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LAKELAND — They've been here before, but they haven't finished the job yet.."  Today, though, the Leon High volleyball team is one step closer to that Class 5A state championship it's fallen short of the last three years.  Wednesday night at the Lakeland Center, Joy Becker's Lions swept Venice in the Class 5A state semifinals, 25-23, 25-11, 25-22.
"It's just a thrill to see them do what they're able to do," Becker said. "A lot of times you come to a tournament like this and the problem is you don't do what you're able to do. And they definitely did what they were able to do tonight."
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Alex Johnson and Molly Pearce posted double-doubles to lead Leon — Johnson with 14 kills and 15 digs and Pearce with 30 assists and 13 digs. The seniors' experience showed as Marcella Desloge had 8 kills, Caldwell Nystrom had 16 digs and Taylor Vaughn had 6 kills, 5 digs and 2 aces.

"Before every game I always tell them, 'We have to play every game like it's our last match because we never know what's going to happen,' " Johnson said. "We want to know that we left everything on the court."

Leon and Venice met twice in September. The first time, Venice swept Leon on Sept. 11. Two weeks later, the Lions returned the favor.

"I think it fueled our fire a little bit, just to know that they beat us before," Pearce said. "I remember warming up and thinking, 'I'm really glad we've played this team two times before.' So I think it was an advantage."

The win was an all-around effort, and not just by the six seniors. Sophomores Annemarie and Wavie Chin proved instrumental — Annemarie with 7 digs and an ace, and Wavie with her 5 kills, 12 digs and 2 aces.

"We weren't even worried about them being nervous or anything like that because we know they're going to go out and fight as hard as they can, just like we are," Desloge said of the underclassmen.

Leon went on an 8-0 run after falling behind in the first set, but athletic Venice kept it close before the Lions pulled it out 25-23.

The next set, though, was all Leon.

"Any time you get on a stage like this, it's the team that usually can keep things together, and we didn't really keep things together like we have all season," Venice coach Brian Wheatley said.

Wheatley's team shook off their frustration and threatened to take the third game.

"You can't ever look past Venice," Becker said. "If you open a door, Venice will get back in a game. And that's what we did, and luckily closed the door."

For those six Leon seniors, today's championship match will be their last.

"I feel like with us being together for so long, we want to win so bad because it is our last game together and we're all best friends," Nystrom said.

Let the waterworks begin.

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