If mental sharpness was the No. 1 factor for winning an FHSAA Class 7A state volleyball championship, the Osceola Kowboys would be a big favorite.
OHS has qualified for the 7A state tournament for the second time in three years, and heads to Winter Haven and host Polk State College for a state semifinal Friday at 4 p.m. against Winter Park (26-1).
The Kowboys, the Region 7A-2 top seed, rolled through three regional playoff matches in nine sets, including a 25-22, 2515, 25-23 win in last Wednesday’s final over No. 2 regional seed Vero Beach.
Osceola is 24-4 this season. Three of the losses came to state or nationally-ranked teams in the Nike Invitational in Gainesville in August, and the other … to the same Winter Park team OHS will see Friday.
While excuses is something OHS players and coaches say they don’t do, the match had “asterisks”, with it played in the afternoon the day before schools closed for Hurricane Helene.
“We were within a point in the last two sets (25-15, 25-23, 26-24) Coach Carrie Palmi said. “It was a crazy and chaotic day.”
The Wildcats beat one of the other teams in the 7A Final Four, Tampa Plant (261, playing Boca Raton in Friday night’s other 7A semifinal) in a five-set affair on Oct. 5.
“I feel good. I think we’re ready. The long break (nine days) will be good for the body. If we win, it’ll be because we’re being aggressive. If we can spread the ball, and not just our one and two hitters, and keep them guessing, we have a chance.”
The Kowboys have that 1-2 hitting tandem in Cate Palmi and Jordin Southall, who have combined for 751 kills and average eight per set as a combo. Just two seniors, Andrea Rodriguez and Aryona Johnston, are in the Kowboys rotation, and a cluster of juniors like Palmi, Southall, Sophie Spivey, Mikayla Matthews and Dari Bravo were in the program during OHS’ 2022 run to the state tournament.
The players say they are motivated by togetherness and not so much revenge Friday, and will rely on their mental toughness.
“They’re a very good team, but we’ve been playing the best competition all season,” Cate Palmi said. “And we’re an older, more mature team than when we played at state two years ago. I’m super excited about what we can do if we play competitive Kowboy volleyball. I mean, they’ll have to adjust to us.”
Southall said this team is, without a doubt, ready for action Friday.
“We’ve grown so much from our experiences last season and so far this season,” she said. “We have so much momentum coming into this. The key will be playing together and if we spread the ball.”
Rodriguez, the senior setter, said she doesn’t doubt the team will play as one.
“That explains why we’ve beaten good teams all year,” she said. “We’ve got the team chemistry. I’m used to all this, and the players we’ll see this weekend, I’ve seen on my club team all the time.
Spivey, another outside hitter, says Osceola has what it takes to win.
“It starts with our strong mentality, our chemistry is so good. We don’t repeat mistakes,” she said. “We play experienced teams, if we have a weakness they’ve showed it and we make sure to focus on it.”
Bravo, the libero, has a unique perspective of the hit squad in front of her.
“It’s great to watch,” she said. “They hype me when I’m getting digs just like I hype them when they get blocks and kills. That floor is really the greatest place to be.”
Brooklyn Sippio, a 6-4 sophomore middle blocker, is one of the team’s newer pieces— and fit right in.
“We bond off and on the court, and it helps how we play,” she said. “It’s going to be tough at the net, but we’ve got a lot we can bring.”
Johnston said she’s also motivated by this being her last match time with Osceola.
“We have the focus and mentally in our game to win, she said. We’re a great team, and it’s not just all skill. We’re focused on our mission. We’ve got what we need to finish this.”
Junior blocker Mikayla Matthews understands the legacy this weekend could create for the school this weekend.
“We’re going to need all the support from our fans and the program. We like winning, and we want to (pointing at a spot on the gym wall) have a banner right up there.”
