By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer

At the Osceola High gym on Wednesday, the Old Guard hosted the New Guard.

The Kowgirls, who claimed the Orange Belt Conference volleyball title from 2006-08, could do little more than watch as Harmony dominated from the midpoint of the first game on and won, 25-15, 25-6, 25-9.

The Longhorns are now 11-0 and have clinched no worse than a tie for the OBC title, which they won in undefeated fashion last year as well.

Harmony won 11 of the last 13 points of the first game, and 20 out of 21 in the second, to seize command behind the hitting of Alicia Palm, who had eight kills, and setter Genesis Viera (14 assists).

HHS Coach Eric Trowbridge said his team had to work to put away a Kowgirls squad that wouldn’t give up in the third game.

“I thought we played excellent the end of the first game through the end of the second,” he said. “I have to give Osceola credit, their libero (Colleen Arago) digs every ball in the building.”

Harmony’s attack looked much like it has all season. Viera directs traffic on offense and spreads the ball around among a battalion of hitters who can wind up some devastating kill shots: Palm, Robin Janney, Sammy Feliu and Marie Gilbert. Libero Tori Keelean locks down the defense playing the back half.

With the district tournament nearly a month away, focus might be a problem for a team that has dominated conference and District 4A-7 competition thus far.

Trowbridge doesn’t worry about that.

“Sometimes we play to the level of our competition, but when we have to execute, we have,” he said. “Last year, the goals were to win the OBC and the district, and once we got into the playoffs I think we kind of got satisfied. This year, the goal is Lakeland (site of the state Final Four).”

Keelean, a senior and the reigning county Player of the Year, said the team’s goals are definitely set higher than last year.

“Ask anybody on the team, their goal is go to state,” she said. “We know we have the ability, and we want to prove it every time we play.”

The Longhorns eased through district play last year, won the title for the school’s first volleyball postseason appearance, then came from down two games to one to defeat Belleview before ending the season at Ocala Vanguard in the regional semifinals.

Keelean says taking the next step isn’t a pipe dream for the team, rather a tangible goal that can be earned.

“We’re better than last year, it’s our second year together as a team,” she said. “We’ve become one team instead of six individuals playing.”

Harmony, 4-0 in the district, hosts Tavares on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The district tournaments begin the week of Oct. 25. Harmony, along with St. Cloud, Poinciana and Celebration will play in the 4A-7 event at Oak Ridge. Gateway, which defeated St. Cloud Monday in four games, plays in the 6A-6 tournament at Vero Beach.

Osceola will host the 5A-5 event. The Kowgirls, 6-5, are trying to regroup in time to earn their fourth consecutive regional playoff spot.

“We passed well and our defense was good Wednesday, we just don’t have the strong hitters we’re used to,” OHS Coach Carrie Palmi said.

Right side hitter Natalie McClain went down with a torn ACL before the season, and Alexa Ballard is playing on a sore ankle.

“It’s all about being in position when the district tournament starts,” Palmi said.

Gateway and St. Cloud  likely will tie for second in the OBC race, with the Panthers taking the head-to-head. While Gateway was an annual threat in the race when Ettie Singleton coached there, her move to St. Cloud this summer has elevated the Bulldogs program, which was sixth in the county last year.

“I expected the match at Gateway Monday to be intense, and it was,” she said. “The first game was like the state championship. All night Charnelle (Michel) and Elloni (Ellick) hit everything right at us.”

After winning their eight-team tournament last weekend in their new gym, the Bulldogs are 10-6, easily topping their win total from the past three season combined. St. Cloud visits Celebration Monday.

“To go from sixth in the county to second with the same team makes me so proud of these girls,” Singleton said.

“Our goal is to not lose at all in the new gym.”