Kowboys power past Jupiter in three sets to earn Class 7A Final Four spot
Brooklyn Sippio keyed a second-set rally Wednesday that gave Osceola the lead it needed to take that set and two others. (Photo/Taylor McFee)
Jupiter High walked into the Osceola High gym Wednesday the taller volleyball team.
Less than 90 minutes later, might beat height, and the mighty Kowboys are headed back to the FHSAA Class 7A state volleyball tournament with a three-set victory over the Warriors that was part power, part clinic.
Cate Palmi, Jordin Southall and Sophie Spivey combined for 34 kills and Brooklyn Sippio and Mikayla Matthews were strong at the net and showed Jupiter (20-5) why Osceola (26-4) is ranked No. 2 in the state in 7A with the 25-19, 25-20, 25-13 win in the Region 2 final.
The victory puts the Kowboys back at the state tournament next Thursday at Polk State College in Winter Haven, where they’ll play a 4 or 7 p.m. semifinal, likely against Tampa Plant.
“I love it when the kids do what we draw the game plan up to do,” said OHS Coach Carrie Palmi, who’s team rolled through three regional matches in nine sets. “It’s easier on my heart.”
Osceola settled in quickly, scoring the first five points of the first set and never led by less than three after that; five different Kowboys registered kills in taking the match lead.
Sippio gave Osceola much the same cushion in the second set; with three kills and a block she turned a tie into a four-point lead that widened to 22-15. Jupiter rallied to pull to 22-20, But the Kowboys turned to the career kills leader in the area, Cate Palmi, who put away the set with three straight kills to three different spots on the court.
Southall and Spivey put down a pair of kills each to hit Osceola to an 8-1 third-set lead that was a theme for the night and set the tone for a straight-set match. Jupiter made like it wouldn’t have it with a quick run to make it 9-8. But Carrie Palmi called timeout to rally the troops, and the big guns like Spivey, Southall, Mikayla Matthews and Cate Palmi fired away and scored 16 of the next 21 points to seal the trip back to Polk County for the Final Four.
Matthews said the message in the timeout was matter-of-fact and positive.
“It was to just keep aware of what their hitters were going to do. We knew what we wanted to do, and this team never loses its composure,” she said.
“I wasn’t concerned,” Coach Palmi said. “I told them even though we’d lost a few points in a row we were still passing great, we just needed to put the shots away. It was just a minute to regroup, and our girls sure did.”
While the core of this team is senior-led and its their last chance to do something great – like get a win at state – none said they were nervous about their final home match at OHS and what was riding on it.
“I’d say the emotion was excitement,” Southall said. “We’ve played in so many big matches over the years. We do such a good job of keeping composure.”
“I’d say our best trait is consistency,” Cate Palmi said. “Like, tonight, we played well, but I’m sure we can all pick out a play or a ball and say we can be a little bit better, because that’s what it’s going to take next week.”
