Top player out for No. 6 Apopka
If Apopka is to advance past the girls volleyball region quarterfinals tonight, it must defeat one of the Sentinel coverage area’s top teams on the road and prevail without its regular-season leader in kills.
Nicole Dominguez, a sophomore outside hitter, collected 313 kills before tearing the ACL in her right knee during practice Oct. 18. Without Dominguez, Apopka (18-9) lost the Class 8A, District 3 final to Olympia after it swept the Titans twice in the regular season.
Apopka is ranked sixth in the Sentinel’s coverage area. Boone ( 17-10), which won the 8A-4 district championship, is eighth.
“It was very upsetting to the team and the girls,” Apopka coach Jamie Lillethorup said. “I know Nicole was a major asset, but we still have some good hitters and players.”
Fifteen region quarterfinals tonight will involve area teams in Classes 8A, 6A, 4A and 2A.
Olympia will be among them, as well as area No. 4 Lake Highland, No. 5 Lake Mary and No. 7 Orange City University.
Dominguez was the third Apopka starter who sustained a season-ending injury — sophomores Alexis Gosha and Camille Nieves are the others — but Boone coach Mike Ladewski is not overlooking the Blue Darters.
“They’re probably a better team than they were in the beginning of the season, regardless of whether they have Nicole or not,” Ladewski said. “This team is still very capable. It’s going to come down to who serves the most aggressively and plays the most error-free.”
Said Lillethorup: “I feel much better than I did against Olympia. We’ve had four days of practice to prepare and do some scouting.”
Outside hitter Oakley Attaway leads Boone with 339 kills.
At Olympia, the Titans will host Dr. Phillips in a l ong- awaited rematch. Olympia swept the Panthers earlier in the season and in 2011, the last time the two met in regionals.
In 4A, Lake Highland will begin a quest for its first state title since 2009 when it hosts Merritt Island Edgewood. The Highlanders beat Trinity Prep for the District 7 title last week.