While the final contest did not go in favor of the Apalachee High School volleyball team, Tuesday’s result does not change the overall success level enjoyed by the Lady Wildcats in 2012.
AHS fell to Northgate in the second round of the AAAAA playoffs Tuesday in three games (25-17, 25-16, 25-12). The Lady Wildcats finished the season with almost 40 wins and an area championship, both in the regular season and the area tournament.
“We had to move our lineup around some today,” AHS coach Joey Alfonso said. “We were out of sorts. We had a player who was sick and couldn’t be at school, so she wasn’t able to play. We had people playing out of position. We fought hard, but we were battling some nerves as well.”
While Northgate swept AHS, Alfonson said the scores do not show how even the teams were.
“I’ve been around athletics long enough to know when you pull one cog out of the engine then it doesn’t work as well,” the coach said. “It was an unfortunate way to finish, but I don’t think it takes away from what we accomplished this season. We had a great season and the girls worked hard every day. They will look back with good memories.”
The 2012 season is another step in the Lady Wildcats becoming an annual state playoff contender.
“Our seniors filled their roles well,” Alfonso said. “They excelled as leaders whether on the court or in a support role. It’s tough on them now since the season is over, but they have put a lot of work in. I just wish we could have battled Northgate at full strength.”
On paper, AHS will rebuild some for next season, but Alfonso said the returning players will be up to the challenge.
“We had to rebuild a couple of years ago,” the coach said. “We’ll just have to go back to work and be ready for next season. We’ll enjoy our accomplishments this year for a while though. It has been a great run.
Prior to Tuesday’s playoff action, the Lady Wildcats defeated Sequoyah in the opening round.
The Lady Wildcats, who were coming off their Area 8-AAAAA title, was actually considered the underdog against the Lady Chiefs. Sequoyah was ranked No. 8 in the state and emerged as the No. 4 seed from Area 7-AAAAA.
AHS (39-9) took a 25-19 win in the first game before falling 30-28.
The Lady Wildcats then closed out the first round contest with 25-23 and 25-21 victories.
“Sequoyah is a great team and has a great program,” said Alfonso. “They were missing a couple of key players tonight, but they were still very strong. It shows you the depth they have to still give us a run.”
Winning a playoff contest against such a strong opponent meant a great deal to the Apalachee program.
“We grew up with this win,” Alfonso said. “Hopefully, it will make us believe we can beat good teams. Sequoyah is a solid team and well coached. We still have some room to improve. We have still not played our best. However, our girls have overcome a great deal and showed a lot of heart and a lot of character tonight. We were unsure of ourselves after losing the second game.”
With encouragement from Alfonso, the Lady Wildcats continued to battle and eventually would win 3-1.
“I told them this was our home and we had worked too hard and too long to let it get away,” Alfonso said. “I hope this win will catapult us into next week.”
Senior Ryan Burk had a strong performance Thursday, along with several of her teammates.
“Ryan had one of her better games of the season,” her coach said. “She puts a lot of pressure on herself. She is our only club player. She can be dominating on the court. She’s our captain and she feels she has to always do well.”
Senior Katie Dean dislocated a finger during the first round matchup, but would return to the court and continue playing.
“She showed a lot of heart by going back out there,” her coach said.
Senior Sherry Phomally, who was recently named Area Player of the Year, also had a standout performance in the opening round. Alfonso said Phomally’s ability to play each position on the court helped make her Player of the Year.
