Small-school girls volleyball power Orangewood Christian did not beat Class 7A juggernaut Winter Park on Thursday night. But the 2A state championship contender Rams didn’t back down.
Orangewood, No. 1 in the FHSAA’s 2A rankings, took the 7A No. 1 Wildcats to the distance before succumbing in a five-set thriller that had scores of 23-25, 25-17, 25-22, 19-25, 15-9.
“This was a really exciting match for us,” Orangewood junior Kennedy Langmo said after a showdown that drew a sizable crowd to her school’s gymnasium. “I’m so excited for the future of our team.”
The Rams (9-3) rallied from down 13-8 to win the first set to make it clear they were going to compete against a reigning state champ Wildcats (11-1) team stocked with seasoned seniors wrapped around standout 6-foot-5 junior Isabel Incinelli.
A newcomer to the high school scene, Ellie Enger — one of the nation’s top-rated ninth graders — sparked a 10-2 Orangewood run that fueled that comeback. The versatile 6-foot-2 Enger, skilled as a passer, setter and hitter, delivered 17 assists, 16 kills, and 14 digs. Her play, coupled with timely hitting by coach Diane Langmo’s twin girls Kennedy (14 kills, 17 digs) and Kaleigh (12 kills, 17 digs), along with an energetic effort by a relatively young squad, made the match competitive all the way.
That was much different than Winter Park’s 3-0 preseason victory at home against the Rams.
“If they play like that they can beat anybody,” said Winter Park’s 37th-year coach, Stephanie Gibson. “They served so well and that really contained what we wanted to do. My girls just kept fighting.”
Orangewood, which reached a region final last season, led all the way in the fourth set and jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the final set after junior setter Avery Herman (25 assists) sprawled to save two digs that led to points.
Winter Park turned the tide in the fifth game after senior setter Paige Lehman (50 assists, 24 digs) fed Incinelli for a kill. The Wildcats took a 6-5 lead when seniors Amber McClain (9 kills) and Sophia Stallworth (14 kills) teamed up for a block. Stallworth added another big block and then ripped a windmill kill for an 8-5 advantage.
Winter Park players celebrate during the Bishop Moore Catholic versus Winter Park High volleyball match at Winter Park High School on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
The Wildcats closed the fifth, which is first to 15 (win by two), with a block by senior Amelia Mancino followed by a kill by Incinelli, her 14th of the night. Mancino finished with 14 kills and 20 digs. Isabel Bertelsen scrambled for 24 digs.
Lehman said Winter Park must “keep on being gritty” to achieve its goal of repeating as the large-class state championship.
“We showed a lot of that tonight,” she added.
Orangewood led 11-10 midway through the second game before faltering. And the Rams were up 20-16 in the fourth before the Wildcats again fought back.
“That fifth set could have gone either way. Winter Park has that maturity and it really pays off. But this was a great match for us against a great program,” said Orangewood coach Diane Langmo.
Gibson, already a Hall of Famer, is the Orlando area’s winningest coach with an 882-239 record and seven state titles across 37 seasons — including her early years at Miami Sunset.
Langmo is second on that list with a 758-279 record in 36 seasons. The Rams won state titles in 2005 and 2006 under her watch and were a final four team in three of the past four seasons.
Winter Park is home Tuesday to face another 2024 state champ, 3A Lake Highland Prep (8-3).
Orangewood plays at home Thursday against The First Academy, which is 7-0 going into a Friday night match against also-unbeaten Estero (7-0).
Winter Park overcomes Kissimmee Osceola to reach 7A girls volleyball final
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.