With a 10-8 record and No. 2 seed for the Class 5A, District 5 tournament, Mitchell has held its own against varsity competition this season.
Just imagine how the Mustangs might fare against players their own age.
Mitchell started four sophomores (outside hitters Ashley Stager and Heather Zappacosta, setters/outside hitters Kelli Wiedinger and Layne Spencer) and a freshman (situational setter Leah Weber) during the Orlando Bishop Moore tournament last weekend, where the Mustangs went 2-3.
"I'm one player short of having the best JV team in the state," coach Joe Dixon joked.
Nevertheless, it's seniors Kari Wiedinger and Shannon Stash whom Mitchell will count on most when it opens the district tournament Oct. 19 against Clermont East Ridge.
Wiedinger had 23 kills in a straight-games victory over Wesley Chapel on Tuesday, eight per game. She is joined at the net by Stash, who leads the team in blocks, and Zappacosta, who had a personal-best 12 kills against the Wildcats.
"We're going to work behind controling the net with Shannon and Heather and try and reduce our mistakes," said Dixon, whose squad has dropped four of its past six matches.
"We've taken a lighter attitude. We're not trying to dwell on what happened in the past. If we can stay in the moment, overall, we'll come out ahead."
SHARK-BITTEN: Pasco (6-11) will have revenge on its mind when it plays Nature Coast Tech in its 3A-6 semifinal. The Sharks defeated the Pirates on Thursday to gain the No. 2 seed in the five-team tourney.
The teams finished with identical district records and split their season series, but Nature Coast had a better overall mark.
"They have a good outside hitter (Iliana Santos)," Pasco coach Ramiro Tejada said. "If we shut her down, we might have a chance. She killed us."
GETTING READY: In one of its final tuneups for the district tournament, River Ridge (16-2) went 3-2 at Bishop Moore. The Royal Knights, ranked eighth in the state Class 3A poll, defeated Countryside, Chaminade Madonna and Lake Brantley and lost to Timber Creek and defending 6A champ Spanish River.
"We didn't play our best matches," coach Heidi Castelamare said. "But it was great competition and great for the girls to see know they need to work a little harder at practice to get to the next level."
Junior setter Brittany Castelamare was named to the all-tournament team.
ON TOP: Hudson (17-0), ranked seventh in 4A, defeated Tarpon Springs on Oct. 6 to clinch the top seed in 4A-10. The Cobras will play the Gulf-Zephyrhills winner in Wednesday's semifinal.
HELPING HAND: Senior Christina Wood assists Ridgewood in more than one respect. In addition to leading the Rams with 337 assists, she coaches the junior varsity.
NEAR MISSES: Land O'Lakes lost seven tight matches last week, including a 24-26, 25-19, 27-25, 25-22 heart-breaker to Ridgewood.
"The only positive thing is we've only got two seniors on the floor," coach Staci Elias said. "Hopefully, those five-point deficits will turn the other way next year."
AROUND THE COUNTY: To avoid a third loss to Gulf, coach Jerry Stacy said Zephyrhills will have to stop senior middle hitter Amy O'Brien in the opening round of the 4A-10 tourney. ... Wesley Chapel's Heather Bradley averaged 10 kills, three aces and two blocks and Sami Polston eight kills in four matches last week, including a win over Land O'Lakes, the Wildcats' first in the Sunshine Athletic Conference.
