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Red Devils Frustrate Tigers

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Avon Park's Zakia Hart rips a spike past the Palmetto defense during Tuesday night's Class 4A-District 10 win.

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By CHRIS HOFFMAN

Highlands Today

Published: October 9, 2008

AVON PARK - Seniors Daija Barrett and Melissa Tullo leaped up in unison above the net to make a perfect block against the Palmetto middle hitter and came down into the waiting arms of their teammates as if they'd won a championship.

The intensity seen only during playoff games or matches against rival Sebring was what the Avon Park volleyball team came to the net with and Palmetto had no answer for what should've been a cakewalk for the visiting squad.

But it turned into a three game sweep (25-14, 27-25, 25-20) at the hands of the much-improved Red Devils in a Class 4A-District 10 match on Tuesday.

"I think Palmetto thought this was going to be an easy game since they embarrassed us in their place the last time we met," Avon Park head coach Stephanie Devlin said. "But what they didn't realize is that they hadn't seen the real Avon Park yet."

Palmetto had been playing well lately, shocking Sebring in three games last week, but seemed to underestimate Avon Park the second time around.

What should've been a solid victory for the Red Devils turned into a menagerie of hysterics by Palmetto head coach Rachel Taylor, who consistently complained to the referees until receiving a yellow card and several times, walked out of the gym while the match was in session, leaving her team to fend for themselves.

That kind of display was all the talk after the match by players, coaches and parents alike.

"That kind of tantrum is hard on the team," Tullo said. "She doesn't expect her players to give up on her, but she turns around and literally gives up on them."

Devlin explained that the coach's complaints revolved around how Avon Park was setting the ball, to which the Red Devil coach responded abruptly to her complaints.

"I was a college setter so I know how a player is supposed to set the ball," Devlin said. "We set the ball the same the entire game and she didn't start complaining until late in the second game and continued to argue over and over. I thought the officials did a good job.

"I could tell Taylor was frustrated, but there's no excuse for walking out of the gym like that. That was very unsportsmanlike of her and it was an embarrassment. I've never seen anything like that."

The actions on the court was one issue, but Devlin came to the defense of her team after the handshakes at center court, when she overheard the speech Taylor gave to her team.

"She told her team that she couldn't believe that they had to come to this crappy gym and lose to this crappy team," Devlin said. "I told her that she had no right to talk down to my team. The score dictated that we're not a crappy team."

The visiting coaches antics aside; Avon Park played their best game, collectively, of the season.

Tullo stepped up in every facet of her game, serving five aces, getting five digs and four kills on the night, while Barrett had two solo blocks and four kills, as the Red Devils dominated the Tigers from the first serve.

After thumping Palmetto by 11 points in game one, the Tigers responded by streaking out to a 9-0 lead, but the Red Devils chipped away at the lead on the strength of excellent serving and solid net play by Barrett, Tullo and Brearnna Tate, who only had two kills and two blocks, but altered numerous shots with her timing and leaping ability.

Near the end of the second game is when the complaints halted play several times, the Red Devils were admittedly rattled by the continued objections by the Palmetto coach.

"It got under our skin," Tate said. "It got us out of our rhythm, but we were able to rally around each other and let our play do the talking.

"This is the best we've played as a team this year and mentally we know we can beat anyone. We've proved that we're not the same team that started the season. We had to go through the ups and downs to find our chemistry and get to where we are now.

"This team can't wait for the playoffs."

The Red Devils are back in action today when they host district powerhouse DeSoto at 7 p.m.

Chris Hoffman can be reached at 863-386-5827 or at choffman@highlandstoday.com.

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