Undefeated Forest boys volleyball eager for shot in state quarterfinals

For the Forest boys volleyball team, this has been a season unlike any other. And despite this being just the program’s third year in existence, that really can be said without any hyperbole.

On top of dealing with all of the typical challenges that an average season brings, not to mention the COVID-19 pandemic and even a last-minute coaching search, Forest has defied all odds, making it to the state playoffs undefeated in just its first year of postseason eligibility.

The Wildcats are led by head coach Jason Wigginton, also an assistant boys soccer coach at Forest (set to be head coach next season). He had no previous experience coaching volleyball but took on the role last-minute when the team needed him.

“It’s been quite an adjustment for me, but it’s been a fun one,” Wigginton said. “I’ve fallen in love with the sport.”

The level of success that the team has had is certainly unprecedented, but ask any of the players or coaching staff and you’ll hear that it wasn’t entirely unexpected. Wigginton, for one, was quick to credit the team’s dynamic.

“It’s team unity. A mindset that we are not a group of individuals, we are a team. Everybody is playing for each other, not for themselves,” the coach said. “They want to do their school, their community proud.”

Not only are the Wildcats (16-0) undefeated, they’ve lost only three sets the entire year. In fact, they didn’t lose a set until the third set of the district finals against West Port, and have only given up two more after Lake Brantley pushed the team to five sets in the region final. Heading into the FHSAA’s Quadrant 4 final, they’re ranked 11th in the nation and 5th in the state, according to MaxPreps.

“We never give up,” said 6-foot-8 outside hitter and kill leader Klistan Lawrence. “There’s gonna be times that we think that we’re losing, but we’re gonna change our mindset and keep trying hard and make ourselves better. And that’s the key. Just never give up.”

Lawrence, a senior, played at Belleview for a year before transferring to Forest. He’s also a 12-time MVP on his club volleyball team, a three-time USA Youth National Team member, and is set to attend Long Beach State on a full-ride volleyball scholarship.

“He’s just a beast,” Wigginton said. “Very humble off the court but has that killer instinct on the court.”

Another player quick to lift up his team when asked about their success was captain of the team and primary setter Sebastian Rivera.

“Honestly, it’s just thanks to all the hard work that the coaches have put in and all the effort,” said Rivera, who’s been playing volleyball since the age of 4 and whose father played professionally in Puerto Rico. “This has just been a very, very, very crazy season and we’re super excited. I really could not be any more proud of our team and how far we’ve come and how we’ve all worked together and managed to get everything done.”

The Wildcat’s postseason victories have come against Winter Garden West Orange (25-17, 26-24, 25-17) and Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley (19-25, 25-23, 25-27, 25-19, 15-11). Up next is a date with the Miami Southwest Eagles (24-4) at Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy Friday night at 7:30. 

According to MaxPreps, the Eagles are ranked 3rd nationally and 2nd in the state and have won 12 straight coming into this match including wins over Miami Braddock (25-12, 25-8, 25-18) and Miami Palmetto (25-16, 25-12, 26-24) in the playoffs.

Southwest has won the state title twice before, in 2003 and 2008. Some of its top players this season include Jack Hershman (389 kills, 35 blocks), Alejandro Leon (299 digs), Erick Pinzon (256 assists) and Allessandro DeLaO (245 kills, 107 aces).

“We don’t expect it to be a blowout game, but we don’t expect to lose either,” said senior middle blocker and Webber International University commit Stephen Dixon (also got the game-winning block against Lake Brantley in the region finals). “We expect to go down there, play some smash-mouth volleyball and we expect to win.”

The winner will play the winner of the Miami High (26-2)-Hollywood South Broward (14-7) match in Saturday’s noon FHSAA state semifinal. Whoever wins there would compete for the FHSAA state championship later that same day at 4 p.m.

“We’re really only focused on that first match. I’m big on one match, one game at a time,” coach Wigginton said.

“Our goal is to go down there and give 100 percent, execute our game plan, adjust as we need, and, win or lose, be proud of the effort that we put in.”