JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The headlining match of the high school volleyball season was as advertised.
Two-time defending state champion Ponte Vedra outlasted fellow nationally ranked team Tallahassee Leon 3-2 in an epic Region 1-6A final on Saturday afternoon. The win sends the Sharks (28-1) on to the state semifinals and keeps their bid alive for a third consecutive state championship.
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The Sharks will host Viera in the state semifinals next Saturday.
Ponte Vedra won 23-25, 33-31, 20-25, 25-22, 15-7 to move on to next week’s semifinals. The Sharks, ranked No. 2 in the country by MaxPreps, needed everything they could muster to fend off the No. 8-ranked Lions in a match that felt every bit as intense a championship.
Ponte Vedra fended off three game points in the second set before getting a stuff from Chelsea Sutton and Rachel Johnson to inch in front 32-31. Sutton and Jackie Jewett put down the clincher for a 33-31 win that tipped the scales of the match.
Region 1-5A
Ridgeview’s best season in program history ended with a 3-1 loss to host Lynn Haven Mosley on Saturday afternoon. The Dolphins beat the Panthers 25-27, 25-19, 25-21, 25-20. Ridgeview’s season ends at 17-8.
Region 1-4A
Bishop Kenny’s quest for a repeat state championship ended in the regional finals with a 3-0 loss to nationally ranked Santa Fe. The Raiders KO’d Kenny with a 26-24, 25-22, 25-10 win to move on. The Crusaders’ season ends at 20-10.
Region 1-2A
Gainesville Oak Hall denied Harvest Community a spot in the state semifinals with a 3-1 win on Saturday. Oak Hall knocked off Harvest 23-25, 25-15, 25-15, 25-16. The Warriors’ season ends at 19-5.