St. Thomas Aquinas girls’ volleyball team falls short in pursuit of back-to-back titles
After a hard fought match held at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena that was filled with passionate fan bases and two talented programs, only one could go home a winner.
This time around, it happened to be Tallahassee Leon.
The Lions beat St. Thomas Aquinas in four sets Friday evening, turning the Raiders away from winning back-to-back state championships.
Aquinas came out swinging in the first set and was clearly the dominant team early. The Raiders took advantage of the moment, surprising Leon early and taking the first set 25-18.
From there on out, it was all Leon.
The No. 4 team in the country rebounded and settled in after that first set loss. Leon then blew out Aquinas 25-10 in the second set and looked like the dominant team they have been for much of the season. The Lions took the next three sets en route to winning its second state championship, with both coming this decade.
“With all the injuries that we had, we had to rally for much of the year,” Aquinas coach Lisa Zielinski said. “We had to change lineups at times. Mya [Bowers] had to play different positions through the year. We’re resilient. That’s what I’m really excited about for the future because we’re young. It’s sports. It’s the way it is. I think that’s how we took it. We knew we had to play well. These teams can compete and win, and that’s what we set out to do. I think they did a pretty good job.”
“I’m so proud of this team and the resiliency and the fight that they showed,” Zielinski added. “This team never gave up with all the struggles that we had, which shows their character and determination.”
One of those players coming back is junior Mya Bowers. Bowers will take this loss and push this team next year.
“A lot changed from last year,” Bowers said. “We really had to adjust, but the experience we gained this year will definitely help next year. I think this team gained a lot of confidence, and they really believe that they can win. I think that they’re going to push and uplift each other. I think that the bond has really grown, and this team is going to continue succeeding.”
Freshman standout Zy’aire Barr will have a three seasons left with Aquinas and is looking forward to the remainder of her career as a Raider.
“We learned we have to keep pushing from the start,” Barr said. “We learned to never give up, play as hard as you can until the game is over, and to remember to play the same way you did in practice.”
In the loss, the Raiders were led by Barr, who finished with 14 kills, and Erin Engel, who finished with 19 assists. Liah Perez added 17 more, and Alyssa Mcbean had 18 digs on the night, and Andi Cherenfant had four blocks.
GIRLS’ SOCCER
▪ Coral Reef 2, Doral 1: Tianna Rivera goal and assist; Mia Vissepo goal, Emma Diaz assist. CR: 2-0.
▪ St. Brendan 3, Homestead 1: Emi Rincon, Gaby Barrera and Sarah Hussein, one goal each. STB: 2-0.
▪ Miami Beach 9, Killian 2: Lara Munoz 3 goals, assist; Isa Pirela, 2 goals; Denisse Gomez, Luisiana Morales, Vicky Powell and Yami Chauca 1 goal each.
▪ Archbishop McCarthy 9, Chaminade Madonna 1: Jordyn Pitter and Sophia Goetz 2 goals each; Natalia Perez, Jessica Gonzalez and Aubrey Havens 1 goal each; Cassie Lawson 3 assists, Nadia Colon 2 assists, Gigi Galdorise and Bella Rocco 1 assist each. AM: 1-0.
▪ Riviera Prep 10, Westwood Christian School 0: Mikel Riquezes 3 goals, Gabriel Anez 6 goals, Cristobal Cardella 1 goal. Alejandro Ortega had the shutout.
BOYS’ SOCCER
▪ Miami Christian 9, Archbishop Carroll 1: Top performers William Peña Rodriguez, Alejandro Molina and Samuel Peralta.
▪ University School 5, Tampa Berkeley Prep 0: Joel Castellanos 4 goals; Sebastian “Nino” Smith, goal; Simon Mertnoff shutout. US: 3-0.
FALL ALL-COUNTY BALLOTS
▪ NOTICE: Athletic directors and coaches, the fall All-County ballots were e-mailed to ADs last week. If you have not received one please e-mail hssports@miamiherald.com to request a form.