Branford gets top seed in Region 3-1A, Lafayette also in
For the first time since 2012, Columbia is headed to the playoffs.
The Tigers were awarded the No. 7 seed in the Region 1-5A playoffs on Saturday, clinching an at-large bid after finishing the season 16-8. It sets Columbia up with a matchup at No. 2 seed Ridgeview (17-7) next Wednesday.
While there was some slight anxiousness for the Tigers after they were upset by Vanguard in the district semifinals, there turned out to be no drama in the final FHSAA rankings. Columbia finished with a 9.212 rating ahead of No. 8 seed Arnold (14-14, 7.973) and No. 9. Vanguard (7.943, 10-14).
Vanguard had a chance to steal a spot in the top eight on Thursday but lost to Lincoln in the District 2-5A championship. It kept Arnold in the field instead, setting up its first-round matchup at top-seeded Middleburg (22-5, 25.287).
It’s just the fourth playoff appearance in program history for the Tigers. In addition to 2012, Columbia’s previous berths came in 1997 and 1999.
“It’s really cool,” Columbia head coach Trudy Andrews said. “Even though we had a good idea (we’d make it), it was still a really cool feeling. A lot of happiness, a lot of excitement for the girls because I know how hard they’ve worked to get to this moment.”
Ridgeview (20.375 rating) was swept by Middleburg in the District 4-5A championship but still jumped District 3 champion Beachside (21-5, 20.034) in the final rankings, Beachside is the No. 3 seed and will host No. 6 seed Booker T. Washington (12-13, 11.461). The winner faces the winner of Columbia-Ridgeview in the regional semifinals.
Wednesday will be Columbia’s toughest test so far this season. Ridgeview has three hitters with over 100 kills, led Haley Robinson’s 181. Katie Cole has 170 on the year and Brianna Adams has 137.
Sydney Little has been a strong libero along for Ridgeview’s defense, posting 361 digs this season.
“We have some work to do,” Andrews said. “We’re going to keep doing our game and adjust a little bit to them. They’ve got some big girls up front and some scrappy defenders in the back. So, we’re going to adjust a little bit and get in to the gym on Monday and Tuesday and just make a few adjustments and strengthen up a little bit of our spots and just play our game.
No. 4 seed Lincoln (17-9, 19.251) will host No. 5 seed Choctawhatchee (18-8, 18.263), which won the District 1 title. The winner faces the winner of Middleburg-Arnold in the regional semis.
BRANFORD GETS TOP SEED, LAFAYETTE IN
There was no surprise at the top of the Region 3-1A bracket as Branford received the No. 1 seed, getting a matchup with No. 4 seed Aucilla Christian in next Friday’s regional semifinals.
The District 6-1A champion Buccaneers (22-4) were ranked No. 2 in all of Class 1A entering the district tournament and remained there in the final rankings with a 14.340 rating only behind Blountstown (15.422). No team was close to Branford in Region 3-1A, with Union County (11-12) getting the No. 2 seed with a 4.968 rating after getting swept by Branford in the district title match.
Branford will be one of the favorites to reach the Final Four along with Blountstown, which is the top seed in Region 2. Liberty County is third in Class 1A with a 12.706 rating and is the No. 2 seed in Region 2, while Baker is fourth in 1A and the No. 1 seed in Region 1 at 11.592.
No other team in Class 1A has a rating over 9.000
“I feel like there are some really, really strong teams on the other side,” Branford head coach Mendy Sikes said after her team’s title on Thursday. “I know Blountstown and Liberty look really, really strong. We’ve played most everybody on our side, so as long as our team shows up and plays I feel pretty good about our setup. I’m just focused on one game at a time, and if we get to Blountstown or Liberty or whoever is there we’ll be ready for that one.”
Lafayette entered districts on the outside looking in but jumped Bell for the final at-large spot in the final rankings to get the No. 3 seed and a road matchup at Union County on Friday. Despite getting swept by Branford in the district semifinals, the Hornets (12-7) finished with a final rating of 4.005 to finish ahead of Bell (15-11, 3.178).
Bell, which was swept by Union County in the district semifinals, actually finished ahead of Aucilla Christian in the final rankings but lost out on its spot due to Aucilla Christian winning the District 5 title. There was a sizeable gap between the two schools, with Aucilla Christian barely finishing with a positive rating of 0.864.