Lemon Bay High School opened its volleyball season with a commanding performance Tuesday night, sweeping Booker 3-0 on the road.
The Manta Rays never let the Tornadoes gain momentum, rolling to set wins of 25-9, 25-9 and 25-8. The victory extended Lemon Bay’s edge in the series after also winning the teams’ last meeting.
Senior Natalie Googins anchored the defense with nine digs and made her mark from the service line, delivering three aces to set a new career high. Senior Kyra Sorenson added four aces as part of the Rays’ relentless serving attack.
In all, Lemon Bay racked up 19 aces, the program’s eighth straight match with at least five dating back to last season.
Offensively, senior Roxy Getter led the way with nine kills, while freshman Crew Collins made a strong varsity debut with seven kills and a .600 hitting percentage. Juniors Lilly Scheiber (eight kills) and Evelyn Swidrak (six kills, 27 assists) also powered the attack. The team hit .509 overall, converting 35 kills on 57 attempts.
Defensively, Grace Wear chipped in one solo block, and Googins’ back-row steadiness helped keep the Tornadoes in check.
Both squads will return to action this week. Lemon Bay (1-0) hosts North Port on Thursday at 7 p.m., while Booker (0-1) faces Palmetto at home Wednesday at 7 p.m.
