Middleton, Fla. — The Villages High School volleyball team saw its quest for a district championship trophy come to an end Thursday night in Middleton.
The Buffalo were swept out of the Class 3A-District 6 Tournament finale by Montverde Academy in a 3-0 defeat (25-16, 25-18, 26-24) inside the VHS Gymnasium, finishing as district runner-up for the second time in three years.
"We're pretty emotional right now, which is a good thing, because it shows we care and we really wanted this so badly," said Buffalo second-year head coach Michele Moreman. "I'm very proud of their fight and we know our season isn't over. We still have a chance to go win a game in regionals and do something our (program) has never done before."
VHS (13-12) still bodes well in its attempt to reach the regional round of the postseason by way of an at-large bid, as the Buffalo entered the district tournament ranked fourth overall in the Class 3A-Region 2 rankings. The four district winners in each region, along with the four remaining highest-ranked teams, advance on to regional play.
But hopes for the program's second district championship were dashed at the hands of top-ranked Montverde (12-8), who used its combination of size and strength to throw VHS out of sync for most of the night.
The Buffalo led 3-1 early in the first set, allowing an energetic home crowd to make some noise and spark some added belief into VHS. The Eagles, who feature seven international-born players hailing from five different countries, returned fire with an eventual 8-0 run to take a commanding 18-7 lead en route to the set win.
The Villages had its chances in the second and third frames, respectively, proving it belonged on the same floor as one of the area's most powerful programs.
VHS never trailed by more than three points at any time during the first half of the second set, until falling behind 15-11 after an unforced service error. That's when the Buffalo battled back with four unanswered points to pull even at 15-15 and again moments later at 16-all, before Montverde showed its relentless attack with five straight points of its own to take the set.
The Buffalo had even more chances to extend the match in a thrilling third set, holding three separate two-point advantages to eventually lead 10-8. After Montverde pulled itself back in front midway through the frame, VHS continued to push on and through a daunting Eagles frontline that seemingly contested nearly every shot attempt.
The back-and-forth battle continued with a handful of ties and lead changes, including a period in which the two teams alternated eight straight points to sit deadlocked in a 19-19 tie.
Montverde then rattled off three straight to lead 22-19, only to see VHS ignite a heroic five-point run to set up match point at 24-22. The onslaught that brought a raucous crowd to its feet multiple times was sparked by Trinity Mitchell on the serving line, who put together a pair of aces and a third well-placed serve that failed to muster up an effective return.
But the visiting Eagles proved their worth as the No. 1 seed and a potential favorite to win the Class 3A state championship next month, as they closed with four straight points — the final blow fittingly on another block at the net — sending Montverde spilling onto the floor in a celebratory dogpile.
The loss was worsened late by an injury to stellar sophomore Sharon Wiechens, who appeared to suffer a serious knee injury on a play that resulted in VHS facing match point down 25-24. Wiechens is the team's leader in both aces and assists this season.
"An injury like that coming on match point, it's just tough for everybody," Moreman said of Wiechens. "We're just praying that Sharon is going to be OK."
Now VHS will set its sights on a regional quarterfinal matchup next Tuesday night against an opponent yet to be determined, with the FHSAA playoff bracket release show scheduled for Sunday.
"We learned that we can compete with really good teams," Moreman said. "We struggled at times letting up some big runs (tonight) and that's something we've struggled with all year. That's not news to us and it cost us. We know we have to be better and really just play like we did in that third set."
Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment via email at cody.hills@tvcs.org.
