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District volleyball: Steinbrenner still perfect in league play

 
Published Oct. 24, 2014

TAMPA — One day, Steinbrenner will likely lose a district volleyball match. Thursday was not that day.

Steinbrenner needed only 62 minutes to keep its unprecedented record intact, rolling past Freedom 25-12, 25-6, 25-11 for the Class 7A, District 8 championship. For the No. 1 Warriors, who have never lost a district match in their six-year existence, it was their 36th consecutive league victory.

Steinbrenner and No. 2 Freedom advance to the region quarterfinals Wednesday. The Warriors are looking to return to the state tournament, where it lost last year in the semifinals to Naples Gulf Coast. The Patriots will be in the regionals for the fourth time in the past five years.

All three games had a similar look with Freedom winning the first point before Steinbrenner dominated at the net. The Warriors had 27 kills, nine by Saint Leo University commit Avery Bradshaw (10 digs).

"We came out with a lot of fire," Steinbrenner coach Laura Praetorius said. "We were doing exactly what we were working on in practice with the faster ball, the fast tempo, serving aggressive. So I'm just excited because going into the postseason, that's exactly what I want to see — them being explosive with all their movements."

Senior Lauren Heldt ended the first and third games with kills, and senior Taylor Perez blocked a Freedom shot for the second-game clincher.

"We've got a lot of big blockers on our team and it's a big part of our offense," said Perez, who plans to be an engineering major next year at an undecided university. "We've known that we haven't lost a district match since Steinbrenner has been open. It's a tradition that we've held and we take pride in. There a lot of pressure, but we all know what we need to get done."

Class 4A-10: Berkeley Prep arrived at Academy of the Holy Names for its district final match to learn it wouldn't be facing AHN outside hitter Courtney Vogler. The Georgia commit had sprained her ankle the day before in practice.

But as his own team warmed up, outside hitter Jenna Hampton sprained her ankle, too, leaving her unable to play. Both teams were down a crucial player, but Berkeley Prep prevailed as Madison Jenkins had 17 kills to lift the Bucs to a 26-24, 19-25, 25-18, 25-17 championship win.

Last season the Bucs' 16-year district championship streak was snapped by the Jaguars. And regardless of the way Thursday's win happened, coach John Coup said he's glad his team was able to take back the crown.

"It was more of a gutty win for us," he said. "It was one of those matches where we were just able to do enough at the right time. …Even though each team didn't have a pivotal player, it still comes down to the kids on the court."

Class 3A-7: Carrollwood Day's only loss coming into Thursday's district championship game had been to Tampa Prep. In fact, the Patriots, coach Eric Praetorius said, had never beaten the Terrapins in anything.

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"We went into the game with not a lot of pressure," Praetorius said.

That attitude seemed to work for the Patriots, who topped No. 1 Tampa Prep 25-22, 26-24, 22-25, 17-25, 15-10.

Praetorius said the crowds were packed with Carrollwood Day fans, and from the start his team fed off that energy. Aisling Sheehan led the way with 23 kills and Stevie Schweitzer added 14 as the Patriots won their first district volleyball championship in school history.

"It was just a cool moment," Praetorius said. "They just needed to get over that hump that they can beat some bigger schools."