Tohopekaliga takes upset win in OBC volleyball tournament, faces Osceola in tonight’s semifinal.
According to the MaxPreps computers, Tohopekaliga’s victory Monday in the opening round of the first-ever Orange Belt Conference volleyball tournament was an upset.
The Tigers, seeded No. 6 in the eight-team tournament, lost the first set against No. 3 Gateway, but then won all the big points late in a thrilling 24-26, 25-15, 28-26, 30-28 victory at the Tigers’ gym. Tohopekaliga (5-5) will play at No. 2 seed St. Cloud (13-3), who rolled to a three-set win over Liberty (25-13, 25-15-, 25-13) Monday, tonight at St. Cloud at 7 p.m.
“It’s never a dull moment with us, we always have to make things interesting,”. The seeding came from our schedule and losing some four and five-set matches by a couple of points.
Hitter Jeila Fullerton, with 24 kills, blocker Paige Patterson (7 blocks) and setter Arianna Warner (48 sets) were the Tigers’ wrecking crew. Toho dominated the second set, then had to come from behind in the third and fourth sets, when Gateway (6-6) was up 25-24 and serving for the win.
Naigelys Munoz led the Panthers with 14 kills.
On the other side of the OBC bracket, Osceola (13-1) and Celebration (11-3) rolled to three-set wins over Poinciana and Harmony and will play each other tonight at Osceola.
Tonight’s winners will play in the OBC championship game Thursday at 7 p.m. at Poinciana High. That match will follow the third-place game among tonight’s losers at 5 p.m.
Monday’s losers continue on tonight and Thursday to set fifth through eighth-place. Poinciana will play at Harmony and Liberty is at Gateway tonight at 7.
