Maybe it was Rachel Stine's cookie cakes or those delicious oatmeal squares, and who could forget those victory brownies from Venice?

Don't laugh.

Chocolate played a part in St. Thomas Aquinas' volleyball team's remarkable season, a season that's turned out sweeter than anyone could have imagined.

After all, when the kids at Aquinas were gobbling Stine's (a 6-foot middle hitter for the Raiders) cookie cakes they were growing closer.

And that -- not pastries -- is the real secret to the mystery of how Aquinas made its way back to the Class 5A final four in Lakeland, where the Raiders (24-5) meet defending state champ Tampa Plant (28-8) Friday.

What are they doing there? They lost seven seniors, two All-Broward first team players and Tosin Elebute, the Herald's Player of the Year.

''When you lose that many seniors and the Player of the Year, it's tough. You get a little nervous,'' said Aquinas coach Lisa Zielinski, who is in her 21st season at Aquinas. ``This is one of the youngest teams we've had. You always aspire to go to state, but the realty was you don't know because you don't have the experienced players.''

No problem.

First came a new work regime, and all that extra training, including spinning and Pilates every day before practice. Then came some tough losses at tournaments in Gainesville and Tampa, and then came the brownies from Venice.

Along the way, Zielinski's girls were getting older, tougher, better -- and closer -- to each other and the goal of reaching state.

''I think this team is a lot closer than we were last year,'' said Brittany Linder, one of only three seniors. ``We're more of a team this year. We hang out together. It's made a difference.''

That's the real secret.

''You know what,'' Zielinski said with a smile. ``We've come a long way from that first practice to now. We're a totally different team.''

Same players -- just better.

Just look at junior Kelly Marble, a backup player a year ago who has come into her own and is now a force along with Linder, who can dominate at the net. Dee Dee Dennis got better in the middle, Anne Langsenkamp was better on the outside and Jesse Arneson has had a big year as a defensive specialist. .

''This team doesn't have that one stud player,'' Zielinski said. ``But everyone stepped up and got better.''

The steady hand was the Zielinski's daughter Stephanie, a 5-10 setter who is on her way to Rutgers with a volleyball scholarship. She was good enough to sign early, but she improved, too.

''In the beginning we had to come together as a team because we didn't have that one player,'' Stephanie said. ``So many had to show up, and they did. We're a better team because of it.''

They pushed each other -- all the way to Lakeland.

Of course, they had the added push from those victory brownies -- freshly baked for a Venice celebration. Venice had beaten Aquinas in three straight matches (two last year and in Gainesville this season) when the Raiders showed up Oct. 1 in Venice, where the local team always gets brownies after a win at home. Venice hadn't lost in its gym in seven years.

Then Aquinas swept Venice, snapping the streak at 53 games.

''We beat them three straight. That was the turning point of our season,'' Zielinski said.

Aquinas hasn't lost since.

Venice even gave the Raiders those victory brownies, and they ate them on the bus ride home. ''That was a great bus ride,'' Marble said. ``That was the turning point. Oh yeah, that gave us so much confidence.''

They won't bring brownies, but they will take that confidence to Lakeland, where they will be huge underdogs against a Plant team that returned five starters, including four Division I players.

''I think we can do it,'' Stephanie Zielinski said. ``We come at teams from so many different angles. You can't concentrate on stopping one player. That's the way it is with most teams, but we've really come together.''

And if they win? ''Oh, we will have a feast,'' she said.

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