Vanguard, Trinity storm to state semifinals

Lady Knights, Celtics try to topple giants Ponte Vedra Beach, Bishop McLaughlin on Saturday; Forest out

Trinity Catholic players celebrate as they defeat Pensacola Catholic in the Class 3A Region 1 final at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala on Saturday, Oct. 31. With the win, Trinity Catholic heads to the state Final Four State Tournament in Fort Myers. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

An impressive season has come to an end for the Forest Wildcats with a loss in the state regional final to St. Petersburg High School.

Forest, which had stormed through the playoffs without a serious challenge, lost three sets to one to St. Petersburg, 25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 27-25. Forest ends the season 16-1 overall.

But Ocala is still well-represented in the FHSAA state Girls Volleyball Tournament. Vanguard continued its dominant run with a straight-sets win over Fivay last Saturday, 25-16, 25-19, 25-13. With the win, the Lady Knights, 15-2, moved into the Final Four, where they will face Ponte Vedra Beach, 25-0, in the state semifinal game.

It will be an uphill battle for Vanguard, as Ponte Vedra Beach is ranked No. 4 overall in the state by MaxPrep Sports.

Trinity Catholic also moved into the Final Four, in the 3A State Championship Tournament, with a 3-1 win over Pensacola Catholic last Saturday. The Lady Celtics, 16-6, face Bishop McLaughlin in the semifinal game this Saturday at Bishop McLaughlin in Fort Myers.

Bishop McLaughlin, with a 25-2 record, is ranked No. 3 in the state by MaxPreps.