Hagerty High’s volleyball team served up some sweet redemption Saturday afternoon. And now the Huskies are heading to a state championship match for the first time.
Utilizing its height advantage, some stellar defense and plenty of energy, Hagerty swept away 10-time state champ Tampa Plant 25-17, 25-22, 25-20 in a Class 7A state semifinal before a nice crowd at the Hagerty gym. In winning their seventh consecutive match, the Huskies (25-6) avenged a three-set loss to the Panthers in last year’s Class 8A regional final.
Hagerty advances to play Palm Beach Gardens (21-6) in the Florida High School Athletic Association state title match at 4 p.m. next Saturday, Nov. 16, at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers.
“I think we came out and handled ourselves very well in this kind of environment,” said an elated Hagerty coach Juanita Hitt. “We lost to them last year 3-0, so it was a little bit of sweet revenge.”
Plant (24-8) had few answers for Hagerty’s big front line of 6-foot-4 middle blocker Audrey Douglas, an Auburn commit who finished with 12 kills; 6-3 right-side hitter Sydney Conley, an FSU commit who had 13 kills; and 5-11 outside hitters Alina Carrillo and Jessica Buis, 12 kills. The quartet hammered Plant seemingly at will. Buis is headed to North Florida.
Hagerty setter Emily Lawrence, a UCF commit, had 38 assists and 12 digs; and Libero Alondra Garcia Alicea played superb defense for the Huskies, who raced to a 13-6 lead in the first set to set the tone for the match.
“Their tactics resonated very well,” said Plant coach Vanja Todorovic.
The Panthers, led by the hitting of sophomore outside hitter Reese Friar, rallied from a 21-18 deficit to force a 22-22 tie in the second set. But then Conley and Douglas took over and closed the set out for Hagerty.
In the third set, Hagerty watched a 5-1 lead melt into a 17-16 deficit. But then Douglas, Conley and Buis put the hammer down at the net to finish things off.
“We have better chemistry than last year,” Conley said. “I think that helps. I’m really excited.”
