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Cobras get message - and shot at state

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By EDDIE DANIELS

edaniels@tampatrib.com

Published: November 12, 2009

HUDSON - Between the fourth and fifth games of Tuesday night's Class 4A-Region 3 volleyball semifinal, Hudson coach Shayna Munson knew if her words didn't get through to her players, the season was over.

With the season's end as the backdrop, Munson, in her first year coaching the Cobras, made her message straightforward.

"In between the fourth and fifth game I told them it was all about the heart, and I think that really set them on fire and made them go," she said.

Hudson went on to a 25-20, 25-22, 20-25, 16-25, 15-6 victory against Nature Coast. The Cobras will travel to Ocala Vanguard (21-7) for the region final match Saturday at 2 p.m.

"We've played some good teams, we've been battling," Munson said. "A couple of games we were down 24-20 and came back and won those games. So I think doing that, it helped us. It's good for us. It's tough from here on out. Whoever we face, it's going to be difficult, so this was a good test for us."

It was the third time all season, and the first since the end of September, that Hudson (23-3) had to go five games for a victory.

The Cobras' latest win was a hard-fought effort, made possible by the eventual syncing of Hudson's offensive attack and tough front-row play.

"Hudson earned it, there's no doubt about it," Nature Coast coach Dan Murphy said. "We gave it to them, but the thing is, they earned it all in all. We gave it to them with some of our mental errors, but I can't take that away from them. They are good."

It also represents the culmination of a team that has jelled following a shakeup at the top.

When Munson was hired in September, she wanted things done her way. The former Eastern Michigan and current professional beach volleyball player had to change things up and piece them back together.

"When Coach Munson first came in she had to basically brainwash us and reteach us everything we already knew from Coach (Linda) McQuade," senior Jessica Imbimbo said. "Not that what Coach McQuade was teaching us was bad, but we wanted to use (Munson's) technique and the way she wanted us to play."

That reeducation helped gain the program's 11th district title, a Sunshine Athletic Conference West title and the program's current 11-game win streak. This is the first region final appearance by Hudson since 2004.

That year, the Cobras advanced to the state semifinals, where they were beaten by Middleburg.

"There's no way to put it into words," Imbimbo said. "We've been talking about it all year and it just seems really unreal that we're here. We finally made it this far. We've worked really hard every day in practice. The seniors deserve it, the underclassmen deserve it, our coach deserves it.

"We all needed it."

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