OHS girls volleyball team leaning on experience — and one another

Some philosopher once said experience is something you usually don’t get until after you need it.

That applies to things like weathering hurricanes and, in the case of the Osceola High School girls volleyball team, pursuing a state championship.

Just like this time last year, the Kowboys (26-4) will head to Polk State College’s Winter Haven Health Center Thursday to compete in the Class 7A version of the Final Four.

Osceola, ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 7A and No. 5 among all state classes in the FHSAA’s ranking, will take on Tampa Plant (18-8), No. 3 in 7A and No. 8 across all classes, at 4 p.m.

With a semifinal win—which would be the first state semifinal win in program history— Winter Park (28-1), the No. 1-ranked team across the entire state and the defending Class 7A champions— likely awaits.

There’s history there. The Wildcats knocked the Kowboys out of the state semifinals last year in a rough four-set affair. And the two teams met just four weeks ago to close the regular season. Osceola went to Orange County, and while they lost in five sets, they had a match point at 14-13 in the fifth set and just couldn’t get the one point needed.

Since that night OHS has won 15 straight sets, in the District 7A-7 tournament and three regional playoff matches. And they’ve done it largely with the same cast as last year, with six seniors and a junior who play extensively.

There’s senior hitters Cate Palmi, Jordin Southall, Sophie Spivey, middle blocker Mikayla Matthews, setter Delaney Webb and libero Dari Bravo. A couple were also in the program when the Kowboys reached another state semifinal in 2022 (and the regional final in 2023), but nothing could replace the experience of last year.

It’s made them better and has been driving them this season, Coach Carrie Palmi said.

“I sense purpose, I sense a team that wants to do something no other volleyball team in school history has done, win state or even a semifinal,” she said. (Harmony reached the state semifinal in 2011 and lost to Winter Springs.)

“When you have senior leadership, sensing that this is their final opportunity in the same building as last year, it makes my job easier. Sometimes I have to make sure they stay focused, but it’s not much.”

Coach Palmi used the term focused, but the players all use terms like “chemistry”, “maturity” and “history” as well. These are players who have played for years in club and travel programs, and done everything there is to do— except log any win at the state tournament.

“I feel like we’re just a really good team, we play together and for each other,” Cate Palmi said. “So I feel really pumped up about this week and the chance to make history for this program.”

“Ending our careers on a high note, that’s the biggest thing at the end of the day,” Southall said. “We’ve been playing a lot and winning a state championship is that one thing we’ve never done.”

Spivey used the word “composure”.

“We stay more composed during the points where we need to stay calm,” she said. “I think we’re hungrier this year than we have ever been.”

Sippio, who can become a second-generation OHS state champion (her dad Bobby quarterbacked the Kowboys’ 1998 state champ football team) said she senses a chance to do this with, and for, her senior teammates.

“With the amount of talent we have on this team, I think this is the year we can definitely do it,” she said.

“We have skills at every position,” sophomore libero Priscilla Rada said.

It will take two wins to earn a trophy, hang a banner and earn a ring. It won’t be easy, even though Osceola did have some success in the Winter Park match and defeated Plant in four sets on Sept. 13.

“Plant has played one of the toughest schedules in the state and been competitive,” Coach Palmi said. “And after our last match, I don’t know if Winter Park wants to play us.”

At least, that’s what the experience of being here before tells them.