ORANGE PARK - With a lot of the district volleyball chit chat centered around a possible repeat Fleming Island and Middleburg championship game in district 3-5A, quiet, cerebral Sarah Anderson is down Blanding Boulevard with her wheels turning to be able to create an upset of sort in one or two games before 2025 is over.

"I kind of like being the underdog or the team that no one is thinking about," said Anderson, as her Panthers were about to take on 6A-Oakleaf in the season's final regular season game on Thursday. "We've bounced around from great games to sloppy games, but in the past few weeks, we have seemed to find ourselves. We might surprise someone."

For Anderson and the Lady Panthers, now 14-6 even with the 3-0 loss to a vastly improving Oakleaf team on that Thursday, had a five wins, one loss streak going to end their season with a loss to 4A Final Four finisher Bishop Kenny sandwiched in between wins over Keystone Heights and Clay that were followed by wins over St. Johns Country Day School, Orange Park and Menendez.

"We are getting good play at the net from senior hitter Kara Reed (142 Kills) and sophomore Colette Jones (137 Kills) with Adan Benda (51 Kills) adding numbers in the past two weeks," said Anderson, with Ridgeview ranked 17th in Class 4A.

Benda has improved from just one match (Sept. 2 vs. Bartram Trail) where she had five scoring shots to the past week where she had stats of 3, 2, 8 and 5 kills to add to the Panthers net presence. Ridgeview, the third seed, was set to open the district 3-5A tournament with a round one game against sixth seed ED White while Clay and Orange Park opened at Clay. A Ridgeview win puts the Panthers against Fleming Island in the semifinals with Middleburg against the Clay/Orange Park winner.

"I know we lost to Fleming Island in our season opener, but this is a totally different team," Anderson said. "So are they, so it should be interesting."

In district 2-6A, Oakleaf coach Jamie Reed likes her team's athleticism as it is emerging into a fighting force against the district lineup of top seed Buchholz earning a BYE on Monday's first round games and fifth-ranked Oakleaf traveling to fourth-ranked Tocoi Creek.

"I like how our team with seven seniors has become a more aggressive team that is set on creating some kind of legacy for themselves here at Oakleaf," said Reed, 12-12 to finish the regular season. "We've beaten Tocoi Creek (3-0 Aug. 28) and will probably face Buchholz in the semifinal."

Oakleaf, led by senior hitter Gianna Humbles (141 Kills) and senior Morgan Ansley (118 Kills), is anchored by the assist making of senior Jiyanna Rivera's astounding 346 assists. Up front on defense, Reed has senior April Townsend with 29 blocks with junior Lilly Feagle adding 22 and Humbles blocking 19.

"We are very quick to the ball on the court, and the girls aren't afraid to hit the floor," Reed said.

In 3-5A, Middleburg is top seed, Fleming Island is two seed and that presents a bracket designed to get the two teams against each other. Fleming Island won the first match 2-1 in preseason play with Middleburg answering with a 3-0 win two weeks ago after a tortuous schedule got the Broncos home with plenty of state-ranked seasoning for playoffs.

"It's the reason we schedule the way we do," said Middleburg coach Meredith Forkum, who won the Class 5A title two years ago in her rookie coaching season, but got bumped out by Beachside in the region semifinals last year. "I think the team has become hardened by our schedule and now know what it takes to go up against the best teams in the state."

For Fleming Island coach Amy Yoder, the 3-0 loss to Middleburg gave her a glimpse of the two different sets of Bronco teams that she has faced.

"We will take the loss and adjust," Yoder said. "We saw their best and now we will know what to expect."

Out at Keystone Heights, the Lady Indians have surfed their season on the 1000-plus assists by Kayleigh Marquart and the Class 3A third ranked hitting of junior Mia Rivera (326 Kills) to get to their record of 16-9. Rivera has bounced between number one and three with kills.

Newberry is top seed with Keystone Heights two and Crescent City three; all with first round BYEs. Keystone Heights will eventually host Crescent City in one semifinal with Newberry to host the winner of Palatka vs. Interlachen. Keystone Heights beat Crescent City 3-2 in their season opener in August.

District 5-3A

Newberry 17-8, 5-1
Keystone Heights 16-9, 5-2
Crescent City 15-9, 3-2
Palatka 11-14, 2-3
Interlachen 5-14, 0-7

Class 3A Ranks
35. Newberry, 37. Keystone Heights, 50. Crescent City

Bracket (Higher seed hosts): Newberry, Keystone Heights, Crescent City BYE; Palatka vs Interlachen (Mon., Oct. 13); Semifinals Oct. 14, Final Oct. 16.

District 3-5A

Middleburg 14-10, 2-0
Fleming Island 18-6, 3-1
Ridgeview 14-6, 3-1
Clay 12-11, 2-3
Orange Park 3-20, 0-5
ED White 9-7, 0-0

Class 5A Ranks
4. Middleburg, 9. Fleming Island, 17. Ridgeview, 44. Clay

Bracket (semifinals, final at Middleburg High, Oct. 14 and 16)

Note: Ridgeview defeated ED White/Clay defeated Orange Park to advance to semifinals. RHS vs. FIHS/MHS vs. CHS

District 3-1A

Christ's Church Academy 13-6, 2-0
Peniel Baptist Academy 7-13,0-1
First Coast Christian 6-9, 0-1
St. Johns Country Day School 7-16, 0-1
Florida School of Deaf and Blind 2-14, 0-0

Class 1A ranks
12. Christ's Church Academy, 44. St. Johns Country Day School, 55. Peniel Baptist Academy

Bracket: (Higher seed hosts) Christ's Church, SJCDS, Peniel BYE, First Coast Christian hosts Florida Deaf Oct. 13; Semifinals Oct. 14 (SJCDS hosts Peniel), Final Oct. 16.

District 2-6A

Fletcher 22-3, 3-0
Tocoi Creek 13-12, 2-1
Bartram Trail 14-11, 2-2
Oakleaf 12-12, 2-2
Nease 7-13, 0-4
Buchholz 17-5, 0-0
First Coast 10-4, 0-0

Class 6A Ranks
11. Buchholz, 14. Fletcher, 26. Bartram Trail, 27. Tocoi Creek, 31. Oakleaf, 46. Nease

Bracket: Semifinals, Final at Tocoi Creek, Oct. 14, Oct. 16

Note: Oakleaf lost 3-2 to Tocoi Creek to end season.