Bobcats finish strong in win

SARASOTA - All season, Becky Halbert has been trying to get the North Port High volleyball team to play aggressively for an entire match.

Daily, the Bobcats have done drills to work toward achieving it.

"Especially lately, we do all-out drills, defensive drills," Halbert said. "They are going as hard as they possibly can for balls. Everybody is cheering in those kind of drills, just getting everyone pumped up.

"Just building confidence knowing we could get to those really tough balls."

Missing four players against a team it has never beaten, Halbert received the effort she craved.

The Bobcats started and finished strong in a 25-15, 20-25, 25-21, 25-19 victory over Sarasota in a Class 6A-District 7 match Tuesday on the Sailors' floor.

"The biggest difference tonight from our whole season so far was we played aggressive for all four games," Halbert said. "Just playing aggressive all the way to the end. We've been struggling with that all season. The girls just didn't give up and kept believing. That was our biggest goal for several weeks now."

And they did it shorthanded.

Two players were injured; two others ill -- all in the middle.

Monday, Halbert elevated freshman middle hitters Marie Urmano and Lexee Provitt. Urmano played a regular rotation in all four games. Provitt saw action in the first two.

Both contributed.

"They only practiced with us one day, so I thought they did a great job," Halbert said. "Having to try to learn at this speed, it's a big difference between JV and varsity."

North Port (5-8; 1-3 in 6A-7) took control of the first game early. Sarasota (4-9; 1-3 in 4A-7) used a 9-0 run in the middle of Game 2 to grab the upper hand, but the Bobcats made it close by scoring nine of the game's final 12 points.

The momentum carried into the third game as the Bobcats closed with an 8-4 spurt.

Kayla Melton made sure it did not go to a fifth and deciding game.

With North Port trailing 19-17, Melton went to the service stripe and closed out the match, serving five of her seven aces.

"Kayla just sealed it up for us at the end, serving under pressure," Halbert said.

And there was some family matters.

Halbert's husband's sister, senior Kaylyn Halbert, is Sarasota's setter.

"I asked my team in the fourth game, just give me this one game," Becky Halbert said. "This was our biggest district match. Definitely. Us and Sarasota are very, very equal. We had the win this one or we are going to be facing Palm Harbor or Countryside early on."

Adrienne Moreno had 10 kills and two blocks. Brooke Dremann added seven kills. Libero Jessica Fox picked up six digs. Brittany Burnett dished off 20 assists to go along with six blocks and three aces.

The Sailors got 10 kills, two blocks and three aces from Paige Charron. Tara Schiessle finished with four kills, four blocks and two aces. Alex Perrone chipped in with four kills and three blocks. Samantha Messner posted six kills, a block and three aces.

Sarasota had difficulty with serve receive the entire match. Sailors coach Kelly Risley counted 31 errors.

"Awful," she said. "It's never been that bad."

She substituted early and often, with little results.

"I tried everything and everybody. I did everything I could," Risley said. "Anytime you can't pass the ball to the setter, you can't run your offense."

She thinks her team has a bigger problem.

"Being a team," Risley said. "I don't think they learned how to be a team. It shows when they are playing like that."

Sarasota has another district match Thursday at home against Clearwater Countryside, which is undefeated in district play. The match begins at 6 p.m.

North Port is on the road Friday for a district match at St. Petersburg.