Newport Harbor's Sary is girls volleyball player of the year

Versatility is the name of the game when talking about Newport Harbor senior Cinnamon Sary.

Here's the proof:

•She earned all-tournament honors at the Asics Challenge in Chicago as a setter.

•Later in the year, she was all-tournament at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions as an outside.

•In the end, it proved to be her leadership skills that helped lead the Sailors to the CIF-SS Division 1AA finals and the Southern California Regional semifinals.

For her efforts, she is the Register's 2011 girls volleyball player of the year.

"She became a leader by example," Newport Harbor coach Dan Glenn said. "I'm proud of the growth she's made."

On the court, Sary led the Sailors in kills (452). She also added 112 digs and 183 assists, along with 20 aces and 29 blocks.

Sary is headed to USC next season. Here is what Trojans coach Mick Haley said in a school release:

"Cinnamon is an athlete that can play indoor or for our sand program," he said. "Her passing and defensive skills are exceptional. She is a highly skilled player."

2011 All-County girls volleyball teams

Last season, she was a first-team all-county setter as junior. As a sophomore, she earned an honorable mention selection.

"The best thing about her is that she established herself as one of the top setters as a sophomore and she continued to get better in all phases of the game," Glenn said. "This year, toward the end of the season, she did a good job of figuring out how to make her teammates better."

Sary's performance during the CIF playoffs was just what Newport Harbor needed.

After finishing third in the Sunset League, the Sailors opened the playoffs on the road against Westlake. Sary recorded 17 kills in a three-game sweep and the Sailors were on their way.

She followed that with 19 kills against Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, 16 against Orange Lutheran and 22 against Mater Dei in the semifinals.

In the regionals, she tallied 37 against Clovis West and 29 against Marymount.

"It used to bother her when she made a mistake and it impacted everybody else," Glenn said. "Her ability to shake off her mistakes and play through them had a huge impact on everybody."