
The Gainesville volleyball team took care of business on Tuesday night.
The top-seed Hurricanes eased past No. 5 seed Belleview, 25-11, 25-11, 25-8, at The Purple Palace in the Class 5A-District 5 Semifinals.
“It was their first time playing since Oct. 2, so it’s just good to get them back on the court and actually competing,” said GHS coach Jerica Carter-Mitchell. “It’s a good start for us, just getting our feet wet so we can take care of business, hopefully, on Thursday.”
GHS (16-8), which has won seven of its last eight matches, will travel to No. 2 seed Lecanto on Thursday night with a chance to win back-to-back district titles.
“The key for tonight was to not let this team slip in and beat us,” said junior Jordyn Barnard, who finished the night with eight aces. “Even though we knew that we could win, we still knew they could take this game from us at any moment. We wanted to come in and give our full effort on everything.”
Entering the game, GHS was wary of last year’s upset loss to No. 8 seed South Fork in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs. The ‘Canes were the top seed and heavy favorites.
But the ‘Canes used a pair of 5-0 runs and a 6-0 run in the opening set to pull away from the Rattlers (6-15) for a 25-11 win.
“Coming into this one, it was an expected win, but we didn’t want to play down,” said junior Whitney Kinsell. “We wanted to come in and give it our all. Last year, big upset, we couldn’t let that happen again, so we just wanted to give it our all this year and do it for our seniors.”
Belleview got within one, 8-7, in the second set.
However, sophomore Jacey Carter-Mitchell (8 kills, 2 blocks) had a kill to ignite a 12-0 run and Kinsell (3 aces, 16 service points) had 11 service points to help extend the lead to 20-7.
“We needed somebody to go back there and run points for us and Whitney was very consistent with that and being aggressive,” Jerica Carter-Mitchell said. “She’s not usually the one that runs a lot of points, as far as just statistically. She gets her serves, but she’s not a point runner for us, so that was good that she was able to contribute service-wise.”
Barnard added their final two kills for a 25-11 victory in the second set.
With a 2-0 lead, Barnard helped put the game away with seven aces as part of a 15-0 run that began with a pair of kills by senior Rowan Kage (12 kills).
“She got a chance, probably midway through the season, if not before then, to be the middle that goes back there and serves and takes care of business, and she doesn’t want to let that go,” Jerica Carter-Mitchell said. “She’s proving every night that she’s the middle that deserves to go back there and run the points.”
Barnard, who also added seven kills, had 14 of her 17 service points during the run as GHS turned a 5-5 tie into a 20-5 advantage.
“My coach was giving me zones, and I’ve been in the gym a lot working on hitting those zones so I can be a more accurate and consistent server,” she said. “I think all that work that I’ve been putting into the gym has really helped me. I was able to stay focused, and I wanted to do it for my team. I wanted us to get this win so we could keep going further, so I just knew that I had to get back there focus and get the ball in.”
Sophomore Jorryn Dye added nine kills and four aces for the Hurricanes, who also were able to bring up a pair of JV players. Sophomore Cornariah White and freshman Finnley Gordon each had their first varsity kill in the third set.
Thursday’s title game will be the second meeting between the Hurricanes and the Panthers. GHS swept Lecanto on the road in the first meeting on Sept. 23.
“We can’t let up against our opponent,” Jerica Carter-Mitchell said. “We beat them in three sets, but that third set was actually really close (25-22). It was a nail-biter. They almost took us to four. We did change the lineups…but this time we’ve just got to start with our core group and win with our core group. If we get a decent lead, then we can put some subs in, but other than that, we’ll just have to win with our core group.”
2025 FHSAA Volleyball District Tournaments
Times are subject to change
Area teams in bold
Rural-District 6 – Semifinals & Championship at Union County (Lake Butler)
Monday, Oct. 13 (Quarterfinals)
3 Union County (Lake Butler) 3, 6 Taylor County (Perry) 0– 25-11, 25-8, 25-16
5 Bell 3, 4 Dixie County (Cross City) 2 – 19-25, 16-25, 25-17, 25-21, 15-8
2 Lafayette (Mayo) 3, 7 Fort White 0 – 25-4, 25-18, 25-17
Tuesday, Oct. 14 (Semifinals)
1 Branford 3, 5 Bell 0 – 25-11, 25-8, 25-15
3 Union County (Lake Butler) 3, 2 Lafayette (Mayo) 0 – 25-22, 25-18, 25-15
Thursday, Oct. 16 (Championship)
1 Branford at 5 Bell, 7 p.m.
Rural-District 7 – at Higher seed
Monday, Oct. 13 (Quarterfinals)
4 Cedar Key 3, 5 Bronson 1 – 19-25, 25-15, 25-11, 25-20
3 Trenton 3, 6 Wildwood 0 – 25-11, 25-3, 25-13
2 Chiefland 3, 7 Hawthorne 0 – 25-17, 25-14, 25-14
Tuesday, Oct. 14 (Semifinals)
1 Williston 3, 4 Cedar Key 1 – 21-25, 25-20, 25-12, 25-15
3 Trenton 3, 2 Chiefland 2 – 25-19, 25-20, 18-25, 20-25, 15-8
Thursday, Oct. 16 (Championship)
