Reigning state champ Winter Park overwhelmed a good Hagerty girls volleyball team to punch its ticket for another final four appearance and reward Hall of Fame coach Stephanie Gibson with her 900th career victory on Wednesday night.
The Wildcats were tested in the opening game, prevailing 25-20, before powering past the Huskies (20-6) by scores of 25-13 and 25-10 to close out their 23rd consecutive victory.
Senior setter Paige Lehman orchestrated the win with 32 assists, 3 ace serves and 4 kills. Isabel Incinelli, a 6-foot-five junior, added 14 kills and 4 blocks, and senior Amelia Mancino contributed 12 kills and 3 aces.
“Paige was fantastic tonight,” Gibson said afterward. “Hopefully we’re peaking at the right time.”
Hagerty senior Jenness Orcutt had 7 kills to close her school record career total to 964 in four seasons.
“They are loaded. Better than last year,” Hagerty coach Juanita Hitt said of the Wildcats.
Gibson’s overall career record is 900-239 in 37 seasons and she too might be peaking, given the Wildcats two-year record of 57-2. She is 570-197 with five state titles in 26 seasons at Winter Park.
When asked what 900 meant, Gibson grinned and said, “It’s more than 899. I just want to keep winning.”
She stands second on Florida’s volleyball all-time career wins list behind Lisa Zielinski, a fixture at perennial power St. Thomas Aquinas. Zielinski collected her 942nd win Thursday night as the Raiders (26-4) won their 6A region final.
Second-ranked Kissimmee Osceola (26-4) also steamrolled its opponent, Jupiter, in the 7A Region 2 final. The Kowboys won 25-19, 25-20, 25-13.
The Class 7A semifinals will be played at 4 and 7 p.m. next Thursday at Polk State College in Winter Haven. Winter Park is the top seed and will play Region 4 winner Doral Academy (16-13) of Miami-Dade. Osceola will face No. 3 seed Tampa Plant (18-8).
STATE TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS AND MATCH TIMES WILL BE ADDED TO THIS REPORT ON THURSDAY
Oviedo’s upset
Oviedo (23-6), playing in the Panhandle seven hours from home, pulled off a 3-2 upset win against Gulf Breeze (26-4), which was the No. 1 team in 6A. The Lions won the back-and-forth thriller 25-14, 17-25, 25-23, 17-25, 15-10.
On Tuesday Orangewood Christian (26-4), the top-ranked team in 2A, and Lake Highland Prep (23-6), last year’s 3A state champ, won region titles to advance to the semifinal round.
Orangewood may or may not have Ellie Enger, its elite ninth grader. She missed the Rams’ come-from-behind region final win against Trinity Catholic of Ocala because she was one of 17 girls selected for this week’s USA Volleyball national team training camp in Colorado Springs. Twelve will be named to represent the U.S. in the NORCECA Women’s U17 Continental Championship, which begins Tuesday in Costa Rica.
Lake Highland was fueled by senior Isa Umpierre (11 kills, 4 ace serves, 12 digs), freshman Lexi White (10 kills), and senior Juli Rosario-Mendez (14 digs). The Highlanders have a 3A semifinal at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. Monday, leading to a Wednesday 1 p.m. state final.
The 2A semifinals are Monday at 4 and 7 p.m., setting up a Wednesday 10 a.m. title match.
The 6A semifinals are Thursday at 10 and 1.
Saturday’s big day has a 6A final at 10 a.m., followed by the 7A final at 1, 4A final at 4, and 5A final at 7.
The FHSAA will post the matchups and game times on Thursday after updating each team’s power rankings.
Orangewood volleyball, without phenom Ellie Enger, reaches FHSAA final four
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
