BACK AMONG THE BEST: Taylor sweeps Newberry, books spot in Class 1A volleyball Final Four

PIERSON — Competing in the all-rural Class 1A for the first time in five years, Taylor is right back among its volleyball elite.

Brittany Cowart tied for the match-high with 16 kills and the Wildcats (22-3) eliminated defending state runner-up Newberry in straight sets Saturday afternoon, booking a date with either Bell or Dixie County next weekend in the Final Four.

"It's obviously an amazing group of young ladies who have put it all out on the court," said head coach Tanya Ramos, in her 21st year in charge.

"They're probably the most deserving group I have been around. They have got a lot of excitement. It's a fun group to coach."

It's the fourth regional title in program history, the first since 2014 when Taylor reached the 1A championship match — a straight-set loss to Sneads. In the Florida High School Athletic Association's last two classification cycles, the Wildcats shuffled between 5A and 3A.

The party started, in earnest, three hours before the match did. Taylor's girls danced around the gym to get loose and relaxed in time for their biggest match to date.

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Cowart said the most popular song in the Wildcats' playlist, fittingly, is DJ Khaled's classic "All I Do Is Win." The team extended its streak to 12 consecutive victories.

The Wildcats set the tone early, scoring the match's first six points. Cowart crushed three kills and Amya Ramos added a pair of aces, but Newberry battled back out of an early timeout. Abby Pace snuck in a pair of aces as the Panthers (18-11) pushed ahead 19-15.

The Wildcats kicked into gear from there, scoring 10 of the final 11 points to snatch the first set and maintain momentum on their home floor.

"We had to reset and keep going," Ramos said. "A mistake here, an error there; we have to move on. The mindset part of it is a big thing for us."

The last point, it turned out, was the hardest for the Wildcats to score. Newberry fought off five consecutive match points to pull within 24-23 in the third. Faith Wilson made it a two-point game with the last of her 16 kills.

Cowart watched from the bench, injuring her left elbow while diving for a dig moments earlier. The pain wore off, and was not the first thing on her mind when asked about it.

"I ripped my jersey," she said, pointing to a small hole at the point of her elbow. "It was fine. I landed right on my funny bone."

The St. Johns River State commit was ready to return if needed, but Newberry could not quite bridge the gap. Alexis Boyd's serve struck the net, clinching the decisive point for the Wildcats.

For Newberry, Pace had six kills and 23 assists to go with her pair of aces. Senior libero Kirsten Thomas recorded 24 digs.

Karen Kelly chipped in eight kills for the Wildcats, while sisters Ava and Amya Ramos — daughters of the Wildcats' longtime boss — produced 21 assists and 19 digs, respectively.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: High school volleyball: Taylor sweeps Newberry, reaches FHSAA Final Four