VENICE - Brian Wheatley expected to face Tarpon Springs East Lake, not Clearwater, in Saturday's region final.
But the Venice High volleyball coach made the necessary adjustments in his scouting.  Clearwater did not expect to face the Indians in the region final.
"I didn't take the opportunity to come scout them play," Tornadoes coach Joseph Dixon said. "Lesson learned."

If Dixon did scout the Indians, he would have known what to expect.

In another match that was shorter than the bus ride of the opposing team, Venice needed 67 minutes to dispatch Clearwater 25-9, 25-21, 25-23 in the Class 5A-Region 3 final, capping a perfect home season.

Now, the Indians will try to go 2-0 on the hardwood at The Lakeland Center.

Venice (22-8) will play Tallahassee Leon, a 25-15, 25-23, 25-16 winner over Niceville, in a 5A state semifinal at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Lakeland. The teams split two matches this season, both winning 3-0.

The winner will take on the survivor of the Martin County-Lithia Newsome match at 7 p.m. Thursday for the 5A state title.

The Tornadoes (17-10) were overwhelmed early on Saturday.

Six Venice players recorded kills before Clearwater reached six points.

On one play, the Tornadoes' libero was late getting on the court, resulting in a rotation violation.

Frustration mounted, as a Clearwater player received a yellow card for slamming the ball into the net.

"Somebody said they were going to come at us pretty hard," Dixon said. "And they did."

Venice capped a 13-0 run at home by blazing out to a first-game victory.

"The first game showed we are for business," said senior middle hitter Morgan Shattuck, who had two kills and a block for a point during a 9-0 run that erased a 1-0 Clearwater lead.

"That first game is the best game we played all year long," Wheatley said. "It was so important to come out and set the tone."

Even when the Tornadoes got their act together, the Indians maintained their poise and tenaciousness.

"Travelling so far, it takes a team so long to warmup," Shattuck said.

"But the team that keeps the intensity throughout the whole thing is going to end up on top."

The teams were deadlocked at 17 in the second game, before the Indians gradually pulled away.

Perhaps sensing the accomplishment of reaching the Final Four, Venice permitted a 24-19 lead slip to 24-23 in Game 3, before a Payton Herschberger kill set off a celebration.

"You could tell our team's intensity and how serious we are about playing the best we can, and showing what Venice is really all about," Shattuck said. "It's absolutely amazing how far we've come."

The accomplishment has sent the Venice coach gasping.

"Life is not about the number of breaths you take, but the ones that take your breath away," Wheatley said. "This is definitely one of those moments."

With a couple still yet to come, he hopes. "We're not done yet," Shattuck said.