29 wins put Calvary Christian in Open Division semifinals

Calvary Christian lost its first match in the FHSAA’s new Open Division. It did not lose another. The Warriors, who stand at 29-2, face Winter Park in a state semifinal on Friday, Nov. 6, at 4 p.m. at Polk State College’s Winter Haven Health Center. The winner plays for the first Open Division title on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. against either Plant or Orangewood Christian.

The Open Division bracket groups the state’s eight highest-ranked teams into two pools of four. The top two teams from each pool advance to the semifinals. Calvary entered the bracket as the No. 2 seed. The team’s run began with a loss to No. 6 Beachside of St. Johns on Oct. 21. Beachside won the first two sets 25-18 and 25-16 before Calvary took the next two, 25-12 and 27-25. Beachside closed the match with a 15-11 victory in the fifth set. It was Calvary’s first home loss of the season. Senior Sophia Puleo recorded 24 kills, while senior setter Noelle Sarigumba posted 44 assists and 13 digs.

Calvary rebounded three days later in Naples. The Warriors swept No. 7 First Baptist Academy 25-13, 25-19, and 25-21. The Lions had won 17 straight games at home before that match. Sarigumba served 37 assists, and senior libero Olivia Badyna recorded 17 digs and three aces. On Oct. 28, Calvary defeated No. 3 seed Plant in Clearwater. The final score was 25-20, 25-23, 19-25, and 25-14. Puleo added 24 kills and three blocks, while Sarigumba managed 41 assists and 13 digs.

The results created a three-way tie in Pool B. Beachside, Plant, and Calvary all finished with a 2-1 record. The FHSAA initially used fewest points allowed as the tiebreaker. Calvary allowed 237 points, the lowest total among the three. Coaches argued that points are an imperfect measure in volleyball because matches vary in length. The FHSAA switched to set percentage. Calvary won eight of its 12 sets. Beachside won eight of 14, and Plant won seven of 13. Calvary advanced to the final four based on that metric.

Winter Park enters the semifinal as the defending Class 7A champion. The Wildcats finished 23-7 overall. They won two of their three pool matches, defeating Santa Fe and Gulliver Prep before a 3-0 loss to Orangewood. Calvary won the Class 3A title last fall with a 31-1 record. The new Open Division format prevented the team from defending that specific crown. Puleo, a committed recruit for Baylor University, reached 1,500 career kills during the district tournament.

Calvary has beaten Plant twice this season. A victory on Nov. 6 would set up a rematch with the Panthers in the final. Tickets are $14 in advance and $17 on match day through GoFan. The NFHS Network will stream the match.