Wednesday night was supposed to be a historic moment for Jacksonville-area volleyball, with Beachside doing exactly what they needed to do on the court. They beat Naples First Baptist in a tough four-setter, 25-17, 25-19, 23-25, 25-18, in the first-ever Florida High School Athletic Association Open Division match in Northeast Florida. But here’s the kicker: despite the win, a super-complicated FHSAA tiebreaker scenario means that victory might not be enough to get them to the state semifinals.
Beachside’s Dominant Performance on the Court
Coach Austin Lanteigne knew the team’s focus had to be on the court, saying, “They’re going to take pride in competing at a high level and playing well, so all the other stuff is really ancillary. We can’t really control that.” And compete they did! Rallying from an 8-3 deficit in the first set, freshman Nina Simanic ignited a ridiculous 10-1 run to snag the opener. Middle blocker Leanna Deutou dropped a massive block in the second set to give them a two-set lead. Even when First Baptist, led by Maggie Adamczyk and McKinley Bright, fought back to take the third, Beachside kept their cool. Nina Simanic and Mollie VanDeusen slammed home clutch kills in the fourth, sealing the deal and showing everyone they truly play like championship contenders.
The Tiebreaker That’s Causing Heartache
But then the numbers hit. Beachside finished the FHSAA’s inaugural super division, which features the eight highest-ranked programs, with a 2-1 record in the four-team round-robin Pool B. Seems good, right? Not so fast. They had beaten Calvary Christian on October 21. Plant then took down Beachside on October 24. And on Wednesday, Calvary Christian beat Plant. That left all three teams, Beachside, Calvary Christian, and Plant, tied at 2-1. And that’s where the FHSAA’s tiebreaking criterion, total points allowed during the Open Division, absolutely crushed hopes. Calvary Christian allowed only 237 points in their three matches, which put them in first place under the formula. Then, according to the FHSAA’s most recently published, and let’s be real, confusing, tiebreaker rule, Plant would edge out Beachside for second based on head-to-head. As of Wednesday night, the FHSAA hadn’t even posted an updated bracket or announced the final resolution. Talk about leaving everyone hanging!
If this is indeed the end of the road for Beachside, it marks the close of some truly outstanding high school careers. A six-strong senior class, including Mollie VanDeusen, Leanna Deutou, Vinessa Rafael, Isabella Taveras Seda, Lillian Jimenez, and Maya Bell, helped put Barracuda volleyball on the map statewide. What a way to go out, perhaps with a victory, but definitely with the knowledge they gave it their absolute best, just like Coach Lanteigne said. “We gave it our absolute best,” he told us. Meanwhile, over in Region 1-5A, Middleburg is still making noise, winning a road epic in the Panhandle, with scores of 25-20, 21-25, 20-25 reported. The high school volleyball scene is wild, folks, and Beachside just lived through one of its most head-scratching moments.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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