It’s six in a row for St. Thomas
Aquinas tops Cypress Bay for BCAA Big 8 title
POMPANO BEACH — Behind powerful spikes from senior Sophia Davis and freshman Olivia Mogridge, St. Thomas Aquinas rolled to its sixth straight BCAA Big 8 championship on Wednesday, beating Cypress Bay in two straight sets.
“This is a big deal for us to win,” Raiders coach Lisa Zielinski said, “and to win [six] in a row is a big deal.”
St. Thomas had no issues on Wednesday, defeating Western in straight sets in the semifinals before taking both from Cypress Bay (25-9, 25-12).
Davis paced the Raiders in kills, racking up nine in the title match. Mogridge was second with five.
“It’s really nice to have her,” Davis said. “Everyone’s just working super hard and giving their best, which is all you can ask from your teammates. … Having Olivia come in this year is awesome. She’s amazing.”
The Raiders also got strong defensive play from their libero, Amanda Silvestri, who led the team with 20 digs.
“I thought our defense really did a great job of putting us in position to swing and get those kills,” Zielinski said. “I think that was huge.”
The Raiders’ two straight-set victories extended a consecutive setvictory streak to 18 straight sets, dating back to Sept. 22 when Aquinas lost to Corona Del Sol High from Tempe, Ariz.
“I do think we’re playing well right now,” Zielinski said. “We just had to work on some things. I think a season is a journey, it’s a progress.”
St. Thomas has won seven straight matches, and the Raiders have one more match, against Pine Crest, before the district tournament starts on Monday.
“I don’t think these kids take anything for granted, and I make sure that they don’t,” Zielinski said. “That’s just our culture. We work hard for things, and even our playoffs, districts, everything’s important.”