.

Sary took over as the lone setter after a senior captain fractured her pinkie in three places during a practice before Sunset League play.

“Once she got hurt,” Sary said of Mackenzi Campbell, “there was no one else to come in for me. I felt more pressure.”

Somehow, the pressure never got to Sary. Calmly is how she dealt with the demands.

Maybe she was a little too composed because some began to question where her mind was.

“People think that I’m just up in LaLa Land because I’m staring straight or giving a blank face,” Sary said. “But I really am enjoying it.”

As the season progressed, Sary came out of her shell.

In the final match of the year, Sary danced before play began. Players gathered on the court, arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders.

The dance party continued after Sary dished out 33 assists and helped the Sailors sweep Salinas, 25-9, 25-11, 25-11, in the CIF State Division I championship match at UC Irvine Saturday. She also produced 54 assists and five blocks in Newport Harbor’s five-game victory at Dos Pueblos of Goleta on Dec. 1 to win the Southern California Regional final.

It took Sary a couple of days to comprehend what Newport Harbor accomplished. At the team’s banquet, it sunk in.

“It was a big deal,” Sary said of earning a fifth star, awarded to players who only win a state crown.

Sary is a member of a special group. The Sailors became the fifth girls’ team to receive the honor in Glenn’s 24 years at the school.

The grind of the season, 39 matches, and huge responsibility were worth it to Sary. She understood why Glenn stressed the importance of playing with more emotion.

Glenn said he never really got on Sary’s case for where she set the ball. The decision was usually hers and it turned out as the right call most of the time.

With major hitters like Katey Thompson, Kirby Burnham and Maddy Brown, the options were there. Finding a way to get each one the ball was the key.

“It’s complicated,” Sary said of playing setter. “You’re thinking physically of doing all the right moves, but also what’s the right play to run in the heat of the moment. You have to decide where to set it.

“I try to keep it as un-chaotic as I can. If I make a mistake, or one of my teammates makes a mistake, I don’t make a big deal out of it. Just get the next point.”

Sary expects her demeanor to change next year as her role will at Newport Harbor. With four senior captains graduating, it will be time for someone else to fire up the team.

“The standards have been set really high for our team,” said Sary, referring to Newport Harbor (33-6) winning the Sunset League title, the CIF Southern Section Division I-AA title, and the CIF State Division I title in the same year. “Now, that [the captains are] gone, I feel like I’m going to be one of the leaders. I’m going to lead the team and not just follow.

“Next year I feel like I will be able to do it.”

Glenn is happy he doesn’t have to nudge her into the role.