We Speak Volleyball

Fleming Island Beats Arnold 3-1 for First Trip to the Final Four

Published

57 minutes ago

November 2, 2026

The Fleming Island volleyball team poses with the regional championship trophy.

Photo courtesy of Fleming Island Volleyball.

Fleming Island is headed to the state semifinals for the first time in school history. Fleming Island defeated Arnold 3-1 on Wednesday night to win the Class 4A Region 1 championship, closing out the match 25-12, 25-11, 20-25 and 27-25 on its home court.

The hosts set the tone right away. Fleming Island raced through the opening set 25-12 and backed it up with a 25-11 win in the second set, leaving Arnold one set from elimination. Across the first two sets, Fleming Island outscored Arnold 50-23, and the match looked close to finished.

Arnold refused to fold. The visitors claimed the third set 25-20 and pushed the fourth set past regulation, but Fleming Island held on 27-25 to finish the match and start the biggest celebration in program history. The fourth set was the night in miniature, with Arnold fighting off the end until the final two points settled it.

Junior Lillie Eason powered the attack with 22 kills. Lauren Brosky added 15 kills. Setter Shelby Jackson ran the offense with 27 assists and chipped in six aces and 11 digs, while Addison Blom anchored the back row with 18 digs.

The championship run had been building all week. In the regional semifinal round, Eason posted 20 kills and Blom collected 23 digs as Fleming Island advanced to set up the final.

The win moved Fleming Island to 25-3 on the season. Arnold closed its year at 19-9 after reaching the regional final.

Next comes the biggest stage the program has ever seen. Fleming Island advances to the Class 4A state semifinals at Polk State College in Winter Haven, a round the school had never reached before this week. One more win puts Fleming Island in the state championship match, playing for a title that was only a dream when this postseason began.

We Speak Volleyball

Newbury Park Survives Thousand Oaks in Five Sets to Reach the Division 3 Semifinals

Published

1 minute ago

November 2, 2026

We Speak Media

Newbury Park players celebrate during the Division 3 quarterfinal against Thousand Oaks.

Photo courtesy of Newbury Park Athletics.

A crosstown rivalry got one more postseason chapter on Wednesday night, and it needed all five sets. Host Newbury Park held off Thousand Oaks 3-2 in a CIF Southern Section Division 3 quarterfinal, winning 25-16, 25-20, 21-25, 22-25 and 15-6 to reach the semifinals.

Newbury Park controlled the first two sets behind strong serving that kept the Lancers out of system. Thousand Oaks refused to fold. The Lancers took the third set, then won the fourth on a set point ace from junior Sam Caenepeel to force a fifth.

The Panthers owned the deciding set. Laney Knopp drilled five kills with an ace in the fifth, and setter Keira Overbeck served a pair of clutch aces as Newbury Park pulled away 15-6. Charley Knupp put down the final kill of the night, off an Overbeck back set, to end it.

Knopp finished with a match high 24 kills. Knupp added 17 and sophomore Emmery Reynolds 15, as the Panthers’ three pin hitters combined for 56 kills. Thousand Oaks was led by Halle Bryce with 17 kills and 12 digs and Saylor Halvorsen with 12 kills and 13 digs.

The match was the final one of Thousand Oaks head coach James Park’s career; he had announced before the season that he would retire at the end of it. Newbury Park, coached by Chris Forrest, improved to 33-9 and moved on to play Valley Christian in the Division 3 semifinals in Cerritos on Saturday, October 31.