Miami High, Southwest set for clash in boys’ volleyball state semifinals
The trophy case at Miami High is loaded with state championship hardware, but a boys volleyball state title trophy is absent from its shelves.
That could all change Saturday.
Miami High swept last year’s Class 1A state runners-up Cardinal Gibbons, 3-0, Friday at the FHSAA boys volleyball state quarterfinals at Polk State College, winning 25-21, 25-20 and 25-18.
The win thrusts Miami High into the state semifinals at 10 a.m. Saturday to face defending state champions Southwest Miami. The state championship match is slated for 7 p.m. Southwest advanced after sweeping Mater Lakes 33-31, 25-22 and 25-22.
“It would be a story that would write itself,” Miami High coach Rafael Cabanzon said. “It’s always been basketball dominating at Miami Senior High, and this is now the first time boys volleyball has made it to the state semifinals. This would be a dream come true for a lot of guys.”
Miami High also blanked Cardinal Gibbons 3-0 on April 9, winning all three games by much wider margins.
“A lot of their guys have gotten a lot better from the last time we played them and so have we. We expected a fight and we didn’t expect it to go the same way it went the first time.” Cabanzon said. “It was a completely different ballgame, but that is what the playoffs are.”
Miami High was led by Jefferson Moreno with 17 kills and seven digs while Carlos Miranda fielded 12 digs.
Cardinal Gibbons was led by Bryson Jones with 12 kills, Cash Remington with 13 kills and eight digs and Gabriel Nehad with 12 digs.
Cardinal Gibbons head coach Mike Zarate said Miami High is playing “errorless volleyball” right now and is more than capable of winning its first state title.
“They are errorless offensively and defensively and they serve tough. It’s hard to beat a team like that,” Zarate said. “We were trying to serve them out of system but they passed so well, it was difficult. And for us, we had to be great at hitting out of our system because they were serving so well, we were passing off the net.”
Miami High (29-1) is now riding a 20-game winning streak, with its lone loss coming at the hands of Orlando Timber Creek on March 16.
Southwest lost 2-1 to Miami High on April 19, and co-head coach Maurice Diaz said height played a huge factor in the outcome, both physically and facility wise.
“We learned we have to play all the way through and finish the game,” Diaz said. “I think their size is intimidating. At our place we have a low ceiling. They hit hard and popped it up and hit the ceiling. They are dynamic and reach higher than us. Here, in this big-open environment, it might be to our advantage now.”
Against Mater Lakes, Southwest (23-7) was led by Andrew Ovalle with 19 kills and 15 digs while Juanmarco Diaz dished out 10 kills and nine digs.
Mater Lakes was led by Yeison Gonzalez with 28 kills and nine digs, and Kevin LLerena recorded 20 passes and eight digs.
“We didn’t really execute the way we wanted to execute,” Southwest co-head coach Joshua Perez said. “Our game plan kind of went out the window a little bit, but despite some of the hiccups, we had guys that were able to go in and pull it through.”