Harmony eyes OBC, 7A state crowns

By Ken Jackson

Sports Writer

The county’s volleyball teams will test drive the Florida High School Athletic Association’s new districts for team sports. Gateway, Osceola, Liberty and Poinciana play with East Ridge and Lake Minneola in 7A District 5. St. Cloud, Harmony, Celebration and Oak Ridge make up 7A-6.

Harmony rolled through the Orange Belt Conference unbeaten for its second straight title last season and will start the year as the favorite. The Longhorns will be tested by St. Cloud, Osceola and Gateway.

Harmony

The Longhorns did it all last year –  they posted a 25-4 record, they swept through the OBC and district and they won a regional playoff game. Three starters were lost, but Coach Eric Trowbridge said his team wants more.

“We’ve got a team that will probably take some growing-pain losses early, but we still know that our goal is playing in the Silver Spurs (site of the state championships) at the end,” he said.

Libero Tori Keelean and outside hitter Robin Janney graduated, but Marie Gilbert moves from a middle blocker spot to replace Janney, and freshman Alexis Trowbridge takes Keelean’s spot.

Seniors Alicia Palm and Nia Frederick, three-year starters, will lock down the middle. Junior setter Genesis Viera, the News-Gazette Player of the Year, runs the high-tempo offense.

“Genesis runs the show like no other and Marie has picked the outside position way faster than I thought,” Trowbridge said. “Alexis is a freshmen in age, but a junior as far as skill level. She won’t miss a beat.”

Trowbridge said the only hurdle will be replacing Sammy Feliu, who tore her ACL midway through last season. She healed, but returned to Puerto Rico to be with family.

It’s gone well early; the Longhorns defeated Cocoa and Cocoa Beach to

win Melbourne Central Catholic’s preseason tournament. Gilbert combined for 34 kills in the two games and was named MaxPreps Player of the Week.

“I truly believe that by the end of the year that this year’s team will be as good, if not better, than last year,” Trowbridge said.

Osceola

Despite hosting the district tournament, the Kowgirls wrapped up a 16-11 season by losing in the semifinals. Coach Carrie Palmi aims to get OHS back in the regional playoffs after making it the three years prior.

Osceola will be athletic up front, with juniors Vallerie Norgaisse and Kristina Wendland and senior Megan Hearn blocking in the middle. Seniors Madison McGehee and Natalie McClain and junior Savanna Escobar are outside hitters.

The entire defense returns – juniors Lorraine Hoyos and Ninoshka Andujar played the back line last year, and senior libero Colleen Arago starts her fourth varsity year.

Palmi said hard work in preseason camps should pay dividends this season.

“We had a great summer. We had some senior leaders emerge,” she said. “It seems like the season has been already going awhile. I’m excited about our team this season. We’ll be as good as we’ve been in three years.”

Palmi thinks the Kowgirls are in contention to win 7A District 5, but not without a fight.

“East Ridge was good and didn’t lose anybody. Lake Minneola has some club players I know of,” she said. “But we should be right there with them.”

St. Cloud

Ettie Singleton came over from Gateway and immediately revived the Lady Bulldogs program. They went 16-9, matching the win total from the prior four seasons combined. They lost to rival Harmony in the district semifinals, and they know they’ll be up against them again in 7A-6.

“We hope to challenge for the district, that’s what the kids have been talking about,” she said. “These kids will be ready.”

Singleton welcomed four starters back – senior setter Emily Murray, senior hitter Terryn O’Donnell, junior middle blockers Sarah Sullivan and Jahaira Aguilar – but ... they didn’t look quite familiar.

“Everybody grew, I had to order jerseys one size bigger for everyone,” she said. We’ve got height and returning skill. Hopefully we use it. We’ve got some hitting and we’re strong in the middle.”

Sophomore Meghan Al-bright is another setter. Sophomore Kristel Calle and freshman Sally Calle will play in the back or libero. Junior Brandi Hanson, sophomore Faith Udstad and freshman Baylee Sullivan also are hitters.

Gateway

If the Panthers make it out of 7A-5, they’ll reach the playoffs for the third year in a row — with their third different coach.

