Berkeley Prep volleyball sweeps Venice

TAMPA - When any member of the nationally ranked Berkeley Prep girls volleyball team falls into a rhythm, there's not much any opponent can do to stop her. When Berkeley executes as a team, it's twice as difficult.

Class 5A powerhouse Venice discovered this in a 3-0 loss to the undefeated Buccaneers during the High School Classic match at the Tampa Twice women's tournament at the Sun Dome on Saturday.

Berkeley Prep (5-0) dominated Game 1, 25-17. Venice looked to even the match in Game 2, using timely points of their own and service errors by Berkeley to take a 16-14 edge, but the lead was short-lived. Senior middle hitter Lindsay Young scored four of her team's five consecutive points to give the Bucs momentum, which set up a pair of kills from outside hitter Jordan Burgess to close out the game, 25-23.

Venice (4-1) jumped to a 10-7 advantage in Game 3, but the efforts of Young (nine kills), Burgess (14 kills) and MacKenzie Dagostino (22 assists) helped Berkeley gain the lead. The teams exchanged points until Berkeley pulled away, winning the match 25-21 on a Venice service error.

"I thought we made some consistent plays when we needed them," Berkeley Prep coach Randy Dagostino said. "I thought it was a smart move by our setters to set to Lindsay. Then the outside opened up and you're not going to stop Jordan often"