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Berkeley Faces Familiar Foe

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By NICK WILLIAMS

nwilliams@tampatrib.com

Published: November 22, 2008

LAKELAND - This has to be the year, right?

Each of the past three seasons, the Berkeley Prep volleyball team has fallen short of a state title. Each year, the end came courtesy of four-time defending state champion Orlando Lake Highland Prep.

With a three-set sweep over Miami Florida Christian in the Class 3A state semifinals on Friday, Berkeley Prep advanced to the state championship and once again will face Lake Highland Prep in the final (2:30 p.m. today).

The Buccaneers defeated Florida Christian, 25-11, 25-12, 25-15. Lake Highland defeated Jacksonville Bolles in three games to advance.

Last year, Lake Highland defeated Berkeley in the state semis. In 2005 and 2006, it was in the state title match.

This season, however, the Buccaneers, ranked No. 11 in the Century Club Top 100 national poll, swept Lake Highland in two regular-season meetings. Berkeley's 27-2 record is the program's best since 2003, the last year it won a state title.

There is a heightened sense of confidence this time.

"I think we all like our chances," Berkeley senior setter Christina Theofilos said. "We all know that if we play the best we can possibly play, that it will hopefully go our way."

"I do think that we have a lot of confidence going into the match, but we can't be overconfident and just blow everything," junior middle hitter Lindsay Young said. "Even though we've beaten them twice this year, every time we've played them we've said to ourselves 'we need to win the first point, and then the second point to be able to gain our confidence from the start.' "

Freshman hitter Jordan Burgess led Berkeley with 14 kills and a match-high three service aces. Young added nine kills and one block, while Theofilos had 30 assists and nine digs.

Evelyn Morgado led Florida Christian (28-3) with seven kills.

For Theofilos, who has committed to Notre Dame and is Berkeley's lone senior, today's match will be her career finale. A varsity member since the eighth grade, she's yet to win a state championship. The players said they want to win for their senior captain.

"We want her to remember the state championship at the end," Young said.

Reporter Nick Williams can be reached at (813) 259-7851

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