Beachside knew Wednesday evening would make Jacksonville-area volleyball historical past.
Even when the final word end result was out of their arms.
“They are going to take satisfaction in competing at a excessive degree and enjoying properly, so all the opposite stuff is actually ancillary,” Beachside coach Austin Lanteigne mentioned. “We will not actually management that.”
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Within the first-ever Florida Excessive Faculty Athletic Affiliation Open Division match in any sport to be performed in Northeast Florida, Beachside did what it wanted to do by beating Naples First Baptist 25-17, 25-19, 23-25, 25-18.
The FHSAA’s difficult tiebreaker state of affairs, nevertheless, saved the Oct. 28 match from feeling like a complete victory.
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First Baptist’s Grayce Wilder (5) and Beachside’s Mollie VanDeusen (8) problem on the internet throughout an FHSAA Open Division highschool volleyball playoff on Oct. 28, 2026. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union]
Regardless of successful two of three matches within the FHSAA’s inaugural tremendous division, containing the eight highest-ranked applications within the affiliation’s score system, Beachside (26-4) appeared set to complete behind Clearwater Calvary Christian and Tampa Plant for the 2 state semifinal spots from the four-team round-robin Pool B.
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The Barracudas’ drawback: Beachside beat Calvary Christian on Oct. 21, Plant beat Beachside on Oct. 24, and within the different pool match Wednesday, Calvary Christian beat Plant. Had Plant defeated Calvary Christian, Beachside would have progressed robotically in second place. As an alternative, all three ended 2-1, and the FHSAA’s tiebreaking criterion — complete factors allowed throughout the Open Division — appeared set to go away the Barracudas out of the finals in Winter Haven.
Calvary Christian allowed 237 factors in three matches, fewest among the many trio, which underneath the method would carry first place. Then, underneath the FHSAA’s most not too long ago printed tiebreaker — a subject that has been on the heart of appreciable confusion throughout the previous week — Plant would edge out Beachside for second primarily based on head-to-head.
The FHSAA has not but posted an up to date bracket or in any other case introduced a decision to the tiebreaker as of Wednesday evening.
Regardless of the FHSAA’s number-crunching, Beachside performed like championship contenders for a lot of the means Wednesday. Rallying from an early 8-3 deficit, Beachside uncorked a 10-1 run behind freshman Nina Simanic to win the primary. Center blocker Leanna Deutou then turned across the second with a key block for a two-set edge.
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After Maggie Adamczyk and McKinley Vibrant punished a number of third-set errors and introduced the Lions (25-5) again to win the third, Beachside completed off the fourth with extra clutch kills from Nina Simanic and Mollie VanDeusen.
If Wednesday was the top of Beachside’s street, it closes the excellent highschool careers of a six-strong senior class — VanDeusen, Deutou, Vinessa Rafael, Isabella Taveras Seda, Lillian Jimenez and Maya Bell — that helped put Barracuda volleyball on the statewide map. Going out, maybe, with a victory.
“We gave it our very best,” Lanteigne mentioned.
REGION 1-5A
Northeast Florida’s most up-to-date champions are nonetheless going sturdy.
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Middleburg gained a street epic within the Panhandle, 25-20, 21-25, 20-25, 25-23, 15-8 to advance to the ultimate 4. The Broncos (19-11) gained their first state championship in 2023.
Niceville (23-5) held a two-sets-to-one lead and went up 23-18 within the fourth, leaving Middleburg two factors from elimination, earlier than a 7-0 Bronco run swung the steadiness.
Subsequent up for Middleburg is a Nov. 5 semifinal in Winter Haven.
REGION 1-4A
For the primary time ever, Fleming Island is on the way in which to volleyball’s last 4.
The highest-seeded Golden Eagles held off Panama Metropolis Seaside Arnold 25-12, 25-11, 20-25, 27-25 on Oct. 28 within the FHSAA Area 1-4A last, sealing their spot within the state semis in Winter Haven.
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After Arnold (19-9) exploited miscues to claw again within the third, Fleming Island (25-3) fought by a grinding fourth set to clinch the match.
Fleming Island, which earlier had handed Bishop Kenny its first second-round defeat for 22 years, continues its run on Nov. 5 at Polk State School in Winter Haven. Their opponent might be decided after the FHSAA re-seeds the ultimate 4.
This text initially appeared on Florida Occasions-Union: Clay County volleyball duo reaches last 4. What about Beachside?
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