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Berkeley Prep, Durant, Plant and Tampa Prep bring back a lot of talent.
By SCOTT PURKS
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 24, 2001
TAMPA -- The potential for this fall's county volleyball season can be seen in last year's Times all-county team.
Of the 12 girls who made the first or second team, 11 were underclassmen.
And 10 of those return to play for four teams: Berkeley Prep, Durant, Plant and Tampa Prep.
Look a little closer, and it's plain that all four of those teams have legitimate shots at winning state titles.
"Very legitimate shots," Tampa Prep coach Paul McAdoo said. "And of those four teams, it's difficult to say which one is the best. We're talking lots of talent out there."
Plant, which lost in last year's regional final and finished 25-5, got a boost this summer when former Berkeley Prep freshman outside hitter Sarah Kirkwood joined the Panthers.
The Panthers already had Sarah's sister, Emily, one of the state's best setters. When you add the Kirkwoods to Plant senior Claire Colbert and the rest of its talented squad, well, it looks promising.
Sarah, by the way, set a Berkeley Prep record last season with 200 kills and 41 aces.
"It's going to be great. Our team is going to be awesome," Emily Kirkwood said. "(Sarah) is just what we needed. Our goal is to bring home a state championship. This year will be one of the best teams Plant will ever see."
Similar things might be heard at Durant, what with players like Times 2000 All-Suncoast Player of the Year Jenna Jordan returning with 6-foot-1 Nicole LeBlanc and outside hitter Danielle Herndon.
Durant also has state tournament experience to draw from, losing in last year's Class 6A state semifinal just a year after winning the 5A state championship.
Berkeley Prep, meanwhile, lost Kirkwood, but it still might be strong enough to contend for the title of county best, if not state best.
Kayla Mora remains a force in the middle for the Bucs, and players such as Christine Gladysz and Caitlin Reiner improved their overall games, which were already pretty tough to begin with.
Then there's Tampa Prep, which also lost in last year's regional final, 16-14, 3-15, 15-11 to Naples St. John Neumann.
A loss that stabs deep in the 13-time state champion Terrapins.
"Once we started cracking (in that Naples St. John Neumann match), we just went on and fell apart," outside hitter Amber Langston said. "We had a problem with personalities not clicking last year. But we've been working on that, and I don't see that happening again.
"We really want to win a state title, and we're working together to get there."
Langston returns with setter Justeen Patton, Catherine Zidow and almost the rest of last season's starting lineup.
"Our first two weeks of practice, we looked very, very good," McAdoo said. "We have our core group back, and we have a lot other talented players competing for spots."