MIDDLEBURG - With a classic all-Clay County semi-final round of volleyball championship play, the Middleburg High Broncos took care of business as expected with a 3-0 semifinal win over Ridgeview and a 3-0 championship win over Fleming Island to take step one toward a second Class 5A title for coach Meredith Forkum.
Forkum commented that the workman-like way that her Broncos dominated both games might prove that the team is grasping the magnitude of their task. Statistically, Middleburg was led by 15 kills apiece from hitters Camden Rahn and Brooke Forkum while the Bronco defense kept Fleming Island stymied with Lauren Eason hitting for just six scores to lead the Golden Eagles.
"I think the loss to Beachside a week ago may have woke them up," said Forkum, referring to a uncharacteristic 3-0 thrashing by the third seed Barracudas on the second-seeded, at the time, Broncos in the Middleburg High gym. Middleburg had been on a tough final two weeks of regular season play against an array of state-ranked teams until Hurricane Milton forced a cancellation of a Venice Beach tournament of Final Four finishers from last year and then a matchup with still No. 1 Tallahassee Chiles last week.
"Beachside is in our region and we will most likely get them later in the tournament, but we can't let up on the teams we will face until that game," said Forkum, after her team dispatched a game Fleming Island team that had stolen a game of the Broncos in September in a Middleburg 3-1 win, but then faced the wrath in the district final with scores of 25-18, 25-12 and 25-17. "They played as well as I've seen them tonight. We will need that every night for the rest of the season."
In game one against Fleming Island, the Golden Eagles held the early lead up until an 11-11 tie with freshman Lillie Eason scoring the first points and Emily Topp roughing up the front line with two blocks and a kill.
At 11-11, Middleburg got revved up with Brooke Forkum crashing the Fleming Island party with a series of thunderous scoring strikes.
"I think we just have to not let up during games," said Forkum. "We played some clean ball tonight with very little mistakes. It will have to be like that the rest of the way."
In game two, 25-12, Middleburg's power pair of Forkum and Camden Rahn took the reigns and riddled the Golden Eagles defense to a 20-11 score en route to a 25-12 finish.
"Once I get a read on how their defense is going to set up, I can distribute the ball to the best hitter for us in our formation," said Middleburg setter Olivia "Pistol Pete" Callipo, who executed a Maravich-like over-the-head, behind the back set to Rahn in one point. "I try to put the ball in front of our hitter that has the best shot. It's a fast decision-making process."
In game three, Rahn fired away the first three points, but Fleming Island stayed close to 14-10 behind Eason's strikes from the outside getting past the Middleburg blockers, but, just like sister Connor Rahn last year, Camden Rahn took dominating control above the net.
"When I get in the air, I can see where the defense is trying to set up and make my shot," said Rahn, who noted her "floating" ability was somewhat like NBA legend Michael Jordan's ability to float before landing a crashing dunk. "Between me and Brooke and Kate, it's tough for them to have blockers in front of all of us even though I want the ball all the time."
For Fleming Island coach Amy Yoder, herself an outstanding net presence in her days as a Golden Eagle hitter, the game showed a bit of not-so-fast reactions on her defensive front.
"Honestly, we looked a little tired and confused out there, but Middleburg moves fast and their shots are coming at us fast," said Yoder. "We had some good service strings from Alana Santiago and good defense from Emily Topp, but, with a team like this, you have to keep going at them, no let up. We may get a third chance in regions."
For Forkum, Beachside, who hosts Fleming Island in region quarterfinals, won't be a region final game as, in the region 1-5A bracket with region dates of October 23, 26 and 30, Middleburg, 21-4 and the No. 2 seed, will host No. 7 Leon (13-12) and is on the same side of the bracket as No. 3 Beachside (17-3) will host No. 6 Fleming Island (17-7).
That makes the region semifinal the possible Middleburg vs. Beachside rematch, again at Middleburg High School.
For the opposite end of the bracket, No. 1 Chiles, 20-1 with a loss to Gulf Breeze in late August, will host No. 8 Choctowhatchee (17-10). Chiles do have a 3-1 regular season win over Middleburg from September 7 and also a 3-1 win over Gulf Breeze on September 19 with the Timberwolves on a 17-game win streak to date.
At the bottom of the bracket, No. 4 Ponte Vedra (14-5) will host No. 5 Mosley (18-8).
In 2023, Middleburg, Beachside, and Choctawhatchee were in the region tournament and are repeating in 2024 with Middleburg eventually beating Ridgeview in the region final. Choctawhatchee lost to Lincoln in the region quarterfinal.
In Class 6A last year, Chiles defeated Ponte Vedra in the region final with Ponte Vedra beating Leon and Gulf Breeze to the final and Chiles losing in the state semifinal to Viera. Gulf Breeze beat Mosley in the region quarterfinal.
In region 1-2A last year and with a 15-8 season record, St. Johns Country Day School returns to a second playoff run for coach Jenna Williams, now in Class 1A, with the Spartans beating Christ's Church Academy for the district 3-1A title 3-1 to advance. The Spartans, the No. 5 seed at 11-15 will host Beaches Chapel, No. 4 at 14-3, on Tues., October 22 in their region 1-1A opener.
On the same side of the bracket, No. 1 St. Johns Lutheran of Ocala (15-6) will host No. 8 St. John Paul II of Tallahassee (9-15).
On the bottom of the bracket, No. 2 Harvest Community (17-8) will host No. 7 Christ's Church Academy (9-13) and No. 3 Meadowbrook Academy of Ocala (20-2) will host No. 6 Hernando Christian Academy (9-4).
In 2023, Christ's Church got to the Class 2A region final but fell to No. 1 Oak Hall, who lost in the state semifinal. Harvest Community lost to Christ's Church in the region semifinal.
St. Johns Lutheran, in region 2-2A last year, lost in that region final to Orangewood Christian.
In other area playoff games, Fleming Island beat Orange Park in their district semifinal with Middleburg beating Ridgeview in district 3-5A. Clay (4-19) lost to Ridgeview in the district tournament opener. Ridgeview finishes at 7-19 under first-year coach Jauhna Smith. Orange Park finishes at 10-12.
In district 5-3A, Keystone Heights finished 8-15 the Lady Indians losing to Crescent City in the tournament opener.
In District 2-6A, Oakleaf finished with a 3-2 loss to Bartram Trail with the Knights going down with a fight; 18-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-20, and 11-15 to finish at 11-13.