Verot volleyball routs Mooney in regional

Bishop Verot wasted little time in remaining perfect and advancing to the Class 3A regional semifinals. The Vikings, unblemished in 26 matches, dispatched Sarasota Cardinal Mooney 25-12, 25-14, 25-12 in a regional quarterfinal match that took an hour to complete Tuesday night at Bishop Verot.

The 3-0 sweep was their 10th straight dating to Oct. 5.

"We were solid all the way through tonight," said Verot coach Wynn DePasquale. "We weren't looking ahead and just focusing on Mooney and we got the job done."

Verot wasted little time in welcoming its former district rival to town, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first set.

"We didn't' show up tonight. It was a bad way to end our fine season," said Mooney (18-7) coach Aiko Averill.

The Vikings played a textbook brand of volleyball in the second set, racing out to a 17-5 lead behind precise passing and a formidable wall at the net of Amanda Washburn and Christa Brooks.

"I was really proud of the way we played," said Verot senior Ciara Brown. "We passed well and blocked well, and our game keeps moving up a level."

Brown, recently named the FACA Class 3A District 16 Player of the Year, finished with 24 assists and three aces.

In the third, the Vikings trailed 6-3 when they went on an ace barrage to turn the deficit into a 20-9 lead.

Brown had four aces, with Katie Mosher collecting the other three during that span.

"They (Verot) are a just a solid all-around team. Their passing is phenomenal and they are one of the top teams we have played," said Averill, who is eight months pregnant.

Brooks finished with 10 kills, while Mosher had 10 digs.