Jason Alise takes over for Julie Bavin, who led the Panthers to a 15-12 record and to a spot in the 6A-6 championship game, which they lost to Vero Beach.

The good news is that a ton of players return off that team, including senior Charnelle Michel. She’ll lead a hit attack along with junior Jasmin Corinealdi and seniors Katherine Ramirez, Lauren Russo and Nichole Gonzalez.

Senior Kathleen Castro returns at setter, and Dena Secord plays defense.

The only bad news is that they’re not very tall.

“We’ve got strong hitters, just not a lot of height,” Alise said. “Our key will be to out-hit people and play defense.”

New Panthers include junior hitters Arianna Diaz and Amber Jackson, sophomores Sylvia Morales and Yakira Reyes and senior Ximena Santana.

Alise said the quicker his team develops chemistry, the better.

“We’ve got focused girls with great attitudes, we just haven’t had that ‘jell’ moment yet,” he said. “As the third coach in three years, I know it will be tough, but we’ve got the talent here to compete.”

Liberty

The Chargers, who have never seen much success in four prior seasons, could be the county’s unheralded success story from nowhere this season.

Coach Gretchen Hill is back for her second season and she has a couple of building blocks. Senior hitter Roxanne Martinez and setters Karla Negron and Irene Acevedo are back, and outside hitter Ashley Ramos, a sophomore newcomer, turned heads at the preseason jamboree at St. Cloud last week.

Juniors Melanie Martinez (middle), Tara Rosamand (outside hitter) and Antonella Scarpatti (libero), senior Judeline Bonzil (middle) and sophomore Samantha Sviridoff (middle blocker) also dot the roster.

“Last year, we just couldn’t finish games, losing them by two points,” Hill said. “This year our key is to get some early wins and confidence, and move from there to our goal of winning districts. We know that East Ridge will be tough, but we’re excited because we think we have enough to make a run at it.”

Poinciana

Lauren Valle returns as coach, but four of her senior starters from last year don’t. At least she can pull players off the JV and freshman squads, which the Eagles fielded for the first time in a while while the varsity won four matches.

“We’re still young, but we’re building a program,” she said. “We’re very athletic, I just wish we were blessed with more height.”

Captain Alexis Claudio, a right-side hitter, returns. She’s a junior among only three seniors: blockers Persica Campbell and Nikita Forbes and defensive specialist Paola Sanchez.

The junior class dominates, with Claudio, hitters Guilliana Distefano, Jacqueline Palfy, Gabrielle Rodriguez and Crystalina Rosales. Sophomore hitters Cindy Guerra and Andrea Kahn, libero Priscilla Carpintero and defensive specialist Nayomie Andujar provide more youth.

Kahn and Guerra both worked at setter in a season-opening win at Oak Ridge on Wednesday.

Celebration

Pedro Davila, a former coach at powerhouses Winter Park and Bishop Moore, takes over the program from Elizabeth Dunphy, who took a position in Texas.

He returns two starters, junior setter/hitter Gabby Ortiz and senior hitter Gida Victor. Setter Kali Mutty is the only other senior, showing that Davila is building through youth.

“We’re in a phase of rebuilding the program,” he said. “There’s a freshman team here for the first time in a while.”

Right-side hitter Alyson Loane is a sophomore. The rest of the varsity is made up of juniors: hitters Farina Rahman, Shaina Gilstrap and Karisma Colon and libero Jellian Aponte.

Davila said the sooner the team adjusts to his new philosophies, the better.

“This is an all-new defensive system to them, they’re developing and we’ll get there,” he said. “The key will be understanding what they’re doing.”

Heritage Christian

Maria Hardwick is in her second year of leading the Eagles toward a Florida Christian Conference title. She has a squad long on both youth and potential.

“I’m encouraged. I don’t have all the powerhouse club players, but I have teachable kids. We had a great preseason tournament,” she said.

Middle blocker Megan Lima and hitter Kyrchia Rodriguez are the only seniors, and middle Ana Collazo is a junior. Underclassmen hitters Abby Daiuto and Angelica Maldonado are veterans of the program.

The team also features sophomores Jasmine Pastrana (setter) and Kelly Riascos (hitter) and sixth-grade libero Brooke Beaver.