Reagan boys’ volleyball team’s breakthrough season ends with state final loss

Reagan came a long way in a short time, but they just couldn’t win it all.

Reagan boys’ volleyball finished as the Class 2A state runners-up after getting swept in the state championship match by Winter Park Lake Howell, 3-0, on Saturday at Polk State College. Reagan lost 20-25, 17-25 and 16-25.

“I think we started off very strong,” Reagan coach Joshua Garavito said. “I think we just didn’t really adjust to what Lake Howell was giving up defensively. We never adjusted to that. I don’t feel like we played to our full potential in this game.

“I’m happy (we won a state runners-up trophy) but I would have preferred the state championship. My boys did a great job this year.”

Reagan (25-5) was making its first appearance in a boys’ volleyball state championship game and was riding a four-game winning streak after knocking off Gulf Breeze, 3-1, in the semifinals on Friday.

Reagan was led by Yeison Gonzalez with 15 kills, 28 passes and five digs. Diego Cobena delivered five kills and two digs while Michael Perez and Zhayed Lacruz both had four kills.

“Obviously, this is not the outcome we wanted,” Reagan junior setter Diego Requena said. “Our season was amazing. We came from losing district semifinals last year to be a state runner-up.

“We built this program from nothing. My freshman year we didn’t even make it to district quarter finals. This year, we just put in the work and it all came together. Even in this game, a tough 3-0 loss, we all came together and played our best. We fought and that is all that matters.”

It was the first volleyball state title for Lake Howell, which had reached the title game 20 years ago in head coach Scott Leman’s first season.

“Twenty years in the making and we knew if anyone was going to do it, it was going to be these boys,” Leman said.

Lake Howell was led by senior outside hitter Tyler Windt with 13 kills and nine digs. Junior Lukas Christman delivered seven kills, eight passes and nine digs.