St. Thomas Aquinas & Westminster Christian Win Girls' Volleyball Titles

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St. Thomas Aquinas nationally-ranked girls' volleyball team got its three-peat.

The Raiders (30-2), after an emotionally-charged five-set comeback win over Manatee in the semifinals, defeated Tampa Plant, 25-17, 25-21, 25-22 to capture the FHSAA State 8A Girls Volleyball title at West Port High School in Ocala.

It was their third consecutive state crown and fifth overall.

The semifinal was both a wake-up call and confidence-builder for the final. The Raiders defeated Manatee, 25-19, 25-22, 14-25, 20-25, 15-8.

"That game was a scare definitely," said Pepperdine-bound Brook Bauer, one of six Raiders headed to Division I schools next fall.

"It took everything we had inside of us to win that game," Bauer said. "Going into state finals we were pretty much prepared for anything thrown at us. I think it was timely to have that kind of semifinal match."

For veteran coach and Hall of Famer Lisa Zielinski the victory was bittersweet. It was her fifth state title as the Raiders' head coach, but now she has to say goodbye to the team's core group of dedicated seniors who leave a legacy for teams to come.

"This core group of seniors bought into me and the program and what it was all about," Zielinski said. "They have been great leaders setting the standard. They worked hard. They were always at practice. They were never late. They pushed themselves and set the tone for such a great year."

The Raiders, ranked 18th nationally, defeated Tampa Plant in the final for the second consecutive year. The Raiders finished undefeated against state opponents during the regular and postseason. The team's fifth state title ranks second all-time in Broward County history.

"They didn't go into the final relaxed or overly confident," Zielinski said. "We knew where our focus was, we knew Plant would be pushing us and we weren't going to walk over them.

"Our girls were resilient. They really stepped up to the challenges we were faced with and set the tone.

"This was a huge statement for our girls program. The players in years past set us up for this success. Even way back when they never won a district championship, there were players like Seilala Sua who were super competitive and just played because they loved the game. It set the stage for these girls to succeed."

Joining Bauer at Division I schools are teammates Allison Marble (N.C. State), Emma Dixon (Virginia Commonwealth), Derry Costigan (early Boston College commit), Paula Cerame (Florida) and Kirsten McClain (Georgia Southern).

"It's so sad that the season is over," Bauer said. "It hasn't hit me yet. It's hitting me slowly and it's crazy.

"To leave the program in this way, giving my school one last championship means everything. All the seniors agreed on that. We are happy to have this sweet ending before we all go off to college.

"We helped build this program and we owe it all to Coach Z. She pushed us in every way to be the best we could be on and off the court. She made us better athletes and better people. Her work ethic built this program. She makes every team feel special and makes them play as a unit whether they are intense or quiet, new or a senior. She brings them together as a team. And that's what it's all about…team."

Lady Warriors Take Home Class 5A Crown

For the fifth time in six years, the Warriors made it to the Final Four and won its first state title since 2013 with a thrilling 25-21, 25-23, 16-25, 13-25, 15-12 victory over Orlando Lake Highland Prep in the Class 5A State Final on Thursday at West Port High School in Ocala.

Led by senior Nikkia Benitez, the Warriors finished their season at 29-4. Benitez had 11 kills.

In the semifinals, the Warriors won 3-0 over Fort Myers Bishop Verot, 25-12, 25-14, 25-18.

CLASS 9A: Boca Raton won the title with a 3-0 victory over Oviedo. The Bobcats won 25-16, 25-21, 25-22. The Bobcats eliminated Ferguson in the state semifinals, 25-17, 25-13, 25-18.

CLASS 4A: First Academy defeated Benjamin, 26-24, 25-20, 25-17.