CONGRATULATIONS TO CARDINAL GIBBONS FOR WINNING STATE

The state's most decorated volleyball program added to an already-rich tradition on Saturday, and the Chiefs did so in impressive fashion.

Gibbons was too strong, too big, and too powerful and there was little Fort Myers could do about it.

The Chiefs captured a Florida-record 19th state title with a 25-19, 25-22, 25-16 victory over the Green Wave in the Class 4A championship match at The Lakeland Center.

The win marked Gibbons' first state title since the Chiefs went undefeated and claimed the 4A championship in 2006.

Now this team and third-year coach Kathryn Farland will add their names to the long list of champions in the school's Fort Lauderdale gym.

"It's something we wanted for ourselves," said Chiefs outside hitter Jessica Wynn (PICTURED), who had a match-high 18 kills and 10 digs. "It's overwhelming."

At their first practice of the season, the Chiefs (25-1) decided they'd settle for nothing less than a state title and in Lakeland, they played like a team on a mission.

While each of the three games in the championship match was competitive early, it never took long for Gibbons to distance itself.

In the first, it was a powerful Wynn kill that put Gibbons ahead 22-18.

Game two was more of the same, with a Caiti Donahoe dig giving the Chiefs an 18-13 lead. And in the third, Gibbons scored six straight points behind the serving of Eleni Bakatselos to go ahead 19-9.

Each time, Fort Myers (29-4) tried to rally, but every one of those Gibbons leads proved insurmountable.

Donahoe, the Chiefs junior setter, finished with a match-high 36 assists and junior middle blocker Katie Hillman added 11 kills and 10 digs.

In all, the Chiefs proved efficient with their attacks, notching just 14 hitting errors.

"We came in knowing that Fort Myers was a great team and we were going to have to work hard and play our best to beat them," Farland said. "That was the most important part to us. Everyone wants a state championship, but to bring home 19 is special."

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE SUN SENTINEL - FOR ALL THE GREAT VOLLEYBALL COVERAGE THEY DO.