Viera punches ticket to final four, Satellite eliminated

ORLANDO — For the third time this season, Satellite traveled to Bishop Moore looking to break through against the Hornets in the Class 4A, Region 2 final.

The Scorpions struggled from the jump as Bishop Moore overwhelmed them with their all-around strong play in a 25-8, 25-12, 25-20 win for the Hornets.

"Not our best. Bishop Moore played lights out," Satellite head coach Daren Bolton said. "I'm not going to take anything away from them. I don't know if we played our best match if we would have won it, but it was a little disappointing how we played but not disappointing season. I'm proud of this team."

It was the first regional final for all the players on the court as Satellite hadn't been in this position since 2021. The nerves were on display early as it finished the first set with more errors (nine) than points scored (eight).

"This team, for as young as it, all season I kept waiting and thinking the moment would overwhelm them. It never has and I would say definitely a little bit (tonight). We were a little bit overwhelmed," Bolton said. "Bishop Moore came out strong. We didn't answer, but I'm hoping that this is an experience for this program. We had a lot of kids here in our program experiencing this so that the next time they're in this situation, they should be better prepared."

Bishop Moore put together a clinical performance as it clinched its third regional title in four years. The Hornets ended the night with 37 kills, nine blocks and five aces.

"They passed incredible, but we didn't serve as well as we did the previous time we played them. We weren't aggressive in all phases of the game," Bolton said. "We got a little predictable on offense. They got too good of a block to be predictable on offense. It all started with our ball control. We weren't controlling the ball to be able to run our offense that we normally run."

Scorpions sophomore Harper Lanza led the team with seven kills. Sophomore Kenzie Little produced five kills and senior Lily Ruda finished with four kills and one ace.

Satellite puts a bow on a successful 22-7 season. The Scorpions won 18 of their final 21 matches with three defeats coming against Bishop Moore twice and Merritt Island.

They feature a talented young core in Lanza, Little, junior Lily Sigety, sophomore libero Cady Tinch and junior middle Macy Ferland.

"This season was amazing. I'm proud of our finish. I'm just proud of this team how they performed night in and night out. Even the character they showed (tonight) to not quit," Bolton said. "They didn't lay down. They could have laid down and just got overwhelmed. They fought and that's all a coach can ask for."

Seven seniors played their final high school volleyball match in Ruda, Azalea Miller, Raina Aldridge, Leigh Hertel and Kirra Snyder.

"This senior class is the most selfless group I've ever had. I had three seniors that didn't play a lot, but they worked their butts off in practice and pushed the starters. I got the best bench, period," Bolton said. "This is a team of selfless players that everybody just accepted their role, worked hard, ready to step in when needed but also ready to work hard every day in practice."

The regional final marked the final match for Bolton as Satellite's head coach. He is stepping down after 17 seasons as a head coach.

"It's been amazing. The No. 1 thing is the relationships I've developed, the kids I've been able to coach, the support of the administration, the support of the community," Bolton said. "This program is on the rise. It's going to get nothing but stronger. I feel great of where it's being left in and what the future holds."

(4) Viera def. (2) Gateway 3-2 (25-20, 26-28, 25-22, 20-25, 15-13)

In a back-and-forth regional final, Viera prevailed to punch their first final four ticket since 2023. Gateway saved five match points in the fifth set before junior Addi Casey spiked the title-clinching kill off a Panthers block.

The Hawks will compete in the Class 5A state semifinals on Nov. 5 at Polk State College in Winter Haven.