The Montverde Academy girls volleyball closed out its home schedule in dramatic fashion Thursday evening, earning a 3-0 sweep (26-24, 27-25, 25-23) over defending state champion Lake Highland Prep in a rematch of last season's Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) regional championship match.
The victory not only improves the Eagles to 13-5 on the season, but it also marked the girls volleyball program's first win over the Highlanders since the 2018 season, snapping an eight-match losing streak against them.
The Eagles were fueled by standout performances from twin sisters Natalia and Bianca Baquerizo. Natalia led the team with 13 kills, adding seven digs, three service aces, and a block assist, while Bianca followed closely with 12 kills. Gabi Carvalho added nine kills and two block assists. Setting up the offense was Kristina Vargas who dished out 17 assists to go with three kills and five digs, and Isabella Parra who contributed 19 assists and four service aces.
The Eagles showed grit in all three sets, holding off rallies and staging comebacks to seal the sweep.
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First Set (26-24): MVA controlled much of the early play, building a 10-4 lead. Lake Highland battled back and eventually tied the set at 21, 22, 23, and 24, but the Eagles held firm to take the final two points.
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Second Set (27-25): Montverde fell behind 14-9 but stormed back, tying the score at 17 and taking their first lead at 20-19. In a set that featured 11 ties and three lead changes, the Eagles edged out another two-point win.
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Third Set (25-23): Facing its toughest challenge of the night, MVA fell behind 8-1 early and lweere down 18-10 before mounting a furious comeback. Down 23-20, the Eagles rattled off the final five points to complete the sweep.
Montverde Academy has two regular season games remaining this season, and the Eagles' next contest is this Tuesday at Trinity Prep. The junior varsity match is set for 5:00 pm., followed by varsity at 6:30 pm.
* Earlier in the evening, the junior varsity team lost 0-2 (18-25, 20-25) to Lake Highland Prep. Antonella Gonzalez-D'Ambrosio had nine kills for the Eagles, while Gabrielle Moise had six kills and six digs.
