BROOKSVILLE — Nature Coast breezed through another playoff opponent Tuesday night and stamped its ticket to a second consecutive region final. The Sharks swept Zephyrhills in the Class 5A region semifinal at home 25-14, 25-15, 26-24 and have yet to lose a game this postseason. “This was destiny waiting to ...
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Tue. Nov. 08, 2011 at 9:30 p.m. | Times Staff
HUDSON — Anclote was two points from rallying from two games down to force a fifth game against Zephyrhills in Thursday night’s 5A-8 district final. Then the Bulldogs turned to the server who has led them for the last four years. Senior libero Sierra Bahr helped Zephyrhills win seven consecutive ...
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Thu. Oct. 27, 2011 at 11:28 p.m. | Matt Baker
SPRING HILL — Bishop McLaughlin avenged a five-game loss to Carrollwood Day earlier this month when it mattered most. The Hurricanes (16-7) rallied from a 2-0 hole to advance to the Class 3A, District 8 final with a 16-25, 21-25, 25-18, 25-14, 15-13 win over the Patriots on Tuesday night. ...
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Tue. Oct. 25, 2011 at 11:08 p.m. | Times Staff
BROOKSVILLE — One season ago, Nature Coast suffered a heartbreaking loss on the road in the Class 4A region finals at Vanguard. That memory motivates the players and coaches who were on that court in Ocala and drives them with every match on the 2011 schedule. Emily Gore led the ...
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Sat. Oct. 22, 2011 at 4:16 p.m. | Derek J. LaRiviere
SPRING HILL — The biggest rivalry in Hernando County volleyball featured momentum shifts that came quickly and without warning Wednesday night. In the end, it was Nature Coast that was able to take advantage of the final swing and capture the jam-packed gymnasium for a four-game victory, 25-20, 20-25, 25-21, ...
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Wed. Oct. 12, 2011 at 11:12 p.m. | Derek J. LaRiviere
Wiregrass Ranch coaches wanted their cross country teams to get a test run at Lecanto, the site of this year’s regional meet. The results Saturday were promising. The Bulls came away with two victories in the Lecanto Invitational. “It’s as challenging of an on-campus course as there is in the ...
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Mon. Sept. 12, 2011 at 12:09 p.m. | Matt Baker
SPRING HILL — When volleyball practice began earlier this month, Springstead had several key pieces in place for a successful season — senior leaders, an all-area player and confidence left over from the Eagles’ best season. Only one thing was missing: a coach. “We were ready to go,” senior setter ...
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Sat. Aug. 27, 2011 at 2:43 p.m. | Matt Baker
All-Suncoast volleyball Player of the year Jordan Burgess, Jr., OH, Berkeley Prep As remarkably focused as Burgess is on the volleyball court, she’s uncontrollably giggly in front of the camera. For her Player of the Year photo shoot, she struggled to keep a straight face under the bright studio lights. ...
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Thu. Dec. 23, 2010 at 9:44 a.m. | Times Staff
All-North Suncoast volleyball Player of the Year Courtney Liddle, Jr., OH, Nature Coast Why we picked her: Quite simply, Liddle could take over a match like no other player on the North Suncoast. The energetic junior was the area’s top attacker by a sizable margin after averaging 6.1 kills a ...
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Wed. Dec. 22, 2010 at 11:23 a.m. | Bryan Burns
The following players have been selected to participate in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association all-star game, which will be held Saturday at St. Leo University: Jasmine Crowell (Gulf Breeze), Lauren Jones (FSU School), Anna Marie Disalvo (Leon), Andrea Sawl (Menendez), Holly Pole (Vanguard), Brittany Hill (Hernando), Alexa Coscia (Nature Coast), ...
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Thu. Dec. 02, 2010 at 12:54 p.m. | Bryan Burns
OCALA — Vanguard was ready and waiting for Nature Coast Saturday afternoon in the Class 4A, Region 2 final, but the underdog Sharks gave the home team all it could handle. Hosting their second straight region final, the Knights were motivated to reach the final four and it showed with ...
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Sat. Nov. 13, 2010 at 5:51 p.m. | Derek J. LaRiviere
BROOKSVILLE — It’s been a recurring theme for the Nature Coast volleyball team. Start a match sluggishly. Fall behind considerably. Rally furiously. Then rip the spirit out of the opponent. Hernando knew this process all too well. 12 days earlier in the district final, the Leopards led by as many ...
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Tue. Nov. 09, 2010 at 9:57 p.m. | Bryan Burns
At 0-3, it would have taken a quantum-sized leap of faith for the Hernando volleyball team to believe it would be playing tonight in the school’s first region semifinal since 2004. After head-scratching losses late in the season to Central and Lecanto, the up-and-down Leopards seemed, well, too up-and-down to ...
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Mon. Nov. 08, 2010 at 10:23 p.m. | Bryan Burns
BROOKSVILLE — Initially, Nature Coast couldn’t get out of its own way in its region quarterfinal against Hudson. The Sharks stumbled out of the blocks Tuesday. They hit their serves into the net. Hudson’s serves found gaping openings in the Sharks’ defense. At one point, Nature Coast libero Alexa Coscia ...
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Tue. Nov. 02, 2010 at 11:33 p.m. | Bryan Burns
Starting Tuesday, five North Suncoast teams begin their journey on the road to Lakeland, site of the state volleyball semifinals and finals. Last season, Hudson snapped a five-year state tournament drought for area schools by advancing to the semis in Class 4A. With three more victories, the Cobras can become ...
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Mon. Nov. 01, 2010 at 2:26 p.m. | Bryan Burns