PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – To see the big picture, Jessica Shattles said the Ponte Vedra volleyball team starts small.
“Definitely just doing one point at a time,” said the Sharks setter. “I take it down to the minimum. You can’t look into the future or go back to the past. It’s what’s next and you’ve got to worry about that point and winning that point.”
For the most dominant program in area volleyball history, that may seem like an overly simplistic view to take. The Sharks (29-1) have been a wrecking ball the past two and a half seasons unlike any team from the River City. When they face Mater Academy (25-7) Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Fort Myers for the Class 6A state championship, it will be in search of a third straight state title and more national respect.
To get those things, Ponte Vedra players say it’s simple. Don’t look that far ahead.
“I’d say it’s definitely just keeping the game plan in mind every time we get to play,” said junior middle Zeta Washington. “We have an extremely strong team and we have a lot of depth and we know we’re good. It’s just keeping our cool on the court and getting the job done.”
For those who have followed high school volleyball for any period of time, the thought of such an accomplishment would have been preposterous even as recently as 2010. Teams from northeast Florida just couldn’t hold their own year after year with the behemoths from the south and central parts of the state.
But the sustained success of Bishop Kenny and, more recently, Ponte Vedra, have dumped that notion on its head. The Sharks won their first state title in 2017, along with Christ’s Church in 3A. Ponte Vedra and Bishop Kenny pulled off just the second area state championship double last year.
The Sharks have been simply crushing teams most of the past two and a half years unlike anything the area volleyball landscape has seen. That dominance could just as easily cause complacency or overconfidence, but coach Robin Mignerey said the team hasn’t fallen victim to that. The Sharks are ranked No. 2 in the country by MaxPreps, behind only 33-0 Marymount from Los Angeles.
“That’s been hard all year. I mean, we feel a little bit of target on our back a lot. I think we’ve gone through the thick of that and the girls are still working,” Mignerey said. “I’ve seen them do some good things here down the stretch and in practice. The girls are all buying in and they’re still working hard and they’re still listening when I chew on them even for little stuff. And it’s just that little focus and, and they’re hungry for it still, which is awesome.”
Seldom has Ponte Vedra even been tested during its current blitz. The Sharks won their final nine matches of the 2019 season, all by sweep. Ponte Vedra went 27-0 last year and swept 26 of those teams.
This season, against a far more challenging schedule, the Sharks have been taken beyond the minimum just six times in victories, albeit five of those came in best-of-three matches. The Sharks won 51 consecutive matches before a 2-1 loss to Westminster Christian, a Class 3A state finalist.
The Sharks were good. Very good. They’ve already established themselves as the most successful volleyball program in area history. No school other than Bishop Kenny had won multiple state championships. And no program other than Ponte Vedra had managed to pull off back-to-back titles.
The Sharks remain a big picture team with a very narrow focus. Win the point. Don’t worry about the next one.
“Yes, I have thought about that [winning three straight]. And I’m ready to go for a threepeat, but I’m not jumping to conclusions,” Shattles said. “I’m definitely like, OK, we’ve still got to prepare one point at a time. We have to stay together as a team for sure.”