Unbeaten West Orange reaches for perfect finish
When his girls volleyball team toppled The First Academy and rival Olympia early on, and then Bishop Moore and Spruce Creek later, West Orange coach Ross Usie knew the Warriors were on the path to something special.
Class 4A TFA and 6A Bishop Moore were state champs in 2016, and Olympia and Spruce Creek are consistent playoff participants. Four tough opponents, and four of many victories for West Orange.
Nearly three months after tipping off the 2017 season with a 3-0 shutout of Edgewater, West Orange (28-0) will attempt to cap a perfect season at 7 p.m. today when it takes on Palm Beach Gardens (26-1) for the Class 9A state title at the University of North Florida Arena in Jacksonville.
The state finals will be televised live by Spectrum (cable Ch. 1147 and 47).
West Orange has won four consecutive district championships and has a 99-14 record in that span, but this is the Warriors’ first trip to a state tournament after losing in the region-final round the past two seasons.
“Playing in the state-title match is a dream come true, to be honest,” said West Orange senior Makala Heidelberg. “Since freshman year I've wanted to play in this game. As years went on we came so close, but this year we got over the hump and finally made it and I couldn't be happier.”
Getting over the hump wasn’t easy. West Orange was regarded as an underdog on the road in its region final against No. 1 ranked Oviedo — the team that ousted the Warriors from the playoffs with a 3-0 sweep a year ago. That match went four sets this time, but it was West Orange that dominated.
West Orange then had to beat rival Olympia again in a state semifinal at home.
“We knew we would be able to make it to the regional finals again,” Usie said. “It was just getting over that hump and making it to the state semis that we knew would be an issue. Winning the big games during the season helped us gain the confidence to win the rest of the playoff games and make the run to the championship.”
The Warriors returned five starters from last year’s team: seniors Heidelberg, outside hitter; Baylor Bumford, setter; and Cindy Edwards, middle; junior Torey Baum, Libero; and standout sophomore Taylor Head, outside hitter. Additionally, the Warriors returned senior middle blocker Blake Hollis and junior defensive specialist Caroline Grant. New starters Kaeli Crews, a junior rightside hitter, and Italia Bollo, a sophomore defensive specialist, added to the team’s depth.
“We knew we had a great team, the girls just had to believe that they could do it,” said Usie, who took over the program in 2011. “Things fit into place for us this year and we were able use that to our advantage. A lot of the girls got better through the club season, so bringing it all together was fun.”
They have made history for their school, and they could make more with one more win. Only two teams in area history have run the table and won FHSAA volleyball championship with perfect records.
Winter Park finished 33-0 in 2004. Bishop Moore went 32-0 in 2012.
Head leads the Warriors in kills with 334, which is the fourth most among 9A teams that submit stats to MaxPreps.com. She also leads the team and 9A in aces with 78 and is second in digs (232).
Bumford’s 740 assists rank second in 9A.
Heidelberg is second for West Orange in kills (231) and has 38 aces, 36 blocks and 164 digs.
Grant is second in aces (42); Hollis first in blocks (79); Edwards second in blocks (48); and Baum first in digs (269).
The big numbers helped West Orange win all but four matches this season in three sets.
The high number of sweeps caught Usie off-guard, especially with the rally scoring format.
“Our biggest surprise this season for us has been winning games in three,” he said. “Girls’ high school volleyball is very unpredictable, and I am very proud of my girls for staying that focused.”
Focusing on every point proved key for the Warriors. Usie said the team never talked about going undefeated, principally because he scheduled tough matches to help the Warriors get ready for the playoffs.
“We passed those with flying colors. We took one game at a time and in the heat of the season, if you [had] asked the girls what our record was, they probably wouldn’t be able to tell you. We tried to focus more on doing things right on our side of the court, not necessarily our win/lose record. But as we started beating more and more teams, we got really excited for the possibility of going undefeated.”