AP Opens Big Week With Volleyball Win

AVON PARK - Danielle Tomlinson's temper didn't get the best of her.
Instead, it may have gotten the best out of her.

The Avon Park junior, whose self-described "really bad" passing early in Monday's match somehow spurred the rest of her game on, had four kills and four aces to lead the Red Devils to a three-set sweep of Clewiston, 25-18, 25-18, 25-19.

"When it's going that bad, I try to do something to make up for it," Tomlinson said. "I was just getting really mad, and I tried to take it out on the ball."
Her strategy worked.

Tomlinson's two kills late in the first set pushed the Red Devils to six straight points to close out the Tigers, while her three aces to open up the second set gave AP a lead they'd never relinquish.
"She was on top of her game tonight," said Red Devil coach Christy Hipps. "Danielle improved on getting on top of the ball and helping it get down."

Junior Daija Barrett, who added four kills of her own, said the whole team came out a bit sluggish at the beginning of the match, and she was happy with how her teammates responded, especially from behind the service line.
"A serve is a free point," said Barrett, who had four of Avon Park's 16 aces. "When you get those aces, you start to feel that adrenaline. So on the next point, they get the ball over and the whole defense feels it."

Hipps said she'd like to see a bit more communication out of the girls, especially in the early going when the tone of the match is often set.
"We have to open our mouths and call for the ball," the Red Devil coach said. "We're good at what we do, but we have to realize that we need to communicate and talk to one another so we can get the job done."

Most of the Red Devils' communication in the third set involved smiles and high-fives, as AP jumped out to a 6-5 lead on an ace by junior Melissa Tullo and never looked back, getting kills from Kelly Bass (who finished with three aces) Nataly Berrios (who finished with three kills) and Missy Lander to close out the Tigers.

Tullo finished with three kills and three assists for the Devils, while Palmetto senior Mary Hegley had three kills and junior Courtney Moore had seven aces to lead the Tigers.
AP traveled to Hardee on Tuesday and will host Braden River at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Results from the Hardee match were not available at press time.

With the district tournament looming, Hipps said her team needs to stay aggressive from the opening point and work to chase down every ball.
"We can't let anything go," she said. "We have to pick up the pace. We're one of the better teams in district, so we have to come out and play like it."