- May 5, 2024
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The crowd at The Out-of-Door Academy was loud, sometimes chanting "O-D-A" on each successive bump, set and spike made by its volleyball team.
Other times, it was just the energy of a new school year, students screaming just to scream, letting loose shrieks of sound meant to rattle the opposition.
The Braden River High volleyball team was not rattled.
In the face of the noise, and while dealing with sickness and injury, the Pirates used the Aug. 22 season-opening match against the Thunder to show their prowess.
Braden River is the two-time defending Florida High School Athletic Association Class 5A District 11 champion and went 16-8 a season ago, reaching the regional semifinals before falling 3-2 to host Osceola High.
The Pirates started 2023 with similar success, beating ODA 3-0. The Thunder is no pushover, having went 16-7 in 2022 with some quality wins, such as one over Sarasota's Riverview High. On Aug. 22, the Thunder was no match for the Pirates.
The match had a rocky start. A points into the game, Braden River's setter, senior Mary Allison McGuire, dove to reach an ODA shot, but hit the back of her head on the court. She stayed on the court for a few minutes before walking off, and was held out of the rest of the match. She was replaced by her sister, sophomore Mia McGuire, who only began learning the setter position at the beginning of fall practice.
The Pirates were down a handful of players because of sickness, so the injury put them in a challenging position — but the team rallied, thanks to a mixture of natural talent, strong coaching from Head Coach Matthew McElhiney, and veteran leaders like senior Brynna Sands.
"We are trying to play with more togetherness (this season)," Sands said. "We were clicking well tonight. I like being a leader out there because it helps me stop thinking about my own mistakes as much. I'm focused on building up the team."
Sands led the Pirates with 209 kills in 2022. She had eight against ODA, plus 11 digs and a block. Mia McGuire had 17 assists, five digs and two aces after being thrust into duty, and Sands complimented McGuire on her play, saying she couldn't remember a single error McGuire made all night. Sands said the team was able to communicate effectively despite the shuffled lineup and the raucous ODA student section.
"It was like a fan club," Sands said of the crowd, with sarcasm in her voice. "Honestly, it gives us a little bit of an adrenaline rush. I don't mind it at all."
It's a confidence that comes with back-to-back district titles. These Pirates are not going to let things like crowd noise get them unnerved. They have too much experience for that. The Pirates are not scared of expectations, either. Sands said Braden River has openly discussed the possibility of a third-straight district title. Sands said the team is well aware that a high level of success is now an expectation, not a goal.
"Nothing is a given," Sands said. "We have to work for it. But that (a district title) is what we're working toward. We want to get back to regionals and then get to states."
There's a lot that goes into preparing for a volleyball season, especially one with high expectations. The players put in work — but so do the coaches. Matthew McElhiney has been the coach of the Pirates since 2011. He's no stranger to the chaos the beginning of the season can bring.
Going on his 13th season, McElhiney said it's natural for coaches to fall into ruts and go through the motions, especially in sports like volleyball, where head coaches have to deal with a lot of the sport's logistics, like scheduling matches and travel, and can feel burned out. He tries to snap himself out of that feeling as much as possible. When the first match of a given season arrives, he still finds himself as amped as ever.
"Seeing the kids apply what they're doing in practice to what they do during a match, that's when we get excited," McElhiney said.
McElhiney said he was pleased with the way the team came together against ODA after the early injury, and even more pleased with how calm everyone was.
He has taught them to take one match at a time, but he knows that the team ends its season with three consecutive road matches against top programs in Bradenton Christian, Venice High and Carrollwood Day School, all of whom reached the regional tournament stage in 2022.
The sweep of a good ODA team was a good start in that direction. The Pirates looked capable of overcoming any challenges it will inevitably encounter.
"The biggest thing for us is to not be complacent," McElhiney said. "To not play down to another team's level. I try to tell them, the only thing last season did for you was give you experience. This year, you have to make your own way."
