Lourdes girls’ volleyball team wise beyond its years as it aims for a state breakthrough
Most teams that have only two seniors on their roster struggle with inexperience.
That’s not the case with the Lourdes girls’ volleyball team.
The Bobcats have been one of Miami-Dade’s top teams for the past three seasons thanks to a core of players that came in together and have continued to gel and develop into a cohesive squad.
Lourdes gave another demonstration of its potential on Wednesday night when it took down South Plantation 25-14, 25-19, 25-13 in a Region 4-6A quarterfinal at its home gym.
The Bobcats (20-7) will next host Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the regional semifinals as they hope to secure two more wins and break through to their first ever trip to the state final four.
“We’re trending up and it’s thanks to the schedule we played,” Lourdes coach Pedro Penate said. “We played a lot of top 10 teams. We’re young, but experienced and we learned a lot from last season. I feel confident because these girls went through it last year and they’re hungry to prove they can do it.”
Lourdes only graduated two seniors from last year’s 21-8 team which was the first in the program’s history to advance to a regional final before losing to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas.
Should Lourdes get past Dwyer, a rematch with Aquinas is possible as the Raiders are the top seed in the region and ranked among the best in the state overall. Dwyer presents a formidable challenge as the Panthers are led by senior Mila Micunovic, a 6-4 hitter and Fordham University signee.
But the Bobcats feel the experience of last season should help them navigate the tough road ahead.
“Since the season started, we’ve built a really good friendship and I think we’re ready to take this states and win it this year,” said junior Olivia Guzman, who finished the match with 12 kills.
Lourdes’ two seniors are siblings, Olivia and Isabella Marrero. Guzman is one of six juniors. The rest of the roster consists of seven sophomores and one freshman.
Lourdes has been progressing each year Guzman has been on the team and moving closer to a possible state tournament berth. Her freshman year Lourdes went 23-5 and lost in the regional semifinals.
“We all really understand each other and want to help each other on the court and we do the same off the court,” Guzman said. “Our chemistry has expanded ever since my freshman year. Our girls have been great the way they communicate on the court.”
Sophomore Sophia Gonzalez finished with 10 kills against the Paladins on Wednesday while junior Ella Garcia finished with eight. Isabella Marrero totaled 15 digs while Olivia Marrero had 13 assists. Sophomore Jenna Acosta totaled 29 assists and seven digs.
The front line of Gonzalez, Guzman, Alexa Espin and Amanda Travieso also kept South Plantation’s attack at bay with constant blocking at the net.
Lourdes having so many scoring options and versatile players who can defend is something Guzman thinks has made the Bobcats more dangerous this season.
“I feel like we have more players this year who can play at every position,” Guzman said.
MORE REGION QUARTERFINALS
Region 4-7A: Doral Academy d. Miami Coral Reef 25-19, 25-19, 25-20; Weston Cypress Bay d. Parkland Stoneman Douglas 3-0; Miami Ferguson d. Davie Western 25-17, 25-21, 25-22; Boca Raton d. Miami Palmetto 25-21, 25-14, 25-17.
Region 4-6A: West Boca Raton d. Cooper City 25-17, 26-24, 25-20; Dwyer d. Southwest Miami 25-19, 25-14, 25-19; St. Thomas Aquinas d. Fort Lauderdale 25-5, 25-9, 25-18.
Region 4-5A: Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy d. Lake Worth Garcia 25-17, 25-13, 25-20; Okeechobee d. Hialeah 25-14, 25-11, 26-24; North Miami Beach Mourning d. Pembroke Pines Charter 25-20, 17-25, 26-24, 25-14.
REGIONAL SEMIFINALS
Friday - Region 4-4A: Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian at Miami Gulliver Prep, 4:30; Region 4-3A: Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy at Miami Ransom Everglades, 5; Doral Divine Savior at Miami Westminster Christian, 5; Region 4-2A: Miami Archbishop Carroll at Boca Raton Christian, 7; Weston Sagemont at Jupiter Christian, 7.
Saturday - Region 4-7A: Ferguson at Boca Raton, 7; Cypress Bay at Doral, 2; Region 4-6A: Dwyer at Lourdes, 4; West Boca Raton at St. Thomas Aquinas, 7; Region 4-5A: Archbishop McCarthy at Okeechobee, 2; Mourning at Jensen Beach, 7
This story was originally published October 25, 2023 at 10:32 PM.
