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Bayshore Christian Wins 1A Crown

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By NICK WILLIAMS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 16, 2007

LAKELAND - As her players walked past her, donning a Class 1A state championship medallion, Bayshore Christian coach Melanie Humenansky's eyes began to water.

With every hug they gave her, Humenansky remembered how she had coached many of them since the sixth grade. They were her daughters. They were family.

As the Faith Warriors lifted the Class 1A state trophy in unison, which they earned after defeating top-ranked Daytona Warner Christian 16-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-20 on Thursday at The Lakeland Center, Humenansky let the tears flow.

"Some of these girls I've known since they were infants," said Humenansky, who, in her 13th season, also won her 300th match this year. "These girls are truly my own and I can treat them like my own. It's an emotional victory."

The title was the program's fourth since 1998, all under Humenansky's guidance.

It was as emotional as it was jubilant for some of the players. The team's star player, senior outside hitter Jannica Mollett, transferred to Robinson last year and didn't play volleyball. She came back for "Coach Mel."

"I was nervous for taking a year off, but I was excited," Mollett said. "I promised Mel that I'd come back and play for her and that's what I did. I promised I would work my hardest to get to state and that's what we did."

Mollett led Bayshore Christian with a match-high 22 kills and 23 digs, while senior setter Ashlea Ballengee had a match-high 34 assists. Junior Sami Stokes led Bayshore Christian with her serving, expanding a 3-1 lead to 11-1 lead in the second game and giving her team a 6-0 lead in the third game. She finished with seven aces and 14 digs.

Leading 2-1, Bayshore Christian needed one more win to earn the state title. The Faith Warriors (28-5) led 23-20 in the fourth game, earned the next point on a Warner violation, and on the match-winning play, libero Sara Lucia got the dig to Ballengee, who set the ball to Stokes.

Stokes then spiked the ball just inside the back line as the Warner Christian players stood in disbelief.

"I just said 'thank God'" Ballengee said, laughing.

Warner Christian (27-3) was led by junior Jordan Holcomb, who had 19 kills and 30 digs. The Eagles were able to win the first game by turning would-be spikes into tips at the net, something Bayshore didn't have an immediate answer for.

In the next three games, however, Bayshore gave Warner Christian a taste of its own medicine, getting tip after tip, mostly by Mollett and freshman Gabrielle Fernandez, who finished with nine kills.

"I tipped all club season so that was what I was going to do," Fernandez said. "I knew I wasn't going to get past that beastie blocker."

Defensively, sophomore middle hitter Valencia King had a match-high three blocks, while Lucia had 23 digs for Bayshore.

Thursday morning, an hour into school, Humenansky took all of her players to her house for breakfast. They watched 'The Little Mermaid', went over strategy, and prayed. It's a tradition of hers to have the players congregate at her house on game day.

"We have to do it together, so why not be together," Stokes said.

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