"As a team, I couldn't have asked for anything more," said head coach Lynn Burnett. "This team was remarkable from opening serve to closing block. They were literally remarkable. Every single one of the players battled through mid-October blues and to overcome so much. It's tough and mentally exhausting when they locked in and focused as a team is what created them as one and when they're all together, they're brilliant."

 

"I thought our team really came together after changing the lineups to a 5-1 instead of a 6-2," said sophomore Katie Keefe. "Everyone adapted well to the change. I'm proud of our whole team while we were facing adversity and how we came back more respectful so we can get the job done."

 

"I felt really excited and energetic with all my teammates," said sophomore Kloe Pinto. "They made me so comfortable the whole time and it was a really fun experience. I'm just so glad I got to play with all of my best friends."

 

"I thought we did well running a 5-1 lineup with Morgan (McGuire) leading the way on the set," said sophomore Caelan Cook. "It was different, but we played really well together with the energy so good from everyone. The energy in the room was electric"

 

Before the match commenced, the Manatees celebrated sophomore day for nine sophomore players: Keefe, Pinto, Cook, Rachel Carroll, Isabella Rebimbas, Amee Beedle, Bailee Perry, Shelby Pillow and Emily Lyons.

 

"I didn't cry, but I might need to pull a 'Deion Sanders' and put my sunglasses on," said Burnett on sophomore day. "It's very surreal."

 

Heading into the first set, serving and blocking were the name of the game for the Manatees as Pinto would lead the way on serving, while Keefe and freshman Aleksandra Wrobel lead the front row in blocking before the Lady Panthers called a timeout with the Manatees up 10-4. After the timeout, the Lady Panthers pulled up a couple of kills before Keefe and Wrobel came up with kills of their own. With Pinto back to serving, the Manatees would continue to put points on the board thanks to Keefe, Wrobel and Cook and went up to 19-10 before Palm Beach used their final timeout of the set. Following the final timeout, the Manatees would go on cruise control after an ace by Wrobel before Keefe sealed the set with a slide kill.

 

Heading into the second set, the Lady Panthers started to rattle the Manatees as they took advantage of a  few reception errors by the Manatees. While the Manatees did manage to mount a comeback and take a three point lead, it was not enough as the Lady Panthers would take the second set.

 

Heading into the third set, with the score tied 1-1 and an hour delay, the Manatees would show signs of strong blocking as Keefe would secure three solo blocks while Cook took over on getting kills before the Manatees took the third set off of a Lady Panther attack error.

 

In the fourth and final set, the Manatees were a little shaky towards the end, but after a timeout and some adjustments they would pull themselves together and came back after kills by Cook and Rebimbas and key blocks from Wrobel and freshman Teresa Briefeneder before the duo sealed the final set with their blocking to give the Manatees the win.

 

Keefe would lead the way offensively and defensively as she finished with a double-double of 12 kills, 10 blocks (four solo), two aces, one assist and three digs.

 

"I came into the match playing as a middle blocker instead of right side or outside hitter," said Keefe. "It certainly was a different position for me, but I got the hang of it once I got my memory back on playing it. I had a fun time blocking, which was better for me to help my shoulder out so I could hit less and block more. I just happy that my coaches trusted me enough to play this position and to be able to block like this."

 

"Katie was unbelievable at the middle," said Burnett on Keefe. "She just tracked and shutdown everything, which very few have got by her."

 

Cook and Wrobel would round out the order with 11 kills each. Cook, who was one dig shy of a double-double added, nine digs, two aces and two blocks, while Wrobel had a double-double by adding 15 digs, two aces and eight blocks (three solo).

 

"I felt really good, even if it took me a second to settle in," said Cook. "The energy from my teammates helped me and it felt amazing."

 

In setting, freshman Morgan McGuire would lead the way with a double-double of a season-high 41 assists, 10 digs, one kill and three blocks.

 

In serving, aside from Keefe, Cook and Wrobel, Pinto would lead the way with three aces to go along with three digs.

 

"I felt very good," said Pinto. "I thought I did a good job and despite a few mistakes, I was able to come back from them and played my best game."

 

Defensively, aside from Keefe and Wrobel's blocks, Briefeneder would add five blocks (two solo) to go along with four kills. In the back row, Beedle finished with 11 digs, four kills and one block.

 

Carroll (nine digs and two assists), Rebimbas (one kill) and Pillow (five kills, one assist and one block) also contributed in the match.

 

Notes:

This will be the second straight season that the Manatees have reached the state tournament and the first they reached the state tournament with a winning record since 2014.

 

Sun Lakes Conference Standings:

North - 

1. #6 Pensacola State (24-2, 12-1, 7-1)