Streaks stunned in district semis

They stood three feet away, and Sebring, in the midst of a collapse, didn't need the reminder.

There were the Haines City players, in their zebra-print spandex, stretching for their upcoming match, conveniently located three feet from the Sebring sideline. They huddled by the Blue Streaks' water cooler, reciting their rehearsed cheers, whooping it up, seemingly reveling in their rival's downfall.

Three feet. Turns out that's as close as Sebring would get to a redemption match against Haines City.

A tournament that seemed destined for triumph ended into tears Wednesday night, when the Blue Streaks were upset by Osceola 25-11, 16-25, 25-23, 23-25, 8-15 in the Class 5A-District 5 semifinals, dashing their hopes for their first district title since 2003.

When the final point was struck - another kill that fell harmlessly to the floor - Sebring players walked off the court, some with their faces buried in their jerseys.

"I wish it wouldn't have gone down like that," senior Jaye Whitehead said. "It was really painful, because we thought it was over."

Sebring held a 23-21 advantage in the fourth set - two points from advancing to the district finals, from qualifying for regionals, from playing another week.

And then it all fell apart, in swift, stunning fashion.

"I was thinking to myself," Whitehead admitted after, "that I can't wait to go home and tell everybody that we beat Osceola."

Sebring had already beaten the Kowboys twice this season, most recently on Oct. 13, when the Blue Streaks won the fifth-set tiebreaker, 16-14.

They squared off Wednesday in the semis, with much more at stake: The winner advanced to play Haines City, and Sebring, of course, wanted nothing more than another crack at the Hornets, who were swaggering after a season-long dominance in the district.

The Blue Streaks won't get another shot this year.

"Two good teams playing volleyball," Sebring coach Venessa Sinness said, "and somebody had to lose."

Criticized by Sinness after a lackluster first-round win against Lake Wales, the Blue Streaks opened with a heightened intensity on Wednesday, raising their hands in exultation after each winning point.

And there were plenty of those.

Sebring jumped out to a 13-3 lead, forcing Osceola to call two quick timeouts to stop the momentum.

The fun, the hugs, the shrieks were back. And so were the Blue Streaks - at least for a while.

After the lopsided loss in the first set, Osceola adjusted and evened the match. Their frustration mounting, the Blue Streaks hit repeatedly into an impenetrable wall of hands, elbows and heads.

Sebring would attempt to tip over the net players, but its shots went too far, too short or were done too blatantly.

"They started blocking us and our hitters lost their confidence a little bit," Whitehead said.

Sebring erased a 13-3 deficit in the third set, despite a persistent Osceola net presence. The Blue Streaks claimed the set, 25-23, after a few nice kills by senior Karley Freeland and a defiant block by Brittanie Augustin.

They appeared well on their way to a victory in the fourth set, too, when they reeled off seven straight points - and 12 of 14 at one point - to build a 16-9 advantage.

But then, inexplicably, their shots sailed long, their communication broke down, their defense had holes.

"That's the worst thing about volleyball," Sinness said. "The momentum shifts so quickly, and it's like a rollercoaster. If you're not on the upside, especially if you reach a high, then it was just this downhill momentum. You could see it."

After stealing the fourth set, Osceola dominated the 15-point tiebreaker, leading 11-1 at one point. Sebring rallied, but only fleetingly.

"It is disappointing," Sinness said. "Fundamentally, I think we're better. The mental part of it is where they were all over us. There was a little more pressure on us, but a great team can handle the pressure, and we struggled to handle the pressure Wednesday night."

There was still a sense of shock afterward, when the Blue Streaks, two points from advancing, emerged from the locker room.

"We were sort of fighting not to lose at the end," Whitehead said.

"It is very disappointing, because we were supposed to be the ones who were supposed to go a little farther, we're the team that almost got there," she added. "But nobody remembers the team that almost got there."