Orlando Christian Prep

Lake Mary, Fla  --

Gutsy. Determined. Gritty. Tenacious.

Whichever adjective you can think of best describes the OCP Lady Warriors volleyball team's performance this past weekend at the Lake Mary Prep Invitational, a four-team field consisting of the host school, OCP, Faith Christian and Merritt Island Christian.

The Lady Warriors have not had their full roster since the opening preseason classic held at Lake Mary before the start of the regular season. The "injury bug" has affected the roster since the close of their second match. Now, here they find themselves heading into a two-day, four-match invitational at the midpoint of their season play with three wins and three losses.

OCP (5-5) won two back-to-back games on the first night that went deep into the score book with no substitutions. Then, they had to turn around and play the host Griffins twice (8am and later at 11am) in order to win the championship.  Finishing second may never be more rewarding.

"The team definitely fought and worked hard," said senior setter Lydia Mascari. "We had to really focus on how we used our energy and keeping our spirits up."

"We hustled a lot! Everyone was moving, everyone was going for balls...it was exciting. Very fun to watch," said senior outside hitter Aalyssa Gunn.

OCP took the first match of the invitational 2-1 over Merritt Island Christian (25-23, 24-26, 17-15). Following that exhausting victory, the Warriors had to turn around and play their rival Faith Christian. Faith had beaten OCP 3-0 a couple of weeks earlier in the season. Clearly there was gas in the tank as OCP won 2-0 over Faith Christian (25-19, 25-20).  The two wins secured a spot in the championship game against Lake Mary Prep, who also won their two games over MIC and Faith.

Gunn added, "by the first set of the second game, everyone was exhausted. But, it didn't stop us. We played our best match (in) that second game."

A NEW RIVALRY BREWING

OCP had defeated Lake Mary Prep 2-1 in the championship of their preseason classic with a full roster and outstanding play after dropping the first set. The 8am early start for Game 3 of pool play against the team they were playing in the championship was a bit anti-climatic for everyone. The Warriors dropped the match 2-0.

The fatigue factor kicked in during the championship game despite their best efforts to rise above. OCP lost 25-13 and 25-20 as they would take home 2nd place.  Mascari and Gunn were recognized and named to the All-Tournament Team.

The teams will meet for a fourth time on Thursday Sept. 22 at Lake Mary Prep for the first of two regular season matches.

MIDSEASON EVALUATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS

The Lady Warriors are unbeaten at home, winless on the road, and now 2-2 on neutral sites.  With a home win against Legacy Charter, the September 22 game at Lake Mary Prep seems like a chance to turn the corner and drive up the hill toward the type of record that gives them a high-seed in the district tournament.

The challenges of the first half of the season season may be plentiful, but there's also been rewarding moments to lean on.

"The biggest road bump we have is our number of players, but the most rewarding is being able to play great despite our size," said Mascari.

Gunn shared similar sentiments, "the most challenging (part) is all of the injuries and setback with losing player after player, but the most rewarding has been seeing how much we've accomplished with little to no people."

Teammates are returning back from their injuries and the prospects of having a full team again are welcomed news for Gunn, who said "more wins are coming our way."