Vinnie Cammarano
Key Points
Wekiva volleyball has spent much of the season adjusting to adversity, and Thursday’s matchup with South Lake was another test of the Mustangs’ depth.
Playing without two seniors, libero Mikayla Rivera and outside hitter Elyanna Sanchez, Wekiva fell to South Lake 25-19, 25-11, 25-19 at home. The Mustangs dropped to 6-11 on the season, while the Eagles improved to 10-11.
Wekiva found itself down 16-11 in the opening set before Destiny Rosado ended a South Lake run with a kill. The Mustangs followed with two more points to cut the deficit to 16-14 and force a South Lake timeout.
Avianna Mater then served an ace, and a solo kill attempt from Ginia Reese forced another South Lake error as Wekiva tied the set.
The Eagles regained control from there, closing the set on a 9-3 run to take the opener 25-19.
South Lake created even more separation in the second set, jumping ahead 10-4. The Eagles continued to pressure Wekiva with a combination of kills, aces and Mustang miscues, stretching the lead to 18-5.
Wekiva managed to string together a few points late in the set. Isabella Mancilla recorded an ace before setter Isabella Espada connected with Mater for a kill. Mater added another kill, and Leona Salasek followed with an ace.
South Lake stopped the rally and closed the set 25-11 to take a 2-0 lead.
The Mustangs showed more fight in the third.
Wekiva scored the opening point before South Lake answered, but the Mustangs stayed within striking distance early. After the Eagles took a 7-3 lead, South Lake committed an error and Rosado followed with back-to-back aces to cut the deficit to 7-6.
Salasek added a block to keep the momentum going, and Mater delivered another ace as Wekiva took an 8-7 lead and forced a South Lake timeout.
The Eagles responded with a kill to end the run and eventually regained the lead. After they served into the net, Salasek recorded a block and then an ace to tie the set at 11-11. Mater added a kill, and Espada followed with an ace to give the Mustangs a 14-13 advantage and force another Eagles timeout.
The teams traded points from there, with neither able to pull away immediately.
South Lake eventually took a 17-16 lead after an ace, then extended its advantage. Mater kept a rally alive with a save on a difficult serve that landed for a Wekiva point, 18-17.
The Eagles responded with another run, including back-to-back aces that Wekiva could not receive, pushing South Lake ahead 22-17.
Mancilla added a kill for Wekiva, but the Eagles reached set point at 24-18. South Lake served out on its first opportunity before closing the match with a final kill, winning the set 25-19.
The Mustangs entered the match shorthanded after losing two important seniors to injuries.
Rivera suffered a hand injury during Wekiva’s match against Apopka, while Sanchez was injured after taking an accidental ball to the head. Both were ruled out for the remainder of the season, leaving younger players to fill important roles.
Coach Heather Lorenz has had to navigate similar obstacles throughout the season as injuries have repeatedly forced Wekiva to adjust, particularly when facing some of the tougher teams on its schedule.
Despite those challenges, the Mustangs have found some bright spots.
Wekiva has won six matches this season, including a 3-2 victory over University last Wednesday. That match also produced a milestone for Mater.
The junior became the school’s single-season record holder for kills, now at 125 on the season. Mater missed multiple matches earlier in the year but still managed to break the previous record and has one season remaining.
With her senior season still ahead, she has an opportunity to turn the single-season record into Wekiva’s all-time kills record and potentially put significant distance between herself and the previousmark.
Before that, the Mustangs will get one more opportunity to honor their senior class.
Rivera and Sanchez are hopeful they can take part in senior night for at least one play, giving Wekiva an opportunity to celebrate two players who have remained important to the program for four years.
Wekiva hosts Edgewater at 7 p.m. on Thursday. The Eagles enter at 7-6, while the Mustangs will look to finish the regular season at home with a strong senior night performance.