Punta Gorda Charlotte stops Sunlake volleyball streak in region final

Punta Gorda Charlotte volleyball defeated host Sunlake 3-2 on Wednesday night at the Class 5A region final in Land O Lakes, ending the Seahawks' season.

The match concluded with a 15-10 fifth-set victory for the Tarpons, who finished the contest with scores of 19-25, 25-22, 25-16, 23-25 and 15-10. This result eliminated Sunlake from the tournament, stopping their campaign one win short of a third straight trip to the state finals in Winter Haven.

The Seahawks entered the game with a record of 22-7 and a 28-set winning streak that dated back to Sept. 29. That run included a district title and regional victories over Palmetto Ridge and East Lake. Sunlake won the opening set 25-19 to extend that streak before Charlotte took control of the next two frames.

Sunlake struggled to defend its back row and kept serves in play during the middle sets, allowing Charlotte to build a lead. The Tarpons, who finished the season with a 22-8 record, recorded 10 blocks and 84 digs in the match. Their defense focused heavily on attacks from Sunlake star Amelia Snider.

Snider, a Syracuse commit and outside hitter, had a difficult night at the service line. She finished her senior season with 246 kills and a four-year varsity career total of 1,177 kills. She is one of nine seniors leaving a program that reached the state tournament the previous two years.

Other departing seniors included Erinn Larson, who finished with 174 kills and a team-high 52 aces, and Cailyn Barnes, who recorded 168 kills. Olivia Grobb contributed 333 digs for the team. Larson and Barnes both ended their careers with 384 and 374 kills, respectively.

Elyse Garcia Zapata, who is in her eighth year as head coach and has a 133-62 record at Sunlake, credited Charlotte for playing with high energy. "Credit to Charlotte. They played with a great amount of energy and forced us into making mistakes that got them the win," Garcia Zapata said. She noted that the group elevated the standard of Sunlake volleyball over the last few seasons despite the loss.

In district golf, Angeline finished fourth as a team in the Class 1A-District 6 boys tournament at Seven Springs Golf and Country Club in New Port Richey. Jackson Felix led the Angeline effort with a score of 83. Preston Yu of Academy at the Lakes shot a 74 to place fourth individually in that event.