October 17, 2024
Local Girls Volleyball Teams Set for District Championship Showdowns Tonight
By Kyle Coppola
Local Girls Volleyball Teams Set for District Championship Showdowns Tonight
October 17, 2024 — The stakes are high for several local girls’ volleyball teams as they head into their respective District Championship matches tonight, with a chance to claim the top spot in their divisions and move one step closer to state glory.
In Class 6A, District 4, the top-seeded Lake Minneola High School (14-2) will travel to second-seeded Horizon High School (14-3) in a much-anticipated clash. Lake Minneola has been dominant throughout the season, showcasing their powerful offense and strong defensive strategies. Led by sophomore outside hitter Camila Antosanti-Soto, who boasts over 114 kills this season, the Hawks aim to continue their dominant form against a formidable Horizon team. Lake Minneola High beat Horizon earlier this year in a 3-1 contest. This should be a great final. Horizon is the heavy under dog as the Hawks look to head into the FHSAA Playoffs on a high note.
In Class 3A district 6, top-seeded Montverde Academy (11-8) will travel to face second-seeded The Villages Charter High School (13-11) in a thrilling matchup. Montverde Academy, ranked among the top teams in class 3A, enters the contest after a 3-0 dominant win against Umatilla High. With sophomore twins Bianca Baquerizo and Natalie Baquerizo along with Jayla Forbes and Mirea Thederahn, Montverde has been nearly unstoppable. However, The Villages, anchored by junior outside hitter Viviana Toucet, has proven to be a tenacious opponent.
The Villages won 3-0 against Taylor last night and looked good. They will need to play their best game of the season to beat Montverde Academy. Sharon Wiechens, Angelyn Hunt, Alexia Laws and Alexa Taylor are peaking at the right time. Could The Villages play spoiler? Head coach Michele Moreman of The Villages has her girls ready and has built this program up the last year and a half. Regardless of a loss The Villages are just about assured a playoff spot. Montverde is also locked into the playoffs. There is a lot of pride on the line in this one.
(Senior Sydney Guthrie has been outstanding for Mount Dora High. She is coming into the final games of her high school career and is a fantastic Outside Hitter.)
In Class 4A district 6, second-seeded Mount Dora High School (13-4) will take on top-seeded Bishop Moore High School (18-7) for the district championship. This is the second year in a row that Mount Dora High has made the District Championship. This is also the second year in a row they will face Bishop Moore in the finals. Led by senior outside hitter Sydney Guthrie, Mount Dora has been surging late in the season with a balanced attack and stout defense. However, Bishop Moore, a perennial powerhouse, enters the match as heavy favorites, spearheaded by senior outside hitter Leah McDonald who has 217 kill shots this year. Mount Dora will need a near-flawless performance to upset the defending district champions.
With district titles and playoff positioning on the line, each team will be giving their all as they vie for a spot in the regional tournament.
First serves are set for 7:00 p.m. for Lake Minneola High and Horizon along with The Villages and Montverde. Mount Dora High will be playing at 6pm against Bishop Moore.
Good luck to all teams!
Photo Credit – Grit Photography, Akers Media Group, Lake Minneola High.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
