Hard schedule toughened up Aquinas for districts
St. Thomas Aquinas’ volleyball team moved over the .500 mark Thursday night for the first time in over a month.
That’s a rarity this late in the season for a sixtime state championship program like the Raiders.
But the challenging slate that left Aquinas’ win-loss record much less glamorous than usual appears to have paid off for the Raiders.
Aquinas looked like its usual self again in a tournament it has long dominated, beating an improved South Plantation squad with relative ease, 25-17, 25-14, to win the Broward County Athletic Association’s Big 8 tournament championship at the Pompano Beach High gym.
The Raiders (13-12) won their 23rd BCAA tournament title all-time and have won five in a row as they prepare for the district playoffs this week. Aquinas also defeated Coral Springs Charter in the semifinals Thursday and Pompano Beach in the quarterfinals Wednesday without dropping a set.
The Paladins (15-4), who led by Elena Lam and Maria Ustick and made it to the BCAA final for the first time, will host the District 14-6A tournament this week and could end up facing Aquinas in the final.
“Our season didn’t start off well, but this is the turning point for us,” said sophomore outside hitter Zori Brown, who led Aquinas in the final with over 10 kills. “We know how good we are now. We know what kind of program we have. We don’t care about the record. We know how we play and we know when we play our game we can get it done the way we did today.”
St. Thomas traveled to tournaments in Las Vegas and Wesley Chapel and faced nationally-ranked opponents such as Buford (Ga.) and Miami Westminster Christian as well as Florida powers Venice and Oviedo Hagerty. At one point, the Raiders endured a stretch of 12 losses in 17 matches.
“It was tough for us with the travel and really this was the first time we traveled in two years because of COVID,” St.
Thomas Aquinas coach Lisa Zielinski said. “So for us it really feels like it’s starting all over again. I’m glad we traveled and we got those experiences and overcame adversity. I know how the record can affect our rankings in the state and all that, but in the long run it makes us better and in the end winning now is what counts.”
Through it all, Aquinas’ players kept faith that Zielinski’s plan for such a bumpy early road would pay dividends.
“I think they understood the challenge and what it’s all about is the experience. They all bought into the idea that this was how we would get better by playing good volleyball teams,” Zielinski said. “It was tough there though. You sit there and you think how much more can you do this. But we stayed positive and they’re a really positive team.”
Brown, a 6-footer, anchors a tough front line for Aquinas along with junior middle hitter Kyleigh Shelton and sophomore Mikayla Porter. With setter Kayla Troutman and junior defensive specialist Halley Tang, the Raiders have a young but talented core that they hope can carry them through a challenging Class 6A bracket.
“We all have a special bond together and we believe in each other,” Brown said. “We know everyone will take everyone’s best shot against us. but we know we can get it done. It’s not just one person, it’s the whole team.”
BCAA semifinal: South Plantation d. Cardinal Gibbons 17-25, 25-18, 15-13: Elena Lam totaled 15 kills, seven digs and 11 receptions. Maria Ustick had four kills and three blocks. Joss Collins had eight assists and Tyra Smith had 11 assists and five digs.
BCAA semifinal: St. Thomas Aquinas d. Coral Springs Charter 25-22, 25-15
BCAA quarterfinals: Coral Springs Charter d. South Broward 25-17, 25-14; St. Thomas Aquinas d. Pompano Beach 25-11, 25-21; South Plantation d. Cypress Bay 23-25, 25-19, 15-11; Cardinal Gibbons d. Pembroke Pines Charter 25-16, 2517.