For the first time in 14 years, Gainesville High School found itself on the state semifinal stage, chasing a trip to the Class 5A championship, but on Friday, the Hurricanes’ storybook run came to a close.
Archbishop McCarthy (Fort Lauderdale) defeated GHS, 25-20, 25-22, 21-25, 25-20 at Polk State College in Winter Haven.
“We saw Archbishop fight, and we knew they were going to because of their record,” said GHS head coach Jerica Carter Mitchell, who played for the Hurricanes on their 2003 and 2004 state championship teams. “They figured out how to win. It was really a game of a lot of errors, and we had more errors, and that was really the determining factor because it was so close.”
The Mavericks (28-3) entered the match having swept their previous two playoff opponents. Gainesville (20-9) hadn’t lost a single set in its three playoff matches, including its regional final win over Legacy (Port St. Lucie), and carried a six-game winning streak into the semifinal.
The match opened with Archbishop McCarthy’s Fabiana Castro delivering two early aces before Gainesville’s Jorryn Dye answered with a pair of kills. The Mavericks spread their offense across multiple hitters while Gainesville relied on aggressive net play from Dye and Rowan Kage.
After a timeout down 10-6, Gainesville surged back behind the serve of Addyson Hauptman and a big block from Jordyn Barnard to tie it 10-10. The Mavericks rebounded with a 7-2 run fueled by kills from Juliana Lugo and Valentina Santamaria and closed the first set, 25-20.
Dye opened the second set with a block and quick sets from Charlotte Judge to Kage and Dye helped Gainesville jump out to a 7-1 lead.
Archbishop clawed back behind Lugo and a block from Oprah Povea, cutting it to 10-9, before Jacey Carter-Mitchell stuffed a kill attempt at the net, and Dye drilled an ace to tie it at 21-all. The Hurricanes pushed within striking distance, but a late service error and a clutch ace by Archbishop’s Brianna Masaracchio sealed the second set, 25-22.
In the third set, Kage came alive with two powerful kills to help GHS erase a 4-1 deficit, while Jacey Carter-Mitchell’s huge back-to-back block and kill made it 9-5.
The Hurricane’s momentum continued as Kage and Dye combined for four straight points midway through the frame. Dye smashed another kill to give Gainesville a 17-13 lead and held off a Mavericks’ rally to win the third set, 25-21.
Both teams traded long rallies to start the fourth set, with Jacey Carter-Mitchell and Kage continuing to answer the Mavericks’ attacks. But Archbishop’s Lugo and Santamaria sparked a 6-2 run that forced Gainesville into a timeout down 10-6.
The Hurricanes clawed back to within 3, down 18-15 after kills from Kage and Kenzie Carter-Mitchell, but the Mavericks continued to find seams in the defense. A late net violation gave Archbishop a match point, and a Gainesville hitting error ended the match, 25-20.
For Gainesville, the loss was emotional, not just because of how close they came, but because of how far they climbed. The Hurricanes opened the season 3-4 and faced adversity early, but grew into a cohesive team and hadn’t lost a match since Sept. 30. That growth, Jerica Carter-Mitchell said, was what defined this group.
“We only have two seniors, and they’re our main two — our right side Rowan and our libero Addyson — so they’re pretty much irreplaceable,” she said. “But the thing is, we’re here. The girls know how to get here now. Our returners, which is the majority of the team, they know what it’s like to be here, and sometimes you just have to get here and get that little taste in your mouth to know this is where we belong every year.”
Kage, one of those seniors, was fighting back tears after the match and reflected on what this run meant.
“It feels like the greatest feeling ever,” Kage said. “We’ve worked so hard. I’ve worked so hard these four years, every year to get farther and farther in the tournament, and it just means the world to me that they all played their hearts out for me and Addy, because this was our last game. I just had the most fun this year I’ve ever had in high school, and I’m sad that it’s over, but this was a great way to go out, making it this far.”
Kage led GHS with 17 kills and one ace, while Dye followed with 14 kills, two blocks and two aces. Jacey Carter-Mitchell contributed five kills and two blocks, and Kenzie Carter-Mitchell added two kills and an ace. Hauptman anchored the back row with 20 digs, and Judge had 15 assists.
“This was a group that learned how to fight for each other,” said Jerica Carter-Mitchell. “We came a long way from where we started, and now the girls know what it takes to get here. That’s something that doesn’t leave — that experience, that drive. We’ll build on it and come back stronger.”
