Seeking redemption, Ferguson secures back-to-back GMAC girls’ volleyball championships
Ferguson players are calling it their “redemption year.”
It’s actually been quite a bit longer since the Falcons have made it to the state final four - where they used to be frequent participants not so long ago.
It’s been six years since Ferguson last got that far.
But thanks to a strong core of juniors, the Falcons think that drought may soon come to an end.
Ferguson picked up some momentum toward that goal on Tuesday at Miami-Dade College’s Kendall campus as it swept its three matches, beating Miami High in the championship round, 25-15, 25-21 to repeat as GMAC tournament champions.
“It was important to build momentum and team unity as we get closer to districts,” Ferguson coach Mike Ramos said. “We still have things to work on to get to that peak level but we’re starting to mesh and this was a big step forward.”
The Falcons (15-5), who also beat Miami Palmetto in the quarterfinals and Southwest Miami in the semifinals in two sets, were eliminated quickly from the postseason last year after a loss in the regional quarterfinals.
While the road remains difficult in Class 7A, Ferguson is hoping its experience will play a factor once the postseason begins starting the week of Oct. 17-21.
“Last year we had that downfall so we keep saying this is our redemption year,” Ferguson junior outside hitter Agatha C. Gonzalez said. “We’ve been working super hard regardless of the opponent.”
Gonzalez earned first team All-Dade honors last season and was a catalyst in each of the Falcons’ wins on Tuesday. She and junior setter Mia Gonzalez as well as junior libero Kristyn Membreno made key defensive plays.
Ferguson jumped out to quick leads in the first set of each of the best 2-of-3 matches, but frequently made multiple errors in the second sets. However, in each match, Ferguson turned the momentum and avoided going to a decisive third.
“It showed their mental capacity to let things go by and refocus and regain momentum,” said Ramos, who took over for longtime coach Greg Shanower this season after two prior seasons as an assistant coach. Shanower is now the school’s athletic director.
“That’s part of working together as a team,” Ramos continued. “They do it together or they fail together and this shows what they can accomplish when they work together.”
MORE RESULTS
Quarterfinals: Ferguson d. Palmetto; Miami High d. Reagan; TERRA d. Coral Reef; Southwest d. Killian; Semifinals: Miami High d. TERRA; Ferguson d. Southwest.
This story was originally published October 4, 2022 at 9:10 PM.
