Sports
Winter Haven beach volleyball wins regional finals, advances to final four for first time ever
WINTER HAVEN — Winter Haven’s beach volleyball team and head coach Dylan Sechrest knew it was going to be a battle heading into the Class 3A FHSAA Beach Volleyball Regional Finals Tuesday at Winter Haven High School. After all, every time No. 17 Winter Haven has advanced — whether its districts or regionals ― competition […]
WINTER HAVEN — Winter Haven’s beach volleyball team and head coach Dylan Sechrest knew it was going to be a battle heading into the Class 3A FHSAA Beach Volleyball Regional Finals Tuesday at Winter Haven High School.
After all, every time No. 17 Winter Haven has advanced — whether its districts or regionals ― competition has gotten stiffer. It didn’t matter, however, as Winter Haven locked in, winning 3-0 over No. 29 Venice, clinching the program’s first regional title in school history.
It’s the first time in school history the program has made it all the way to a final four.
“It’s different this year because we are going to state in the final four. It feels different and it feels so freaking good. We’ve worked hard over the past six years to this point. I’m so happy for these kids,” Sechrest said.
It’s all about being happy for the situation Winter Haven is in. Since the sport was officially sanctioned two years ago, there was only one classification for every program, and after advancing out of regionals, deserving teams would be in the sweet 16. Now, there is a Class 1A, 2A, and 3A, which means teams advancing out of regionals find themselves in a final four.
The one seed comprised The Ledger’s Player of the Year in senior Rylee Tanner and junior Kylie Catrett dominated all the way through, taking care of business 2-0.
“Our goal was just to stay calm and (in) control, (and) stick to our roots. These are high pressure games. … (It’s all about) controlling our side of the court and working together and not against each other,” Tanner said.
Tanner has been abiding by this philosophy for beach and indoor her entire high school career. But she will now take her talents to Wingate University, as she is signed, sealed and delivered to play volleyball for this NCAA Division II school, which means this is her last year at Winter Haven.
“They are good nerves. But getting into regionals, it’s nerve-racking never knowing what game can be your last. … (It drove me because) I never want the season to end,” Tanner said.
Other seeds that won were the No. 2 (Sophia Whitaker and Kindyl Goff) and No. 4 (Hala Heath and Isabella Sumner) seeds, which both won 2-0.
“(I) definitely (helped with) confidence. We were very close in the beginning of the sets (and we wanted to) just finish through. … Me and my partner definitely had a lot of confidence, especially for today,” Goff said.
Now it’s all about state for Winter Haven (19-0), which starts Friday at Florida State University.