Winter Park volleyball is this week's winner of the Florida Team of the Week, presented by the Florida National Guard.
Courtesy photo
State championships are always sweet, but this one must have been that much sweeter.
That's because of the bitter taste that was left in the mouths of the
Winter Park girls volleyball players and coaching staff after a five-set loss to Boca Raton in last year's state final.
There would be no disappointment this season, however, as the Wildcats completed a 30-3 season with a 3-1 (25-22, 17-25, 25-12, 25-20) victory over Lake Mary to win the 8A state championship.
"It feels amazing to bring home a state championship for our school and our community," said head coach Stephanie Gibson. "It's even more special to pull out a win over a very tough Lake Mary team."
For completing an unbelievable season by winning its fourth state title, Winter Park was selected as the MaxPreps Florida Team of the Week, presented by the Florida National Guard.
Christina Ambrose, a Purdue signee, had a team-leading 28 kills and added 14 digs in the title match. Senior
Courtney Stephens led the team with 18 digs, while two juniors,
Olivia George (29) and
Glenna Miller (25) paced the Wildcats in assists.
"Winter Park is very fortunate to have such an amazing group of young women," said Gibson. "Everyone on the team filled a role and worked hard to do whatever was necessary for our team to succeed. Our high-profile athletes are a triple-threat and a big physical presence."
"Big" might be an understatement. Senior middle blocker
Beth Nordhorn, who had 14 kills in the championship match despite playing with an injury, stands an intimidating 6-foot-6. Fellow senior
Brittany Kelly (6-0) led the Wildcats with four blocks, while Ambrose, the team's offensive leader, is 6-foot-4.
"Beth Nordhorn solidified the middle of the net on offense and defense despite playing with a sprained ankle she sustained in the semifinals," said Gibson. "Brittany Kelly was outstanding with thundering blocks on defense and attacking from all three positions in the front row, often through a triple block. Christina Ambrose was unstoppable on offense, clutch on serve receive, and relentless on defense."
Despite the star power, Gibson said the strength of this team was its unity.
"This group of girls is special because they truly care about each other and they are not afraid to push each other to play their best," she said. "They really allowed themselves to be vulnerable enough to discover their weaknesses so we could improve as a team."
It was the sixth overall state title for Gibson, four at Winter Park. To win, the Wildcats had to beat a Lake Mary team they were meeting for the third time this season (Winter Park won all three).
"We were very prepared for Lake Mary," said Gibson. "The championship match was the third time these two teams faced each other this season. Also, the girls all play club together. Our team knew their game situations and responsibilities, and the executed that game plan beautifully."
MaxPreps editorial assistant Kirstin Beal contributed to this report.
