What started as an exciting, back-and-forth battle between Apopka and Edgewater ended in unusual fashion Tuesday night, when play was suspended in the fourth set due to unsafe floor conditions. 

Throughout the night, condensation created slick spots across the gym floor, believed to be caused by ongoing AC maintenance combined with the night’s heavy rain. With the units shut off, humidity crept in each time the doors opened, leaving the gym hot and the court “sweating.” By the fourth set, slips became too frequent, and following a dangerous fall at 20–14 in Apopka’s favor, both teams’ coaches, and the two referees gathered, and agreed to suspend play. The match will resume later in the season when Apopka travels to Edgewater. 

“It’s going to give us another four weeks to prepare for them, but we have to go down to their gym, so they’re going to have the home court advantage,” said Apopka head coach Brian Mater. “I believe they’re going to make us start from scratch on that last set, that we don’t get to go 20 to 14. So we’ve got to start all over. If they do that, that’s a home court advantage in their [favor].” 

Before the stoppage, Apopka had put on a strong performance. In the first set, sophomore outside hitter Marie Hughes opened with two early kills, and junior setter Taylor Cain helped spark a 14-9 lead with a pair of aces. Hughes later capped the frame with back-to-back aces to seal a 25-16 win. 

Edgewater answered in the second set, capitalizing on Apopka errors and a key block from freshman middle blocker Ella Thomas to grab momentum. But after a Hughes ace tied the score at 13, Emma Vincent’s service run of six points, including three aces, powered the Blue Darters to a 25-18 victory. 

The Eagles fought back in the third. Despite Cain’s creative sets and late tip to tie the score at 18, Edgewater surged ahead on a five-point run and held on for a 25-21 win. 

In the fourth, Apopka looked poised to finish a victory. Cain’s sets consistently found senior middle blocker Daylen Hilliman, while sophomore Kiana Napier’s pinpoint spike and senior Sydney Bartkin’s three aces led the Blue Darters to an 8-2 start. A kill from senior middle blocker Madeline Sherrer had the Blue Darters in total control up 20-14, before the slippery conditions forced the suspension of play. 

The Blue Darters were dialed in from the service line all night, tallying over 20 aces. Stats are not official due to suspension of play, but by the end of the night, Cain racked up 21 assists and 10 aces, Hughes had 6 kills and 4 aces, and sophomore right side hitter Victoria Polusmak checked in off the bench with 5 kills. 

Mater reflected on what could have been: “We could have taken this game tonight. Not giving up that third would have ended it. If we would have just kept game three, it would have ended it right there. And we wouldn’t be worried about going to their court to play… We could end up having seven matches that night.” 

For now, the Blue Darters will have to wait until their trip to Edgewater on Oct. 7 to officially close out what has already been a dramatic contest. Apopka will next travel to Lake Buena Vista on Tuesday, to take on the Vipers (4-1) at 7 p.m.