Niceville coasts in region quarters (PHOTO GALLERY, VIDEO)
NICEVILLE — No pressure has been too great for the Niceville volleyball team this year, but Tuesday’s Class 5A regional quarterfinal provided little in the way of drama.
Niceville never trailed and slammed visiting 1-5A runner-up Tate in a three-set sweep that was almost never in doubt, winning 25-10, 25-15, 25-8.
PHOTOS: Click to view a photo gallery from the match.
It kept Niceville’s perfect 27-0 record intact and moves the Eagles into the 5A regional semis to play District 2-5A foe Mosley at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at home. Niceville beat Mosley all three times the teams played this year.
“You lose one and you’re done now, so our new season actually started today,” Niceville coach Kris Hagberg said. “We’re obviously trying to go 3-0 to make it to the state tournament, that’s our goal, and we have to take it one match at a time.”
This match in particular was lopsided almost from the very beginning. The Aggies (16-9) tied it up at 4 in the first set, but Niceville went on a 12-1 run mostly on Jenna Hassell’s serve to pull ahead for an early 1-0 tone-setting advantage.
“I think we played just well enough to get by, but I think we definitely have some things to work on for future games,” said Jaclyn Mailoto, who had 30 assists, four aces and four digs. “Against harder teams it’ll be different, but we played well enough to get by.”
Delaney Bell had nine kills, seven digs and two aces while Katie Weeks added nine kills of her own. Jenna Hassell led with 13 digs.
The last set in particular was a lesson in dominance. The Eagles gave up just four points in the set’s first 26 points, and a Weeks kill on the game’s final point put away yet another Niceville blowout.
It was a sound performance in most facets, but like Mailoto, Hagberg saw plenty of room for improvement.
“We have some things to work on,” Hagberg said. “I thought we played fairly well, we moved the ball around. It wasn’t our best game, but we have some things to work on tactically, and we’ll get that figured out and be ready next Tuesday.”
Scores: 25-10, 25-15, 25-8
Leading hitters: Niceville: Karson Hinds 3 digs, 1 ace; Carissa Hagberg 1 ace, 4 digs; Lindsey Schoewe 3 kills, 1 ace, 1 dig; Kacie Stone 5 kills, 1 block; Jaclyn Mailoto 30 assists, 4 aces, 4 digs, 1 kill; Delaney Bell 9 kills, 7 digs, 2 aces; Katie Weeks 9 kills; Jenna Hassell 13 digs, 1 kill, 1 ace.
Next: Niceville: Hosts Mosley on Tuesday.