3 Trenton at 1 Williston, 6 p.m.
Class 1A-District 4 – Semifinals & Championship at Redeemer Christian (Ocala)
Monday, Oct. 13 (Quarterfinals)
4 Countryside Christian 3, 5 St. John Lutheran (Ocala) 0 – 25-22, 25-17, 25-19
3 Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto) 3, 6 Hernando Christian Academy (Brooksville) 1 – 25-16, 21-25, 25-19, 25-16
Tuesday, Oct. 14 (Semifinals)
1 Meadowbrook Academy (Ocala) 3, 4 Countryside Christian 1 – 25-11, 25-18, 32-34, 25-20
3 Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto) at 2 Redeemer Chrisian (Ocala), 7 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 16 (Championship)
1 Meadowbrook Academy (Ocala) vs. Seven Rivers Christian/Redeemer Christian winner, 6 p.m.
Class 2A-District 1 – Semifinals/Championship at Higher Seed
Monday, Oct. 13 (Quarterfinals) – at Maclay (Tallahassee)
3 Destin 3, 6 P.K. Yonge 0
4 Saint Francis Catholic Academy 3, 5 Rocky Bayou Christian (Niceville) 0 – 25-20, 25-20, 25-15
Tuesday, Oct. 14 (Semifinals)
2 Oak Hall 3, 3 Destin 1 – 25-16, 23-25, 25-20, 25-16
4 Saint Francis Catholic Academy 3, 1 Maclay (Tallahassee) 2 – 25-21, 23-25, 31-33, 25-15, 16-14
Thursday, Oct. 16 (Championship)
4 Saint Francis Catholic Academy at 2 Oak Hall, 6 p.m.
Class 3A-District 4 – at Higher seed
Tuesday, Oct. 14 (Semifinals)
1 Wolfson (Jacksonville) 3, 4 Bradford (Starke) 0 – 25-12, 25-15, 25-20
3 Episcopal (Jacksonville) 3, 2 Bolles (Jacksonville) 1 – 20-25, 25-23, 25-13, 25-22
Thursday, Oct. 16 (Championship)
3 Episcopal (Jacksonville) at 1 Wolfson (Jacksonville), 6 p.m.
Class 3A-District 5 – at Higher seed
Monday, Oct. 13 (Quarterfinals)
4 Palatka 3, 5 Interlachen 0 – 25-21, 25-10, 25-21
Tuesday, Oct. 14 (Semifinals)
2 Keystone Heights 3, 3 Crescent City 1 – 10-25, 25-19, 25-13, 25-21
1 Newberry 3, 4 Palatka 0 – 25-15, 25-17, 25-14
Thursday, Oct. 16 (Championship)
2 Keystone Heights at 1 Newberry, 6:30 p.m.
Class 4A-District 2 – at Higher seed
Tuesday, Oct. 14 (Semifinals)
3 Godby (Tallahassee) at 2 Suwannee (Live Oak), 6 p.m.
1 Wakulla (Crawfordville) 3, 4 Rickards (Tallahassee) 0 – 25-12, 25-19, 25-8
Thursday, Oct. 16 (Championship)
Godby/Suwannee winner at 1 Wakulla (Crawfordville), 6 p.m.
Class 4A-District 5 – District semifinals & championship at Crystal River
Monday, Oct. 13 (Quarterfinals)
4 North Marion (Citra) 3, 5 Eastside 1 – 25-20, 25-14,23-25, 25-13
3 Lake Weir (Ocala) 3, 6 Dunnellon 0 – 25-7, 25-17, 25-9
Tuesday, Oct. 14 (Semifinals)
1 Santa Fe (Alachua) 3, 4 North Marion (Citra) 0 – 25-9, 25-19, 25-5
2 Crystal River 3, 3 Lake Weir (Ocala) 1 – 25-18, 14-25, 25-17, 25-15
Thursday, Oct. 16 (Championship)
1 Santa Fe (Alachua) at 2 Crystal River, 7 p.m.
Class 5A-District 2 – at Higher seed
Tuesday, Oct. 14 (Semifinals)
3 Lincoln (Tallahassee) 3, 2 Leon (Tallahassee) 2 – 27-25, 25-27, 26-24, 16-25, 17-15
1 Chiles (Tallahassee) 3, 4 Columbia (Lake City) 0 – 25-14, 25-10, 25-8
Thursday, Oct. 16 (Championship)
3 Lincoln (Tallahassee) at 1 Chiles (Tallahassee), 6 p.m.
Class 5A-District 5 – at Higher seed (Championship at Lecanto)
Monday, Oct. 13 (Quarterfinals)
5 Belleview 3, 4 Leesburg 2 – 14-25, 25-11, 25-19, 23-25, 16-14
Tuesday, Oct. 14 (Semifinals)
1 Gainesville 3, 5 Belleview 0 – 25-11, 25-11, 25-8
2 Lecanto 3, 3 Vanguard (Ocala) 1 – 25-16, 25-12, 22-25, 25-20
Thursday, Oct. 16 (Championship)
1 Gainesville at 2 Lecanto, 7 p.m.
Class 6A-District 2 – Semifinals & Championship at Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine)
Monday, Oct. 13 (Quarterfinals)
4 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) 3, 5 Oakleaf (Orange Park) 2 – 25-22, 25-18, 18-25, 21-25, 15-6
2 Fletcher (Neptune Beach) 3, 7 First Coast (Jacksonville) 0 – 25-16, 25-5, 25-14
3 Bartram Trail (St. Johns) 3, 6 Nease (Ponte Vedra) 1 – 25-27, 25-16, 25-21, 25-23
Tuesday, Oct. 14 (Semifinals)
2 Fletcher (Neptune Beach) 3, 3 Bartram Trail (St. Johns) 1 – 25-20, 23-25, 25-23, 25-17
1 Buchholz 3, 4 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) 0 – 25-20, 25-17, 25-21
Thursday, Oct. 16 (Championship)
1 Buchholz vs. 2 Fletcher (Neptune Beach), 7 p.m.