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Region volleyball: Palm Harbor University dispatches Cinderella

 
Published Oct. 27, 2016

By Rodney Page

Times Staff Writer

PALM HARBOR — Both Palm Harbor University and East Bay brought its "B" games to Tuesday night's Class 8A region quarterfinal. For the Hurricanes, that was good enough.

PHU defeated the Indians 25-19, 25-19, 25-12 to advance to Friday's region semifinal. East Bay (17-6) ends a historic season in which it advanced to the region tournament for the first time in school history.

"My girls didn't have the same intensity as they did in other matches," East Bay coach Brian Adams said. "I don't know the reason, but we just didn't bring the fire. I just wish we would've brought our "A" game and maybe it would've been a different outcome."

The Indians hung with PHU in the first two sets. They led 9-5 in the first set when PHU called time out. After the timeout, the Hurricanes scored seven straight points behind two aces from Emma Strong and two kills by Jessica Angelo. East Bay never recovered from that stretch, and Angelo finished off the set with two straight kills. She ended the night with eight kills.

East Bay hung around longer in the second set. PHU had a 10-6 lead, but the Indians chipped away and tied it at 13 on a Jasmyn Enriquez ace. But the Hurricanes scored six of the next eight points and took a 19-15 lead. Kylie Stojak finished off the second set with two straight kills. She led PHU with 11 kills in the match.

PHU (18-2) did not mess around in the third set. The Hurricanes jumped out to a 9-3 lead thanks to three kills by Strong. With the score 18-11, PHU scored six straight points to eliminate any chance of the comeback.

"We were sluggish in the first two games," PHU coach Dexter Rogers said. "Then in the third game we played the way we were capable of playing. We just go back to practice tomorrow and try to get better."