Westminster Christian and Ransom Everglades show they’re ready for girls’ volleyball district tournament

Two big district rivals never played each other over the last two days but the Westminster Christian and Ransom Everglades girls’ volleyball teams sent a message on Saturday afternoon that they’re at the top of the their game and ready to go when next week’s district tournament takes place.

After dropping a first-set heartbreaker, Westminster (20-4) rallied to knock off Naples Gulf Coast 27-29, 25-23, 15-5 and win the Gold Division championship at the Ninth Annual Smoothie King Invitational at Ransom Everglades High School.

Just before that, Ransom took the floor to take on Southwest in the Silver Division final and won a classic 25-15, 24-26, 18-16, in which both teams had multiple match points in the final set and Ransom coach Mauricio Diaz dealt with a gamut of emotions.

“We know Gulf Coast [20-3] is really really good and that’s why we invite them every year,” Westminster coach Julie Doan said. “We told the girls, we can’t expect to blow anybody out in this kind of quality tournament especially a team like Gulf Coast. That first set was a tough loss but we came out real strong in set two and got the momentum back and that carried over into the third.”

Doan watched her prize star, South Florida-bound senior Nikkia Benitez lead the charge as she finished with 13 kills, two blocks and seven digs and was ultimately named the tournament MVP.

Also making a huge contribution, especially in the last set was junior Natalia Martinez, who finished with eight blocks, four of them coming at key moments in the second and third sets. Priscilla Hernandez (eight kills, one block, 15 digs) also made major contributions as she, Martinez, and Benitez made the all-tournament team.

“The key was to talk more, communicate as a team and let our emotions go,” Benitez said. “Now this really gives us a lot of momentum going into districts next week.”

Said Doan: “Natalia really stepped up with some big blocks and Nikkia is really something to watch out there. We think playing these teams can only get you better. Being challenged by great teams is what gets you ready for what we’re facing in the next few weeks.”

For Diaz, it was a bittersweet victory. The long-time Southwest volleyball coach, who was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and received the Miami Herald Courage Award last May at the Miami Herald Awards Banquet, left to become the coach at Ransom to coach his daughter Aryannah.

“It broke my heart,” said Diaz, his voice cracking with emotion. He added he is now in full remission and feeling well.

“But this is something I needed to do — to be with my kid — and I don’t regret it for a minute. But I look over there on the other side of that net [Saturday] and I love all those girls.”

Defending state champion Cardinal Gibbons captured the Bronze division with a straight-set, 25-21, 25-21 victory over Longwood Lyman while Palmetto fell to Orlando Olympia 19-25, 25-21, 15-7 in the Copper final.

This story was originally published October 15, 2016 at 11:17 PM with the headline "Westminster Christian and Ransom Everglades show they’re ready for girls’ volleyball district tournament."