BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Four senior volleyball players from Keystone Heights and Union County high schools had one more chance to play while in high school, thanks to the second annual Prep Zone All-Star Showcase, which was held Nov. 21 at Alachua’s Legacy Park Multipurpose Center.
More than 40 players made up four teams. The East team included Keystone’s Mya Jennings (opposite/outside hitter/defensive specialist) and Emma Stanley (middle blocker/middle hitter), while the North team included Union’s Layla Barber (outside hitter) and Kamryn Southerland (setter).
The North team was coached by Union’s Tifani Knox and Columbia’s Trudy Andrews, who used to coach at Union.
Employing a best-of-three format, two semifinal matches started the event, with the winners playing in the championship match and the losers playing a consolation match. The North team advanced to the championship match, but lost to the West. The East team won the consolation match.
The North team played the South team in a semifinal match. After winning the first set 25-18, the team got off to a fast start in the second set, scoring the first three points with Southerland serving. Southerland assisted on a kill by Columbia’s Kayla Goodloe to put the North up 4-2.
It was 20-11 in favor of the North when the team scored a point with Southerland serving. A tip by Barber later resulted in a point and a 23-12 lead.
The North eventually won the set 25-13 for the 2-0 sweep and a berth in the championship match.
In the other semifinal match, the East played the West, with the West winning the first set 25-23.
The East forced a tiebreaker with a 25-12 win in the second set. Jennings made a play at the net that resulted in the winning point.
In the third set, the West built a big lead en route to winning 15-8.
The West would go on to win the championship match against the North. Barber and Branford’s Addison Folsom had consecutive kills for the North team in the first set, but those two points still left the North trailing 10-3. Southerland would later add a kill, but the West would take the set 25-13.
Southerland had an assist on a kill by Goodloe as the North kept it close early in the second set. The West, though, would go on to build a big lead before winning 25-14.
In the consolation match, Jennings had an early kill for the East team, which won the first set 25-17.
A couple of points scored with Stanley serving helped the East go up 7-3 in the second set. The East would build a 22-13 lead before getting another point off a Stanley tip.
The East would eventually win the second set 25-14.
Besides Jennings and Stanley, the East team was composed of Eastside’s Samiyah Daniels, Kieara Hall and Joanna Williams, Interlachen’s Brianna Webber, Oak Hall’s Sara Duggan, Cassidy McDonald and Sophie Thompson, P.K. Yonge’s Trinity Jacobs and Palatka’s Mackenzie Thomas and Kenadie Wilkinson. The team was coached by Oak Hall’s Perry McDonald and Eastside’s Rachel Williams.
Joining Barber, Folsom, Goodloe and Southerland on the North team were Branford’s Andi Sabourin, Columbia’s Avery Sandlin, First Christian’s Dilyn Koon, Fort White’s Cassidy Nesselt and Lafayette’s Rylee Skillman.
Making up the overall champion West team were Bell’s Alaina Thomas, Buchholz’s Rosy Logan and Lelia Ricks, Cedar Key’s Kaytie Bailey, Chiefland’s Trinity DeWees, Dixie County’s Kailey Edmonds and Hailey Moody, Newberry’s Chloe Jones and Malana Kennard, The Rock’s Mary Massias and Abigail Vaillancourt, Trenton’s Koi Perry and Williston’s Chanitey James. Coaches were The Rock’s Ruben Perez and Darrel Card.
The South team was composed of Dunnellon’s Samantha Bernstein and Shamyra Reid, Forest’s Annalise DeLaberrera and Avery O’Cull, Lake Weir’s Kyra Rigozzi, North Marion’s Camryn Peterson and West Port’s Almarelis Malave and Abbey McClinton.
