Barry Sikorski was dripping.

Soaking wet.

Drenched.

''Yeah, I'm drenched,'' said Sikorski, who was perspiring from every pore and looking like a candidate for one of those deodorant commercials. ``I'm drenched, but who cares?''

Not Cypress Bay.

Playing in a sauna didn't bother the Lightning. The pressure of the Class 6A playoffs didn't bother the Lightning, and for most of the night not even Douglas, a volleyball powerhouse, bothered the Lightning.

No sweat.

There was a bit of drama in the third game when Douglas took a commanding lead, but Cypress Bay stormed back to sweep by Douglas 25-17, 25-17, 27-25 to advance to Saturday's regional final against either Royal Palm or Jupiter back in Weston, where more than 300 showed up Tuesday night.

One problem: Since there was no school Tuesday, the air conditioner in the Cypress Bay gym wasn't turned on until game time. It never cooled off.

Neither has Cypress Bay.

The Lightning (22-7) has zipped through the playoffs without losing a game, and is now one victory away from a trip to the 6A final four. Just about everyone knew to get there Cypress Bay and Douglas would have to meet.

''We're always playing them in the playoffs,'' Sikorski said. ``It seems like we've been playing them forever.''

That's not good news for Douglas. The Eagles not only lost for the second year in a row in the playoffs to Cypress Bay, but they know they are going to have to see Carla Armstrong for two more years. They saw far too much of Armstrong, a sophomore, Tuesday.

''She set the tone in the beginning. She took control of the net,'' said Sikoroski, who is the only coach Cypress Bay has ever known.

Armstrong finished the night with 12 kills, 12 digs, two blocks, 11 service points, including one ace and an assist. She was serving when Cypress Bay made its big run in the third game, taking the Lightning from a 21-18 hole to a 23-21 lead.

'We were losing, but we just kept saying, `we got this.' I knew we were going to win,'' Armstrong said. ``We were so pumped up to play them, because they're our rival.''

The first two games were never close, thanks to Armstrong, Ariana Cano (11 kills, six service points, an ace and three digs), setter Maria Baquerizo (19 digs, nine service points) and Michelle Batista, who had 16 assists, three kills, five service points, a block, and 14 digs, including a highlight tape six-foot slide across the floor.

And when Cypress needed a little extra it seemed Armstrong was there.

''She stepped up for her team,'' said Douglas coach Deana Newman, whose team is almost as young as Armstrong. Douglas (16-11) loses just two seniors, and brings back junior Kendall Putnam (nine kills, 12 digs, eight service points, one ace and one block) who paired with senior Lindsay Fragale (11 kills, 14 digs) to lead Douglas.

''We didn't play our game,'' Newman said. ``We were a little tight, and we had to make some late adjustments.''

The late adjustment was Danielle Fruitanhandler, who started in the middle for the first time, replacing sophomore starter Kaycee Miller, who injured her ankle in practice.

''We are really young, and I'm looking forward to next year,'' Newman said. ``They'll be hungry because they know what it's like to be so close.''

Douglas led 16-9 in the third game before Cypress Bay mounted its comeback, and led 25-24 before Cypress ran off the final three points.

''They didn't quit,'' Sikorski said. ``They didn't quit all year. Why would I expect them to quit?''

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