After both having extra time off, the IMG Academy Royal Ascenders and the Gulf Coast Sharks will shake off the cobwebs and hit the court against one another at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with IMG Academy Royal sitting on 14 straight wins and Gulf Coast on four.
On Tuesday, IMG Academy Royal got the win against Northside Christian by a conclusive 3-0.
One reason for the win was IMG Academy Royal's just kept getting better, winning each set by more points than the last. The final score came out to 25-17, 25-16, 25-13.
Maria Otero Galan
| 09/30/25 vs Northside Christian | 31 |
| 09/29/25 @ Lake Minneola | 24 |
| 09/23/25 vs DME Academy Gold | 34 |
| 09/17/25 @ George Jenkins | 27 |
| 09/16/25 @ Port Charlotte | 18 |
| + 7 more games |
Maria Otero Galan was the offensive standout of the matchup as she had 31 assists and three digs. She is on a roll when it comes to assists, as she's now posted 17 or more in each of the last 12 games she's played.
Meanwhile, Gulf Coast made easy work of Canterbury on Thursday and carried off a 3-0 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Sharks have posted against the Cougars since September 9, 2020.
Gulf Coast never let Canterbury on the board, but things got pretty close in the second set. The match finished with set scores of 25-15, 25-23, 25-15.
IMG Academy Royal better keep an eye on Vanessa Lange. She was instrumental in Gulf Coast's win, getting 11 assists.
Gulf Coast was lethal from the service line and finished the match with 13 aces. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now served at least 11 aces in four consecutive matches.
IMG Academy Royal's record now sits at 15-1. As for Gulf Coast, their record is now 19-4.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Wednesday's contest: IMG Academy Royal hasn't let much over the net this season, having averaged 5 blocks per game. It's a different story for Gulf Coast, though, as they've been averaging only 0.6 blocks. Given IMG Academy Royal's sizable advantage in that area, the Sharks will need to find a way to close that gap. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other volleyball content.
