They may not have earned a victory, but the Avon Park volleyball team certainly earned some respect on Tuesday night in a three-set loss to district power DeSoto.
"The score does not reflect our effort," said AP coach Stephanie Devlin after the Red Devils fell 25-10, 25-17, 25-9 to the Bulldogs. "DeSoto was very complimentary of us - after the match, they were saying, 'Man, you guys play us tough.'"
Senior Daija Barrett had five kills and senior Brearnna Tate and sophomore Zakia Hart added three each, but the Bulldogs' twin-tower attack and ability to finish points following long rallies was too much for the Devils (2-3, 1-2 district) to overcome.
"We were digging the heck out of the ball, and I was proud that we put up a little resistance at the net," Devlin said. "We had a few two-minute rallies back and forth, but they'd come up with the big hit after we got a big dig."
Senior Melissa Tullo had four aces and Hart added four digs for the Devils, who Devlin said gained confidence despite the defeat.
"We knew they were a tough team - they're killing everybody," Devlin said of DeSoto. "But we played up to our ability."
Avon Park is back in action today, when they host Braden River. See Saturday's Highlands Today for complete coverage.
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