DIGGING DEEP

There was a time last week when the Hudson volleyball team could have withered into the background, becoming an Ocala Vanguard victim.

It wouldn't have been the first time a Vanguard opponent did so.

"(Opponents) literally quit playing us and start playing the crowd," Vanguard coach Jason Morris said. "And that helps us. Our fans are insane. They love volleyball."

Instead, Hudson bucked that trend and collected a Class 4A-Region 2 final victory - 25-22, 17-25, 23-25, 25-17, 15-9 - to claim a spot in the state semifinals Friday night at The Lakeland Center.

That resolve will prove useful when the Cobras (24-3) face Jensen Beach (25-5) at 8 p.m. If Hudson wins, it will meet the Bishop Kenny-Fort Myers winner for the 4A state championship Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

This is Hudson's first state semifinals appearance since 2004. In 2000, the Cobras reached the 4A final, losing to Clearwater 15-12, 15-6.

It was impossible for Hudson senior Katy McGee to mask her excitement following the victory against Vanguard. As she spoke, her hands and voice quivered with exhilaration, an obvious byproduct of that dramatic win.

With the match entering a decisive Game 5, McGee admitted her teammates knew something special had to be done.

"You have to play with your heart. You have to believe," McGee said. "In the fourth game, something clicked. Like, 'We need to step it up. We have to play with so much intensity.'"

Just as she finished her sentence, she held her hands in front of her: "I'm shaking."

That adrenaline boost was no doubt flowing through anyone in Hudson garb.

Shayna Munson, in her first season at the helm of the Hudson program, seemed to relive her past.

During her playing days at Bedford High in Temperance, Mich., her team won one state title and was a state runner-up three times. When Jessica Christianson's serve rolled off the top of the net, dropping to the court on Vanguard's side of the net, Munson leapt from her seat.

"I looked all the girls in the eye and told them, 'We will win this fifth game,'" Munson said. "They looked me back in the eye and shook their head and said, 'Yeah, we're going to do it.'"

When the Cobras step on the court in Lakeland, they'll be looking to keep a number of elements clicking. First you have to start with Hudson's offensive attack of Cara Carley, Jessica Imbimbo, Shannon Zasloff and McGee, among others. It has been a solid group that has been able to adjust and produce all season.

Defensively, opponents are forced to redirect shots when the arms of Lisa Kerns, Imbimbo, Zasloff, Carley and Katy and Logan McGee sprout up to challenge attacks.

Christianson, the Cobras' libero, mops up practically everything hit her way. That sets up the pass to Kerns and in turn allows Hudson's big swingers to rip away.

"Before the game (against Vanguard) I told them whether we're home or away, this is our house," Munson said. "Make that crowd support us. I think because it was so noisy, I don't think they were paying attention to what they were saying. The crowd would erupt, but who cares. Make it for us."