The Apopka boys volleyball team showed flashes of resilience Thursday night but fell to undefeated Horizon in straight sets, 25-18, 25-14, 25-19. 

The Hawks (11-0) used a balanced attack and long scoring runs to control much of the night. Apopka (4-6) kept things close at times but struggled to stop Horizon’s momentum once the Hawks started scoring. 

“You gotta give it to Horizon,” Apopka coach Brian Mater said. “They played very, very tough. They’re awesome, too. Every one of their guys can swing. They run options, they run different plays, and they’re just so smooth on the court.” 

Horizon jumped out early in the first set, scoring the first four points behind a pair of kills and an Apopka violation. Caden McGatha put the Blue Darters on the board with a kill to make it 4-1, but the Hawks answered with two more kills to stretch the lead. 

Giovanni Lubin later scored on a kill set up by Nathan White, but Horizon continued to stay in control and pushed the lead to 9-2. 

Apopka started to settle in during the middle of the set. Elzie Robinson added a kill and White dropped in a soft tip that fooled the defense. Two Horizon errors helped the Blue Darters cut the deficit to 11-7. 

White continued to mix in tip shots while McGatha traded kills with the Hawks. McGatha also recorded an ace as Apopka stayed within reach. 

Late in the set, the Blue Darters made their best push. Blake Colclasure added a kill, Robinson finished another attack from a White set, and White and Robinson teamed up for a block that cut the lead to 16-14. 

Horizon quickly responded with a four-point run and forced an Apopka timeout. The Hawks kept control and closed the set with a block to win 25-18. 

Apopka opened the second set with energy. White and McGatha each recorded early kills, and Lubin added a block to give the Blue Darters a 5-4 lead. 

The teams traded points briefly before Horizon pulled ahead. A block and a kill helped the Hawks take a 10-7 advantage. 

White answered with another tip shot during his service turn, and Lubin added another block as Apopka tried to stay close. 

Horizon continued to take advantage of errors and strong attacking to build a 14-10 lead. 

Quintin Daffron later delivered a kill in the middle and Robinson pinned one from the outside, but the Hawks kept control and finished the set with a block and a kill to win 25-14. 

Apopka came out strong in the third set. White opened with an ace and McGatha followed with a kill as the Blue Darters built an early lead. 

Apopka continued the run with several strong plays. Daffron and McGatha each recorded kills, and a rotation violation by Horizon helped extend the lead to 10-5. 

The Hawks quickly turned the momentum. 

Two kills and a net violation started a Horizon run, and an ace tied the set at 10-10. Apopka then committed several errors as Horizon kept scoring to build a lead. 

Apopka finally stopped a 13-point run after a long rally that energized the crowd, making the score 18-11. 

The Blue Darters kept fighting late in the set. McGatha helped lead a small comeback with several service points as Apopka cut the lead to 22-18. 

After a kill made it 23-19, Apopka committed a service error and the Hawks finished the match with another kill to win the set 25-19. 

Mater said his team is still growing as several younger players take on bigger roles. 

“We’re a newer, fresh team,” Mater said. “We’re still developing our freshman middle. We started with a freshman libero in there tonight to try to get him some good digs.” 

Mater said limiting opponent runs will be a focus moving forward. 

“We just can’t let them get ahead like that,” Mater said. “We’ve got to take the momentum away. We’ve got to be consistent on blocks.” 

He also said the team needs to improve its defensive positioning. 

“Our back row is not setting their feet,” Mater said. “They’re still moving instead of going right to the hit, so we’ve got some back row work to do. But I’m proud of the boys, they come together.”  

The team returns to action after spring break at 6:30 p.m. March 23 at home against Ocoee (0-4).