Daily Pilot Girls’ Volleyball Dream Team: Anabel Kotzakov’s competitiveness helped Newport Harbor take on all
The rise of the Newport Harbor High girls’ volleyball program came swiftly.
In the last full season before the coronavirus pandemic, the Sailors finished 10 games below the .500 mark.
Two seasons since the resumption of high school athletics have yielded 55 wins for Newport Harbor. The Sailors took another step this season in finding themselves among the sport’s elite programs in the CIF Southern Section’s exclusive eight-team Division 1 playoff format.
“It’s been a quick rise,” Newport Harbor coach Andrew Mabry said. “To be in the Division 1 playoffs this year — in the top eight — it was really the most elite and most competitive playoff structure we’ve ever had in our section, in our sport. We’ve never had only eight teams.
“The last couple years, there’s been 10 or 12 [teams]. They did 16 previously. To do eight, that’s a very elite group. We kind of came from sort of the unexpected land. We weren’t even on the teams to watch list when they released it at the beginning of the season.”
At the forefront of that success was senior outside hitter Anabel Kotzakov, the Daily Pilot Girls’ Volleyball Player of the Year. Back on the left pin after spending her junior season as an opposite, Kotzakov thrived offensively to the tune of 556 kills.
Newport Harbor went 26-8 overall and 5-1 in the Surf League, paving the way for the Sailors to compete in the top division come the postseason.
A recent Boise State commit, Kotzakov said her competitiveness served her well. Kotzakov noted that the Sailors refused to believe they were the second-best team in the Surf League, even after a loss to Huntington Beach in the Dave Mohs Tournament.
From there, Newport Harbor would go on to earn a league sweep of the Oilers en route to winning the outright league title, before adding a five-set victory over Huntington Beach in their Division 1 playoff pool.
“It just feels good beating a team that’s really good,” Kotzakov said. “If they weren’t as great at volleyball, I guess it wouldn’t have been as satisfying and we wouldn’t have been as motivated, but because they were ranked way ahead of us and they play really great volleyball, we just really, really wanted to win and beat them. Once we did, we knew that it was possible.”
As invigorating as the wins over Huntington Beach were, a playoff win over then reigning CIF Division 1 champion Los Angeles Marymount was the cherry on top for Kotzakov.
“Marymount was probably the best game I’ve ever played at Newport Harbor,” Kotzakov said. “It was my favorite. They were the champions before. We just went into that knowing that they were the better volleyball team and that if we wanted to win, it would have to be our mentality, too, and not just our physicality.
“That fifth set against Marymount, we were down by five or six points. It was not looking good. The fact that we were able to get over that and come back and beat them in their own gym was just amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier after a game.”
As a six-rotation player, Kotzakov had 190 digs, 52 service aces and 48 blocks. She also passed a 2.5 on a three-point scale in serve receive.
Kotzakov racked up the accolades, including Surf League MVP and an All-CIF selection in Division 1.
Mabry witnessed constant growth from his group, which followed its competitive leader to new heights.
“It’s the story of Anabel, but to me, the story of our season with the girls was a continual rate of improvement,” Mabry said. “I don’t think I’ve ever coached a team that has just gotten so much better from the start of the year to the end of the year.”
COACH OF THE YEAR
Jake Nuneviller
Marina
Nuneviller was transparent with the fact that this would be his final season as the head coach of the girls’ volleyball program at Marina. As a parting gift, he guided the Vikings to the Division 5 final, the first section championship game appearance for the program in two decades. The Vikings snuck into the playoffs as an at-large selection after finishing third in the Wave League, but their march to the final was nothing short of dominant. Marina did not drop a set in its four playoff wins, before falling in straight sets to Sherman Oaks Buckley.
FIRST TEAM
Laine Briggs
L-OH | Newport Harbor | Sr.
Newport Harbor had multiple quality options to turn to offensively, including the versatile Briggs. The high-flying senior amassed 409 kills to complement Kotzakov on the pins. Headed to Pepperdine as a libero, Briggs showcased that skillset, too, producing 245 digs and 74 aces to provide well-rounded contributions for the Sailors. She was a Surf League first-team honoree.
