Teams play an epic five-set match Tuesday
Osceola's Sophie Spivey (10) and Mikayla Matthews (11) try to stop Winter Park's Sophia Stallworth from scoring a point Tuesday. (Photo/Taylor McFee)
In the definition of "iron sharpens iron", two of Florida's top girls volleyball teams — Osceola and Winter Park — faced off Tuesday in a thrilling, scintillating five-set marathon that could be a preview of the Class 7A state championship game in a few weeks.
The two teams met in a state semifinal last year, with Winter Park winning in four sets. But the Kowboys (21-4) narrowed the gap on Tuesday and played a point-for-point epic match with the Wildcats (23-1). Osceola rallied after dropping the first two sets, Winter Park eventually pulled out a 25-21, 25-10, 24-26, 22-25, 16-14 win.
Osceola had match point at 14-13, but Sophie Spivey's serve was just long and the Wildcats got the final two points and clinched the match on Isabel Bertelsen's third ace of the match.
"We just missed some serves (four of them) in the fifth set, we get one of those in and it changes the match," OHS Coach Carrie Palmi said. "We tried some things in our rotation in the second set, just to give them a different look, and they plain didn't work. So we went back to way we do, getting Cate (Palmi) and Jordin (Southall) and Sophie in the front, and Brooklyn (Sippio) had a great match."
For over two hours, the teams rained thunderous kill attempt after attempt at each other, making dig after dig and partaking in minutes-long rallies that drew cheers from a boisterous crowd for a regular-season game. Aside from an early flurry from Winter Park and the second set, the teams traded point-for-point the entire match. Aside from a 13-9 Osceola lead early in the fourth set, neither team led by more than three points in the final three sets.
Southall had 17 kills and 14 digs, Cate Palmi racked up 16 and 20, Spivey added 10 and 6, Sippio recorded 12 kills and two blocks, libero Priscilla Rada had 23 digs and setter Delaney Webb set 48 assists.
Winter Park counted with names you'll want to know for November's state tournament: junior Amelia Mancino had 16 kills, 6'5" senior and Texas A&M commit Isabel Incinneli had 14, Sophia Stalworth added seven and Wildcats setter Paige Lehman had 42 assists.
Prior to Tuesday's clash, Winter Park was ranked No. 1 in the FHSAA's state rankings and No. 1 overall, and Osceola was No. 2 in 7A and No. 7 overall. The state re-seeds teams at the Final Four, and if they stay 1-2, they wouldn't meet until the title match at Polk State College on Nov. 8.
"We're hoping to be there, and I'd expect to see them (Winter Park) as well," Carrie Palmi said. "We're hoping to win it in the finals, when it means the most."
