Gulf Breeze boys volleyball advances to state Final Four in Winter Haven

The Gulf Breeze boys volleyball team continues to make some history.

In just its second year as a program, the Dolphins are in the state Final Four after sweeping Nease, 3-0, in the Region 1-2A finals on May 13. Gulf Breeze has won its last six matches via sweep, with the last four all being in the postseason through the district and region tournaments.

But the contest against Nease allowed the Dolphins to show “mental fortitude,” head coach Jackson Arnold said. It was Gulf Breeze’s first match on the road in a few weeks, after going to North Bay Haven on April 22. Since then, the team has hosted at “The Tank.”

“Usually our team is very reliant on our passing in our ball control defensively, and yesterday Nease did very well trying to get us out of system with their serves. It was a different gym that we’ve ever played in before, and it was a little bit of a different ball,” Arnold said. “But what we did was keep our mental fortitude and our focus between teammates and ourselves.”

Gulf Breeze may now have a road playoff game under its belt for the 2025 season, but that doesn’t mean the Dolphins have been afraid of traveling throughout the year. The squad had already been to the Jacksonville area during the season, plus played at a tournament in the Orlando area against some tough competition.

After beating Nease earlier in the week, Gulf Breeze opted to stay on the road and travel directly to Winter Haven, where the state Final Four is slated to be held on May 16-17.

Arnold said it just “logistically” didn’t make sense to drive back to Gulf Breeze from Jacksonville, then have to turn right back around and head to Winter Haven the next day. Instead, they’ll find a place to practice down south before the semifinals against top-seeded Reagan on May 16.

The winner of that semifinal game, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at Polk State College, will face the winner of No. 2 Suncoast and No. 3 Lake Howell for the championship on May 17.

“We’ve been in this situation before throughout the season just traveling to larger games, traveling to bigger tournaments. I feel like the boys are mentally prepared as they can be and they’ve seen every kind of level of talent throughout the season that they can possibly see,” Arnold said. “So there shouldn’t be any surprises. You’re always going to have some issues here and there, but that’s my job as a coach to minimize the risk.”

That’s not to say Gulf Breeze isn’t enjoying the journey to the destination at the same time. Since the Dolphins’ team is made up of athletes not just from Gulf Breeze, but from Navarre, Milton and Central, the extended road trips allow for more team bonding.

Especially since teammates might only see each other during practice or game days, and not throughout the day at school like most other programs.

“It’s really really good for the boys to be able to have some quality time together, especially leading into these larger games where they can really learn about each other’s personalities and build a good cohesive bond that would contribute positively on the court,” Arnold said.

With Gulf Breeze now in the Final Four, that means all three of Gulf Breeze’s volleyball teams – including girls indoor and girls beach – have made it to the state’s biggest stage. The girls indoor team fell in a five-set match in the championship game in the fall, while the beach team just successfully defended its state crown.

Now, the boys team will look to make some noise.

“I mean, I just it says a lot about the Panhandle and its drive for excellence in sport. … It Just shows that our our community is ready to rally upon these new programs and can give their full support,” Arnold said. “Encouraging is the best word I can say when you have the support of a community behind you. It takes a village not an individual, so I’m so really thankful for that and I don’t know it would not be possible without the community that we have.”