Mourning Boys Win Second Straight GMAC Volleyball Title

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Defending its Greater Miami Athletic Conference (GMAC) boys' volleyball title was just the confidence-builder Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High was looking for headed into this week's District 12 tournament.

Mourning (19-5) knocked off previously unbeaten Columbus (23-1) in straight games, 25-15, 25-12 in a best two-of-three championship match to win its second consecutive GMAC title.

Mourning, ranked 13th in the state, is the only team in north Miami-Dade County to win the GMAC in the sport's history.

"The team is peaking at the right time," said Sharks coach Dee Nord-Rey, who also coaches the girls' team in the fall. "We got into a rhythm and played well. We just continue to push through. Our players understand GMAC was just a stepping stone."

Nord-Rey has been with the volleyball program since the school opened seven years ago. The Sharks have joined Dade's list of traditional powers Southwest, Sunset and Palmetto. This season boys volleyball has been balanced with no one dominant team.

"I think with boys volleyball clubs opening all over the place now the playing field is level," Nord-Rey said. "Before, Southwest always had a boys club and was the program to beat."

Against Columbus, senior team leader Will Zuluaga had five blocks, four kills and three digs and junior Riain Festge had 12 assists and three blocks. Zuluaga has 266 kills, 24 aces, 62 blocks and 85 digs for the season.

"It feels amazing to win," Zuluaga said. "It's fantastic we did it again. We knew it would be hard but everything we are working on in practice is working in games. We all played together as a team," Zuluaga said. "If we keep playing like this we are capable of achieving the goal, we are capable of winning it all."

In early round GMAC games, Mourning defeated Miami High, 25-17, 25-21, in the quarterfinals and Palmetto, 25-21, 25-16, in semifinals.

Against Miami, Zuluaga had 10 kills, two aces and 10 digs and Ray Peterson had 11 kills and 4 digs. Against Palmetto, Zuluaga had 9 kills, five digs and 3 blocks; Peterson had 7 kills and 1 block and Festge had 23 assists, 7 digs, 2 kills and 1 block.

Mourning will try to defend its District 12 title when it hosts the tournament on Tuesday and Thursday. The district features American, Dr. Krop, Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Mater Lakes, Carol City, Miami Pace and North Miami. Seven other district tournaments will be held in Dade and Broward this week.

Mourning hopes to make it back to the May 6-7 Florida High school Boys Volleyball State Championships, hosted this year at Golden Gate High School in Naples.

Last year Mourning made it to the state quarterfinals before being eliminated by Wellington, 25-21, 17-25, 25-16, 25-18. Orlando Bishop Moore is defending state champion. It was the Sharks third state trip. The Sharks lost nine players off that team.

"It seems we start out every year where the beginning of the season is a little rocky and then we come together," Nord-Rey said. "I have a smaller team this year. I brought up half the jayvee team. We needed time to mesh all the different personalities together. Once they started doing that we started playing well."

At the start of the season, Zuluaga assumed a leadership role. Nord-Rey calls him "a big force in the program. Last year he was quiet and timid, I hardly heard from him," she said.

This year Zuluaga took over a leadership role.

"I came into the season wanting to be a leader and to leave the team the best it's ever been," Zuluaga said. "I want to play my hardest. I wanted to help the team and be somebody they looked up to. I have been to state before and I know what it takes to get there."

The Sharks are averaging 10.6 kills, 13.1 digs and 2.4 aces per set and have 132 total blocks, 143 aces and 786 digs.

DISTRICT TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

District 9: April 26, 4:30 p.m., 28, 6 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas (Cardinal Gibbons, Northeast, Nova, Pine Crest, Piper, Plantation, South Plantation).

District 10: April 26, 4 p.m., 27, 6:30 p.m. at Archbishop McCarthy (Plantation American Heritage, Cooper City, Cypress Bay, Pembroke Pines Charter, West Broward, Western).

District 11: April 26, 4 p.m., April 28, 6 p.m., at Everglades (Chaminade-Madonna, Flanagan, Hollywood Hills, McArthur, Miramar, South Broward).

District 12: April 26, 5 p.m., April 28, 7 p.m., at Mourning (American, Dr. Krop, Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Mater Lakes, Carol City, Miami Pace, North Miami).

District 13: April 26, 3 p.m., 7 p.m., at Westland Hialeah (Hebrew Academy, Hialeah, Hialeah Miami Lakes, Hillel, Mater Academy, Miami, Miami Northwestern, Miami Springs, SLAM).

District 14: April 26, 4 p.m., April 30, 10 a.m. at St. Brendan (Columbus, Coral Gables, Florida Christian, Miami LaSalle, International Studies, Coral Park, Ransom Everglades, Southwest Miami).

District 15: April 26, 4 p.m., April 28, 7 p.m., at Miami Sunset (Archimedean, Belen Jesuit, Braddock, Ferguson, Greater Miami, Varela, Westwood Christian).

District 16: April 26, 4 p.m., April 27, 7 p.m., at Miami Killian (Coral Reef, Homestead, Island Christian, Palmetto, Riviera Prep, TERRA, Westminster Christian).