Sometimes the stars align perfectly.
For the Saint Francis Catholic Academy and Oak Hall volleyball teams, a matchup in the district title game didn’t seem possible a few weeks ago.
The Wolves entered the Class 2A-District 1 tournament as the No. 4 seed, but it took a pair of wins in Tallahassee to get there.
Saint Francis Catholic Academy, which swept No. 5 seed Rocky Bayou Christian on Monday in the quarterfinals at Maclay, returned to Tallahassee on Tuesday to face No. 1 seed Maclay.
Senior Gianna Morali had 17 kills and 22 digs as the Wolves (11-5) won a five-set thriller against the Marauders, 25-21, 23-25, 31-33, 25-15, 16-14.
Senior Gabrielle Rosado (3 kills, 3 aces) added 20 digs for the Wolves, who will travel to Oak Hall on Thursday for the district title.
Oak Hall, which went 4-10 prior to the return of head coach Perry McDonald to finish 12-11 at the end of the regular season, moved up to No. 2 in the district standings.
The Eagles (13-11) defeated No. 3 seed Destin at home, 25-16, 23-25, 25-20, 25-16.
In the first set, senior outside hitter Haley Janes (13 kills) blistered 6 kills en route to a 25-16 win over the visiting Sharks. She also had “a back-breaking eight service point run in set four,” according to McDonald.
Senior outside hitter Lizzie Cannon exploded with a career high 17 kills with just two errors to lead the Eagles.
“This is by far the best I have ever seen Liz Cannon play,” McDonald said. “She brought poise, power and proficiency on the biggest stage this team has experienced all season.”
Junior middle blocker Kendylle Bishop “mesmerized the gym with a deft combination of power and precision tips, scoring 16 kills, and seventh-grade setter Kaitlin Allen displayed composure beyond her years with a team-high 27 assists.”
Senior libero Josie Pickens accumulated 23 serve receptions, 15 digs and had 16 service points, three aces and zero errors.
“I am a pretty pragmatic, realistic and analytical individual,” McDonald said. “What this team has accomplished over the last 3 1/2 weeks has annihilated any expectations that I or the team had. To go from the district dungeon in the rankings to all of a sudden hosting the district semifinals and now the finals on Thursday night…the only thing my mind is telling me is that every family on the team should go buy a lottery ticket. Go Eagles!”
Unfortunately, McDonald will not be on the sidelines on Thursday.
The reason he quit coaching was that he hadn’t made a high school or college homecoming in 30 years.
“I’m off to the thriving metropolis of Front Royal, Virginia, where I was the valedictorian, Corps Commander, and president of the Student Council,” he said. “I’m getting old and my roots are calling. I’m so bummed to miss it, but I love where the team is mentally, emotionally and performance-wise. They are dialed in. If this was the Polar Express, then they can all hear the bell.”
However, if the Eagles secure a regional bid on Tuesday, McDonald will be back to coach the team.
Thursday’s championship game will be the rubber match between the Eagles and the Wolves.
Saint Francis Catholic Academy defeated Oak Hall in five sets on Sept. 2, but the Eagles evened the series with a 3-0 win at home on Senior Night on Oct. 9.
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.