Allison Moore, Jupiter Christian volleyball thrill with another deep playoff run
JUPITER – Senior standout Allison Moore and the Jupiter Christian girls volleyball team are heading back to a region final for the first time in five years after sweeping Lake Worth Christian (25-19, 25-14, 25-21) on Friday in the Class 2A region semifinals.
Moore was a wide-eyed seventh grader on that accomplished 2017 Eagles team, which finished 17-6 en route to an appearance in the FHSAA state semifinals.
Under third-year head coach Sarah Mize, the Eagles (18-6) surpassed that group’s win total on Friday with their third sweep of the powerhouse Defenders (15-12) this season.
Now the Eagles' veteran leader, Moore has developed into the focal point in attack and defense, playing with energy and joy that emanates through her younger teammates.
“It was a while ago,” Moore said looking back at her last deep playoff run. “This is really memorable for my senior year and a great way to end my last year here. I didn’t really even play last time.”
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Bringing the Eagles back
While Moore was inescapable on Friday, leading her team with 17 kills, 14 digs and four aces, she was flanked by underclassmen stepping up to the postseason stage.
Freshman Ella Brodner was second on the team with eight kills and seven digs while sophomore Lyndsay Cox was disruptive in the middle with a team-high five blocks.
Moore isn't alone in the senior class, either. Setter Izzy Asconape, who piled up 26 assists, has helped provide steady leadership for the younger Eagles.
"It gives a lot of hope for the program once the seniors leave," Moore said of the underclassmen development. "I feel like they're still going to be advancing as they go. It's exciting to watch them."
Lake Worth Christian exits
The Defenders' playoff loss snaps Florida' second-longest active streak of appearances in the FHSAA state finals.
Lake Worth Christian, which won back-to-back state titles in 2019 and 2020 before last year's state final loss, was tied with Ponte Vedra with three consecutive state championship match appearances. Sneads holds the longest streak in the state with nine consecutive titles in Class 1A.
Despite losing more games this fall than in the last three years combined, legendary head coach Terri Kaiser said her team had a good season incorporating young, but unpolished players into the program.
The Defenders won't be without losses to graduation, however.
Senior middle Abby Toeniskoetter, who reached 1,000 career kills earlier this month, is headed to Florida Southwestern, while setter Lucianna Marinella, who reached 1,000 assists in just two seasons, also plans to play collegiately.
"I think they're really good leaders," Kaiser said of her veterans. "It's hard when they're used to a little more experience and ability around them. We have a lot of talent, but it's young talent and we're still putting it together.
"Execution is everything and you just need it all to be perfect [in the postseason]. You can't make the easy errors."
Boca Raton Christian awaits
A showdown with Boca Raton Christian is all that stands between Jupiter Christian and a return trip to the FHSAA state semifinals.
The Eagles will head south to face the Blazers (23-4) on Tuesday in a matchup of teams ranked No. 3 and No. 2 respectively in Class 2A.
Boca Raton Christian, which features star sophomore outside hitter Tekoa Barnes, swept Jupiter Christian in the teams' lone meeting in the regular season.
The Eagles pushed the first two sets to 25-23, however, and Mize has no doubt her team will bring the energy needed to return the favor.
"I think we're ready for the rematch," Mize said. "My girls are ready to rise for the challenge.
"As we push forward, it's like we're unlocking more potential and depth to who we are and what we can do. They play with so much heart and passion and I think they're unstoppable when they put their mind to it."
Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jupiter Christian volleyball: Allison Moore powers Eagles' playoff run
