Vinnie Cammarano
Key Points
Apopka’s girls volleyball team is no longer chasing a winning record.
The Blue Darters (9-4) swept Evans (1-7) at home Wednesday night, 25-8, 25-5, 25-6, extending their winning streak to six matches and securing the program’s first winning record since 2017.
With four matches remaining, Apopka has already accomplished a goal set before the season.
“Tonight was a lot of fun,” coach Brian Mater said. “We put players in different positions. We put a libero that’s never played libero before, just to mess around and have a good time to kind of have like a little bit of team building as well tonight.”
Apopka controlled the opening set from the start. Taylor Cain opened with an ace, followed by a Kiana Napier kill and back-to-back aces from Anais Ruiz. Cain then dumped a volley to give the Darters a 7-2 lead and force an Evans timeout.
Isabel Romero continued the serving pressure with two aces, helping Apopka build a 13-3 advantage. Laila White added consecutive kills and a block, while Romero connected with Marie Hughes for a booming kill.
Sophomore middle hitter Violet Venning also recorded her first varsity kill in her varsity debut. Hughes added consecutive aces late in the set, and Romero and Hughes connected again as Apopka closed out a 25-8 victory.
The Darters carried their momentum into the second set, though Evans briefly tied the score at 3. Hughes responded with a kill and ace before launching a service run that included five additional aces. Her 10-point run helped Apopka take a 13-3 lead.
Emma Vincent later added five aces as the Darters extended their advantage to 24-4. Evans ended an 11-point run, but Vincent finished the set with a free-ball bump that landed along the backline for a 25-5 victory.
Apopka continued rotating players and experimenting with positions in the third set.
Freshman Kalissa Burske checked in and served an ace and set Venning for a middle kill before connecting with Hughes and Victoria Polusmak for additional kills. Ruiz added an ace, while Napier made her first appearance at libero and immediately set Lillian Phillips for a kill from the right side.
Romero followed with two aces, and Vincent added three more as Apopka built an 18-5 lead. White then recorded three aces in the closing moments of the match to win it 25-6.
The Darters finished with a stunning 33 aces. Hughes led the team with nine aces and six kills, while Vincent added eight aces. Setters Romero, Cain, Emily Durham and Burske combined for 26 assists.
Mater said the team’s chemistry has been a major part of its recent success, particularly as Apopka prepares for its next challenge.
“We go into the metro playing for third place, so we’ll be playing Cypress Creek on Thursday night. I look for a really good match there, but our girls are at their prime right now, and they’re getting along so well,” Mater said.
The winning-record milestone also carries significance for Mater and assistant coach Sarah Egbers, who played during Apopka’s previous winning-record season.
“The goal this year was to really have a winning record, as I’ve stated before. The last winning record was nearly 10 years ago. That’s when Coach Sarah was here,” Mater said. “So to be able to steal that from her and have her as a part of it, but for her to be here for the last winning record and now this one is really good, so I’m excited.”
Romero, who has impressed Mater and Egbers throughout the season, said the team’s closeness has helped fuel its six-match winning streak.
“I’m honored to have amazing coaches who see me and my capabilities playing with my friends. They’re not just my teammates; like they’re my friends, and it’s amazing to have them,” Romero said. “We connect so well on the court. We have so much fun every time, and that’s what makes a team. It’s not just individually who’s good and not. It’s we all connect really well, and we’re all so close, and we have fun.”
Hughes, a key contributor this season, said she enjoys supporting teammates across the roster.
“It’s definitely like an honor, and I love having the ability as a younger girl around my team, to be able to still support older girls and influence younger girls as well,” Hughes said. “I just love the game so much, so I just like to come out here and just play and take care of business every single game. So I mean, it’s just fun. I’m blessed to be able to be here and be able to play.”
Apopka faced Cypress Creek on Thursday night in the Metro Conference tournament’s third-place match and beat them 3-2.