By Jeff Herold

In an intense and hard-fought match, the Ponte Vedra High School Sharks came up just short, losing 3-2 to the defending state champs, the Middleburg Broncos, in a showdown that kept fans at the edge of their seats the entire night. The match was a back-and-forth battle with both teams showing out.  

The Sharks came out strong winning the first set, executing well on offense, with sharp passing and precise sets to the hitter. And with that, the Sharks took early control of the game, with the shark’s student section cheering them on along the way taking the score to 1-0 

  During the second set the broncos bounced back, adjusting their game plan and came out stronger. The Broncos defense tightened up and their blockers were showing out at the net, denying the sharks crucial points Middleburg won the set to even the score 1-1 

During the third set, the Sharks stepped up their game showing their resilience. The Sharks setters kept the offense flowing spreading the ball around to keep Middleburg on their toes. The Sharks took the win of the third set making the score 2-1. With Senior Ryan Murphy acting with 12 kills and a 37.5 percent kill rate  

Facing a potential loss, The Broncos came out with a new intensity and hustle in the fourth set. The Broncos hitters found their rhythm, striking hard for opportunities to take the lead early in the fourth set. Despite a late effort to come back by the Sharks, the Broncos took the win of the fourth set to even the score 2-2. 

The final set was an intense effort by both teams to take the win. Both teams traded points, with neither able to pull away. The Sharks fought hard but the Broncos experience in clutch moments showed up. A few well-placed serves and key blocks helped the Broncos take the win over the Sharks making the score 3-2 and winning the match. 

Photo: Avery Meide (12) setting the ball to the opposing team. Photographed by Alex Fenney (@fenneysflics)