Gibbons boys’ volleyball team falls at state
Cardinal Gibbons’ boys’ volleyball players expected to have an emotional goodbye once their season was over.
But one of the most talented teams Gibbons or any South Florida school has fielded in recent memory, didn’t expect that tear-filled parting of the ways to come as early as it did or feel as painful.
Yet Chiefs players and coaches hugged and cried together in a walkway just outside the gym at Archbishop McCarthy on Saturday morning soon after Gibbons suffered a fourset loss to Winter Park 28-26, 25-21, 25-27, 25-22 in a state semifinal.
The Chiefs (28-3), the top-ranked team in the state according to MaxPreps, were chasing their third state title and first since 2018.
And they appeared to have all the pieces necessary to make it happen.
The front line of UCLA signee Thiago Zamprogno, UCLA commit David Decker and Penn State signee Caden Day formed a triple threat which carried them back to the state tournament.
Add to that the precise setting of Gino Briglio, an Erskine College signee, and Gibbons looked like one of the best candidates to end the Orlando area’s recent dominance in boys’ volleyball.
But the Wildcats’ crisp passing and execution, led by the tandem of Ryan Peluso (13 kills, 28 assists) and Robert Cole Colado (18 kills and 22 assists), kept Gibbons out of sorts for extended stretches and ultimately sent the Chiefs to a disappointing finish.
“It was just hard to get into a rhythm,” Decker said. “We were able to put a couple of runs together but they played a lot better than we did, and I think mentally we were just not prepared to play from behind in a lot of these matches.”
Gibbons had four players record double digits in kills led by Day’s 17. Zamprogno had 12 while Decker and Logan Koevathy each had 10.
Gibbons appeared ready to win the first set leading 23-21 when Winter Park rallied for three consecutive points, capitalizing on errors and ultimately taking the early edge.
After pulling away to win the second, Winter Park had a sweep within its sights when it led the third 24-22.
The resilient Chiefs got back serve after Peluso’s serve went long, and Decker recorded back-toback points on a kill and a block. After tying it at 25, two consecutive errors by Winter Park clinched the set for Gibbons.
The momentum carried over early in the fourth as Gibbons took a 15-10 lead.
But Winter Park’s pressure and ball movement swung the momentum back in its favor. Gibbons staved off two more match points to pull to within 24-22 before John Michael Mazzotti iced the match with a kill for the Wildcats.
“At this level it’s all serving and passing,” Zarate said. “It all came down to the servers and all the teams that are left, I knew had a chance to win this.”
Gibbons loses five of its core seniors, but will look to regroup for another run building around Zamprogno and Keovathy – their only returning starters.
“Winter Park played amazing,” Zamprogno said. “We scouted them but they just played really, really good, and we have to learn from these losses and keep our heads up.”
A distraught Day hugged Zarate in the walkway afterward and said “I’m sorry, coach,” as several of his teammates also shared emotional hugs nearby.
Zarate, also with tears in his eyes, answered: “Nothing to be sorry about.”
“I’m very proud of these kids,” Zarate said. “They’re not just great volleyball players, they’re great kids. They’re smart kids and never complained about anything and worked hard. I’m really proud of them.”
State quarterfinal – Winter Park d. Miami High 25-21, 25-21, 27-25: As he did throughout the season, senior Denzel Madrigal led the Stingarees (24-7) with 12 kills while senior Bryan Meraz had 11 without an attacking error.
Miami High graduates six of its top seven players, making the challenge for next season clear – find a way to keep its success going.
State quarterfinal – Orlando Freedom d. Miami Southwest, 2523, 25-15, 25-16: The Eagles (22-9), a perennial state contender, had one of their roughest outings ever at the state meet against a familiar nemesis.
Barely anything went right as Freedom, the two-time defending state champions, capitalized on numerous Southwest mistakes including 25 attacking errors.
Alessandro DeLaO led Southwest with 15 kills while Marlon Albornoz and Carlos Gancedo each had eight kills. Erick Pinzon had 29 assists.
Andre C. Fernandez: @FernandezAndreC