Reese Olson
OPP/S | Corona del Mar | Sr.
A jack of all trades, Olson shouldered a handful of responsibilities for the Sea Kings. Working in a 6-2 offense, the senior supplied 416 assists while operating in tandem with Reiley Murphy on the pins. She had 305 kills from the right side, 200 digs, 59 aces and 44 blocks. Corona del Mar (20-18) finished second in the Wave League, taking a four-set loss to El Segundo in the opening round of the Division 3 playoffs. Olson earned a Wave League first-team selection, along with teammates Kirsten Dauderman, a libero, and Murphy.
Jordan Packer
S | Marina | Sr.
A four-year starter for the Vikings, Packer finally tasted the playoffs in her senior season. Marina (19-16), an at-large selection out of the Wave League, made it count by advancing to the Division 5 final, the fourth section championship game appearance in program history and first since 2002. Sometimes challenged by the team’s passing, Packer still produced 575 assists, feeding pin hitters Dominique Vadeboncoeur, Jalissa Costa and Mackenzie Dorney for the vast majority. Her serve was a weapon, as she dropped in 82 aces. The Wave League first-teamer and All-CIF nominee added 37 digs, 36 kills and eight blocks.
Rebecca Penjoyan
MB-OH | Pacifica Christian | Sr.
After qualifying for the state regional playoffs as a member of the Academy League last season, Pacifica Christian (21-8) was able to duplicate the feat following its move to the San Joaquin League. Penjoyan and company enjoyed another remarkable season. The dangerous front row hitter led the Tritons to the Division 7 final, their second CIF finals appearance. Both have ended in heartbreak, as the Tritons lost in five sets to La Puente (Division 9) in 2018 and Ojai Nordhoff this season. Penjoyan earned San Joaquin League first-team and All-CIF honors.
Taylor Ponchak
MB-OPP | Huntington Beach | So.
The Oilers came out of the gates white hot, getting off to a 22-2 start. The emergence of Ponchak as a reliable source of kills following the graduation of opposite Lillian Perkins and middle blocker Sydney Murrey helped Huntington Beach (28-8) qualify for the Division 1 playoffs. While the Oilers went winless in their pool, they rebounded to reach the Division I regional semifinals. Huntington Beach, the second-place team in the Surf League, won the Lakewood Molten Classic and the La Jolla Tournament. Ponchak was one of three Surf League first-team selections for Huntington Beach, along with outside hitter Haylee LaFontaine and setter Dani Sparks.
Eva Travis
OH | Laguna Beach | Sr.
A transfer from Aliso Niguel, the Division 2 champion in 2021, Travis immediately became the go-to option for the Breakers. The UC Santa Barbara commit supplied 442 kills, 184 digs, 42 blocks and 14 aces. Travis earned a first-team all-league selection in a stacked Surf League for Laguna Beach (16-19). She topped 30 kills on four occasions, including a season-high 38 kills against JSerra in nonleague play.
Summer Witherby
OH | Edison | Jr.
Edison dug in defensively to raise its level, a trait often found in beach volleyball players. Witherby, who has committed to Cal Poly for beach volleyball, was a big part of that identity. She had a team-leading 373 kills to go with 194 digs, 29 blocks and 19 aces en route to claiming Wave League MVP honors. Edison (23-17) went undefeated in winning the Wave League championship, advancing to the Division 3 semifinals before falling to Mission Hills Alemany in four sets.
SECOND TEAM
Position, Name, School, Year
OH Jade Auger, Ocean View, Jr.
S Drue Coberly, Newport Harbor, Jr.
L Makenna Jackson, Edison, Sr.
OH Haylee LaFontaine, Huntington Beach, Jr.
OPP Molly McCluskey, Edison, Jr.
OH Reiley Murphy, Corona del Mar, Jr.
S Dani Sparks, Huntington Beach, Jr.
MB Malia Thorne, Newport Harbor, Sr.
OH Dominique Vadeboncoeur, Marina, Sr.
L Brooklyn Yelland, Laguna Beach, Sr.
::
Support our sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.
For more sports stories, visit latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/sports or follow us on Twitter @DailyPilotSport.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
