CRESTVIEW — Baker, Crestview and Laurel Hill volleyball teams are setting their sights on grabbing a crown and advancing to state playoffs.
Baker and Laurel Hill will play in the District 1-1A tournament, along with Central, Jay and Northview. Crestview is in the District 2-6A tournament with Choctaw and Fort Walton Beach.
The Gators are eyeing their 13th consecutive district title and a 23rd straight trip to the playoffs. The Hoboes hope to make a third-straight trip to the playoffs. And the Bulldogs want to return to the playoffs after missing them a year ago.
Baker was perfect in regular-season district play, and didn’t drop a set in eight district matches. But Gator Coach Tommiko Parks said the team can’t overlook any opponent in the tournament. “We have to go in and play our type of volleyball," she said. "We have to play very consistently.
“We have to play strong in serve-receive and make sure our game is peaking at the right time. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemies. We have to concentrate on how we play volleyball and do the things well that we need to do.”
Laurel Hill kicks off tournament play against Northview at 5 p.m. Monday at Laurel Hill. The Hoboes won the right to host the match by beating the Chiefs twice during the regular season, earning the four seed in the tournament.
The tournament's semifinals and finals will be played Tuesday and Thursday at Northview.
Baker faces the Laurel Hill-Northview match's winner at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Laurel Hill Coach Kent Zessin knows the Hoboes will have a challenge in the tournament. “Even though we lost to Baker 3-0 here last week, I felt like we played well against them,” he said. “They are not the No. 1 seed for nothing. They are real solid and have a lot of weapons.
“But I like the way we held our own here at the house. I like our chances here at home against Northview to get back over to Northview (in the tournament semifinals and get another shot at Baker.”
Crestview enters the District 2-6A tournament as the No. 3 seed in the three-team district. The Bulldogs travel to Choctaw for the tournament's opening round at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The match's winner will play for the district title at 6 p.m. Thursday at top seed Fort Walton Beach.
Crestview was 0-4 in the district play, and Bulldog Coach Kathy Combest said, “We can go in(to the tournament) with no worries and just play ball. The pressure's on them,” she said. “What we have to do is we have to be consistent, try to not have turnovers where we make points for them, and not miss serves.
“If we play with the three things I said, and go hard the whole time, we will be hard to beat.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: District volleyball championships up for grabs