Cristina Finan had three of her 15 kills in the match during the run to tie the set at 25-25. Douglas took advantage of Cypress Bay mistakes to win the third set.

“When they were running three, four five points on us, we didn’t get our heads down,” Douglas coach Austin Clubb said. “The girls showed a lot of maturity and poise.”

In the final set, Douglas held a 22-20 lead when the Eagles’ Kristen Khul scored two of her 15 kills in the game to lead Douglas to the victory.

MALCOLM SHIELDS

CROSS-COUNTRY

In their drive to the FHSAA Cross-Country State Finals, which opened this week with District meets, Broward’s top girls’ teams state title contenders have handed the keys over to the young guards.

Showing poise and championship mettle beyond their years, Pine Crest freshman Julia Montgomery, St. Thomas Aquinas freshman Alexa Cruz and American Heritage eighth-grade sensation Daesha Rogers — top contenders for Broward Girls’ Runner of the Year — will lead the charge.

Montgomery, who has sparked the Panthers to the No. 3 rank in 2A with a personal-best 17:52, which ranks No. 1 in Class 2A and No. 3 overall in Florida, could find her stiffest challenge to an individual state title in Rogers, the 2011 Class 2A state runner-up and reigning Broward runner of the year.

The two stars will face each other in what is expected to be three riveting head-to-head showdowns starting at the District 14-2A Championships at Mills Pond Park on Wednesday morning, and continuing through Region 4-2A and the FHSAA State Finals on Nov. 17 in Tallahassee.

Pine Crest coach Paul Baur said the work ethic Montgomery showed last Summer at a runner’s camp convinced a core group of seniors — Ella Wurth, Savanna Gornisiewicz and Hannah Montague — that Montgomery was ready for a leadership role.

“All our seniors were at the team camp in North Carolina,’’ Baur said. “They could see right away that Julia was going to be real good and a huge addition to the team. Julia just blended right in. That helped her, being a freshman, grow close to her teammates.”

Rogers, who along with Rachelle Alexander provide a formidable 1-2 punch for the No. 8 Patriots, didn’t make her season debut until Oct. 5 when she finished third in 20:52 at the Varela Viper Invitational.

While there is some speculation Rogers’ relative late start could put her at a stamina disadvantage, opponents are wary of a competitive streak which has made Rogers one of the nation’s top distance runners.

“I’m ready to go out and run hard in all three races,’’ Rogers said. “There is a lot of competition out there and Julia will be one of them. I believe that I will get out faster and take off running. I feel she will catch up and the rest of the race we will be battling each other.”

Like Montgomery, Cruz has wasted little time asserting herself as her team’s No. 1 runner.

FABIAN LYON

MORE VOLLEYBALL

•  Region 4-6A quarterfinal – Archbishop McCarthy d. Hialeah Miami Lakes 25-16,25-13, 25-18: Melissa Bandera 9 spikes, 3 aces, 30 assists. Natalia St. Thomas 13 sp, 3 aces, 8 kills. Alyssa Savery 9 spikes, 2 aces, 13 kills. AM 15-10.

.•  Region 4-8A quarterfinal – Western d. Coral Glades 25-12, 25-11, 25-14: Amanda Medlock 16 digs, 12 kills and seven service points, two aces. Alexa Oblak 15 kills, six blocks five service points and five digs. Gabi Matos 29 assists, nine service points, two aces and three kills. West 17-6.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

•  Pine Crest 6, Coral Springs Charter 1: Isabella Turner two goals. Autumn Clark two goals. PC 1-0.

•  Cardinal Gibbons 0, North Broward Prep 0: Tricia Solenski (CG) 12 saves.

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

GOLF

State championships in Lake County

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

Region 4-7A quarterfinal: Blanche Ely at St. Thomas Aquinas, 4

Region 4-7A quarterfinal: South Broward at Monarch, 7

Region 4-5A quarterfinal: Riviera Beach Suncoast at Pompano Beach, 7

Region 4-3A quarterfinal: Sagemont at Boca Pope John Paul II, 7

Region 4-3A quarterfinal: Delray American Heritage at Calvary Christian, 7

CROSS-COUNTRY

District 14-2A at Mills Pond Park - Girls: 9 a.m.; Boys: 9:45 a.m.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Flanagan at McArthur, 7