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Highlands Today

Red Devils Burn Twisters

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Avon Park's Tyranie Perry gets a dig during Thursday's Class 4A-District 10 match against Sarasota Booker.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: September 8, 2007

AVON PARK –– A complete role reversal.

The Avon Park Red Devils girls volleyball team has come full circle this season from where they were at this point in '06. Not only are they playing better as a team, but they are putting teams away instead of letting them hang around, as the new look Red Devils dispatched the Sarasota Booker Tornados 25-7, 25-14, 25-18 in a Class 4A-District 10 match on Thursday.

"It was good that we got this match done in three games," AP head coach Christie Hipps said. "Last year, this match would have went five games, but it was good experience for our girls. We got a big lead and it gave everyone a chance to play."

With the win, Avon Park is now 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the district, while Booker falls to 0-4 on the season.

Avon Park's normal slow start was non-existent against Booker, as the Red Devils blazed out to a 7-0 lead before many of the girls even broke a sweat on the strength of Kelly Bass' three aces, which forced the Twisters to call a time out.

The points kept piling up for the Red Devils, as Nataly Berrios serve netted another seven unanswered points to give Avon Park a commanding 16-3 lead, before breezing to an easy game one win.

Booker finally came out of its shell and forced the action in the second game, down by two points (10-8) to the Red Devils early, but the Tornados could not handle the hard serves by Avon Park and the lead expanded to seven points moments later. The Red Devils finished the game off with a pair of four-point bursts and the rout was on.

In the third game, Avon Park flexed its muscles, scoring points in every way imaginable –– countless aces, powerful spikes by Daija Barrett and smart team play –– to build a 21-7 lead. Looking like the game was well in hand, Hipps substituted many of her starters with younger players to give them a bit of experience, which could prove valuable later in the season.

The substitutions created an opportunity for Booker, which went on a 9-2 run on the play of middle hitter Kylie Conner and Danielle Dygert, but the damage was already done as a kill by Berrios and a Tornado miscue ended the match, giving the Red Devils a much-needed district win.

"I feel good about our overall level of play," Hipps said. "They have a lot of confidence right now and I feel that we can play with anybody."

Avon Park traveled to face Auburndale on Friday. Results were not available at press time. The Red Devils next home match is Thursday, when they take on the Hardee Wildcats at 7:30 p.m.

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