Middleton, Fla. — The Villages High School volleyball team had no answer for Class 4A No. 3 Bishop Moore (Orlando) on Tuesday night in Middleton.

The Buffalo were bounced from the Class 4A-District 6 Tournament in a 3-0 sweep by the top-seeded Hornets, who cruised toward their second consecutive district crown via 25-8, 25-11 and 25-20 decisions.

VHS will now put its postseason fate into the hands of the state's playoff points system, which saw the Buffalo on the outside looking in at its last update on Oct. 12. The Villages was ranked No. 9 in Class 4A-Region 2, with the four district champions earning automatic bids and the next four highest-ranked teams receiving at-large bids into the eight-team regional playoff field.

Bishop Moore (18-8) will take on Mount Dora (16-6), the tournament's No. 2 seed, in the district championship on Thursday night inside the VHS gymnasium.

"I have to give (Bishop Moore) a ton of credit because they're a great team," said Buffalo head coach Michele Moreman, who took over the duty midseason on Sept. 13. "I was so proud, though, to compete in that third set. If we're going to go down, let's go down fighting, being aggressive, and taking it to them — and I felt like we did that."

After scoring the night's first point, the Buffalo (9-11) saw Bishop Moore flex its muscles to the tune of 10 straight points. The Hornets hit methodically — and with power — to expose gaps throughout the VHS defensive effort, cruising to a 25-8 victory in the first set.

It was much of the same in the second frame, as an early Bishop Moore run saw the visitors from Orlando take a 9-2 advantage. The Buffalo pulled back within five points at 10-5, but they were only able to string back-to-back points together once down the stretch en route to a 25-11 defeat.

With its season on the brink, the Buffalo battled throughout a competitive third set. The two teams tied for the lead on three occasions and exchanged it four more times, before a quick run of three straight points put Bishop Moore up 11-8.

The Hornets held the advantage throughout the remainder of the final frame — leading by no more than five points at any time — with VHS pulling within a single point on two occasions. It was all for naught, however, as Bishop Moore proved overwhelming late as wave after wave of talented depth contributed to the sweep.

"To have a program come into our gym and show us where we need to be, so we can compete down the road, that's what it's all about," Moreman said. "How we get there, it'll take hard work. It's going to take a great offseason, but I think we can do it."

The district semifinal defeat was likely the final game in a Buffalo uniform for a trio of VHS seniors, as Elizabeth Boss, Moira Mangum and Evah Watterson potentially closed out their careers on Tuesday night — should VHS not receive an at-large playoff bid on Sunday.

"You don't get better girls than those three seniors," Moreman said. "I told them that if we don't win a state championship this year, OK, but if we do — it's because of the standard they've set and the work they've put in. I love them and I can't wait to see what the future holds for them."


Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment at cody.hills@tvcs.org or by calling (352) 259-6890.