Benjamin routs Sagemont in 4A regional semi

Blain leads Bucs to easy victory in playoff opener

Benjamin (20-4) opened up the 4A FHSAA girls volleyball regionals with a dominant 3-0 victory over Sagemont (4-11) on Tuesday.

Junior Ellie Blain fueled the victory for Benjamin with a team-high 12 kills and four serving aces.

The team captain has been a catalyst for the Buccaneers all season as she leads the squad in sets played (78) and kills (347).

“My girls are hungry to return to the state championship for the third year in the row,” said coach Alexandria Clarke. “Last night was a true example of them showing no mercy and taking it one match at a time.”

Benjamin got off to a hot start in the first set against the Lions with a 25-10 win.

The Buccaneers continued to control Sagemont by holding them to only four points in the second and third set.

Blain and fellow junior Heather Sley led the defensive unit with a combined 15 digs, while senior Shiyanna McLeod contributed with three blocks.

Next up for the Buccaneers is a regional final at Miami Country Day (15-11) on Tuesday.

The Spartans are coming off a 3-1 victory against Westminster Academy (5-14) and are currently on a three-game winning streak.

In their match against Westminster Academy, Miami Country Day bounced back after an 25-17 first-set loss by winning the next three by the score of 24-14, 25-23 and 25-22.

Lake Worth Christian (20-8) also earned an early tournament win as they defeated Somerset Academy (5-9) 3-0 in the 3A FHSAA regional semifinals.

The Defenders, who boast a 12-4 home record, continued their success at home by holding their opposition to fewer than 10 points in all three sets.

In the opening set, Lake Worth Christian rolled 25-8, followed by 25-9 and 25-6 wins in the second and third.

For the next round, the Spartans will travel to take on the (22-1) Divine Savior Academy Sharks.

In their previous matchup, the Sharks improved their winning streak to 16 victories by beating Boca Raton Christian (12-8) 3-0.

Divine Savior Academy cruised to victory in the first two sets winning 25-9 and 25-12. However, the final set proved to a thriller as the Sharks edged out the Blazers 31-29.

Junior Fabiana Castro collected a game-high 18 kills for the Sharks and was also a cornerstone on defense with 10 recorded digs.

Miami Christian (11-7) managed to sweep Grandview Prep 3-0 (8-6) to advance in 2A.

Their defense limited the Pride to only 10 points in the first two sets and concluded the match winning the final set 25-15.

Following their win, the Victors are set to go against the Donna Klein Jewish Academy Eagles (14-2), who defeated Westwood Christian (15-2) 3-2.

The Eagles were in one of the closest matches of the early round, requiring a fifth set to continue their tournament run.

DKJA fell to a 2-1 deficit after winning the first set but managed to orchestrate a comeback by winning the next two sets 25-23 and 15-12.

Miami Christian will host Donna Klein, also at 7 p.m.