Volleyball Roundup: Belen Wins First Volleyball District Title

SFHSSports: Twitter | Facebook

Since boys volleyball became an FHSAA-sanctioned sport in 2003, Belen Jesuit coach Juan Zapata has wanted to see a district title pennant hanging in the school's gym.

"I would go stand in the gym and look around at all the pennants and look for volleyball," said the ninth-year coach. "There were none. It was very depressing. People would ask and I would say 'not yet.' We always had good seasons but never won it. Volleyball was always the weakest link."

That is, until this season.

Belen Jesuit won its first district volleyball title in school history at host Miami Sunset with two heart-stopping, back-to-back five-set matches.

Ranked fifth in the state, Belen Jesuit (18-7) won the District 15 crown and will host Killian in Tuesday's state play-in game at 7 p.m.

It was the athletic program's ninth district title this year. The Wolverines also won titles in football, golf, cross country, soccer, lacrosse, water polo, baseball and track and field.

In Thursday's final, Belen Jesuit defeated Felix Varela Senior High, 26-24, 13-25, 25-21, 19-25, 15-12 on Thursday. In the semifinals on Tuesday, the Wolverines knocked off Miami Sunset, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 22-27, 15-13.

"I am very happy," Zapata said. "Sometimes you put all the parts together and it is great. That's what happened. We did it. We always had the pressure of volleyball the sport that never won district or made state," Zapata said. "It is something I always hoped for. We always had good seasons. Every year we would make districts no matter what. The farthest we got was two years ago when we beat Columbus in the semifinals but we lost to Ransom Everglades in the final."

The Wolverines have eight seniors on the team: Carlos Cristobal, Francisco De la Camara, Joseph Garcia, Alejandro Guerrero, Christopher Jauregui, Lucas Osorio, Sebastian Paoli-Torres and Fernando Pujals.

Garcia, Guerrero, Jauregui, Osorio, Paoli-Torres and Pinate are starters. "All six are very good," Zapata said.

The team's underclassmen are freshman Eric Diaz, sophomore Alejandro Pujals and junior Nicolas Gonzalez.

"Nobody believed we could do it, but the kids believed in themselves," Zapata said. "We changed little things, not so much technique or rallies. They are all good athletes, all excellent at what they do and all love volleyball. We worked on their minds and playing the game together as a team. I always ask them what is the best position in volleyball and the answer is the best position is the person who has the ball at that moment," Zapata said. "They are responsible for that moment and is the best player of the game at that moment."

The Colombian-born Zapata came to the U.S. 30 years ago and has been involved with volleyball at all levels.

"The game is always a challenge," he said. "It switches very quick. We had a good crowd and it is always nice to play in front of family and friends. It was the first time the whole side of the gym was full with a few hundred fans."

De La Camara, named Florida Dairy Farms Mr. Soccer after leading the Wolverines to their first state title, has been a reserve on the volleyball team. He has played for Zapata since eighth grade.

"He is an amazing kid and athlete," Zapata said. "This year he has been playing. He could be one of the best volleyball players but soccer is his passion."

Since 2003, only one team from Dade has won a state crown, Southwest Miami in 2003 and 2008. Last year Dade had three teams reach the state quarterfinals: Palmetto, Columbus and Mourning.

The talent among Dade teams was more balanced this year with Belen, Mourning, Columbus, SLAM and Killian qualifying for the first-round state play-in games.

In Broward, Archbishop McCarthy is living up to expectations. The Mavericks (20-2) won the District 10 title with a three-set victory over Cypress Bay (10-6).

Archbishop McCarthy, two-time state runner-up, has made it to the state tournament seven times since 2004. The Mavericks will be joined by Monarch (20-2), Pine Crest (10-8) and South Broward (18-1) in the play-in round.

The biggest upset was Pine Crest's five-set rally over favored Cardinal Gibbons (18-8). The Chiefs, led by 6-foot-7 sophomore JT Martin, won the first two sets, 25-19 and 25-22 but the Panthers came back to win the final three sets, 25-21, 25-20, 15-12.

OTHER DISTRICT RESULTS

DISTRICT 8: Monarch def. Douglas, 25-20, 25-10, 25-15; Monarch def. Taravella, 25-14, 25-10, 25-13; Douglas def. Pompano Beach, 30-28, 25-13, 19-25, 19-25, 15-11.

DISTRICT 9: Pine Crest def. Cardinal Gibbons in final, 19-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-20, 15-12; Cardinal Gibbons def. South Plantation, 25-8, 25-16, 25-11; Pine Crest def. St. Thomas Aquinas, 25-22, 25-17, 25-14.

DISTRICT 10: Archbishop McCarthy def. Cypress Bay, 25-17, 25-11, 25-12; Archbishop McCarthy def. Western, 25-15, 25-19, 25-11; def. Cypress Bay def. West Broward, 25-18, 14-25, 25-19, 26-28, 15-13.

DISTRICT 11: South Broward def. Flanagan, 25-20, 25-14, 25-13; South Broward def. Chaminade-Madonna, 20-25, 25-20, 25-11, 25-14; Flanagan def. Everglades, 25-19, 25-21, 14-25, 25-14.

DISTRICT 12: Mourning defeated Hialeah Gardens, 25-10, 25-17, 25-13; Mourning defeated Krop, 25-5, 25-13, 25-7 in the semifinal; Hialeah Gardens def. Mater Lakes, 25-13, 25-12, 25-17.

DISTRICT 13: SLAM def. Miami Senior High, 25-13, 25-14, 15-25, 19-25, 15-6; SLAM def. Hialeah Miami Lakes, 25-20, 19-25, 22-25, 25-15, 15-9; Hialeah Miami Lakes def. Scheck Hillel, 14-25, 25-12, 25-15, 27-25.

DISTRICT 14: Columbus def. Ransom Everglades, 25-18, 25-22, 26-24; Ransom Everglades def. Southwest Miami, 29-27, 22-25, 23-25, 26-24, 15-12; Columbus def. St. Brendan,17-25, 26-24, 25-23, 24-26, 15-11.

DISTRICT 15: Belen def. Varela, 26-24, 13-25, 25-21, 19-25, 15-12; Varela defeated Ferguson, 25-11, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20; Belen def. Sunset, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 22-27, 15-13.

DISTRICT 16: Killian def. Palmetto, 25-14, 25-16, 25-20; Killian def. TERRA, 25-12, 25-14, 25-16; Palmetto def. Coral Reef, 20-25, 25-16, 25-18, 25-18.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND PLAY-IN MATCHES (All Games Tuesday, 7 p.m.)

Miami Killian (District 16) at Belen Jesuit (District 15); Monarch (District 8) at Boca Raton (District 7); Archbishop McCarthy (District 10) at Pine Crest (District 9); Columbus (District 14) at SLAM Academy (District 13); Mourning (District 12) at South Broward (District 11).

May 6-7, Florida High School Boys Volleyball State Championships, Golden Gate High School, Naples.