Red Devils Defeat Palmetto In Four Games

SEBRING - It was on everyone's mind.
Looming in the shadows like a thief in the night, the DeSoto Bulldogs.

That was the hot topic of conversation for the Avon Park Red Devils after defeating the Palmetto Tigers in four games (18-25, 25-20, 25-10, 25-16) during the Class 4A-District 10 volleyball tournament on Tuesday to set up a match against the top-seeded Bulldogs.

"We are going to have to play a perfect game against them [DeSoto]," AP senior Kelly Bass said. "We're going to come out and play hard. We're not going to just give it to them, they'll have to earn it."

Bass finished with three aces on the night, while Avon Park served 22 aces in the match.
The No. 4 seeded Red Devils have used hard work and great communication to raise their level of play over the final matches of the regular season, culminating in a three-game sweep of cross-county rival Lake Placid.

"I think everything came together for us when we beat Lake Placid," Red Devil middle hitter Nataly Berrios said. "We had been working on serving, blocks and doing tip drills to get us ready for the tournament."

AP head coach Christie Hipps had no doubt that there was more game inside her girls that had yet to be tapped this season.
"I told this team that they needed to bust their butts and play with a little confidence," Hipps said. "They are one of the best teams in the district. Act like it."

Against Palmetto, Avon Park hit a speed bump early on, coming out in traditional Red Devil fashion - very sluggish.
With the score tied at 13, the Tigers used great net defense and watched numerous Red Devil shots sail into the net, during a 9-3 run that allowed Palmetto to cruise to the first game win.

"There was no communication in that first game," Berios, who finished with four kills on the night said. "After the time out, we started playing better, but it was too late. Our play carried over into the rest of the games and we came out on top."

Another see-saw battle ensued in the second game, with Avon Park holding a slim two-point lead, before senior Missy Lander's defense coupled with a pair of kills, ignited a 9-1 run that shifted the balance of power.

The Tigers wouldn't go away quietly, putting together a run of their own - scoring six unanswered points to force Hipps to call a time-out - but the Red Devils held on for the five-point win.
The final two games went according to formula - Avon Park won the long rallies and played near-perfect defense - with no one player being asked to carry the load in breezing to the matchup with the No. 1 seed Bulldogs.

"There isn't a blue print for beating DeSoto," Hipps said. "We just have to play hard from beginning to end."
DeSoto, which is undefeated in district play this season, sports a combination of size and power, led by junior Brittany Muse.

"She [Muse] is just amazing to watch play," Berrios said. "She is tough to block and we are going to have to be in the right place at the right time and force other players to beat us."
Avon Park played DeSoto on Wednesday night, but results were not available at press time.