Merritt Island's beach volleyball team will compete in its first FHSAA state championship game on Saturday, May 9, following a 4-1 victory over Charlotte in the Class 2A state semifinals at Florida State University in Tallahassee. The No. 3-seeded Mustangs advanced with wins in five of six matches, setting up a final against No. 1 seed Chiles, which swept No. 4 seed Lourdes Academy 5-0 earlier in the day. The Mustangs' semifinal win marks the first state championship appearance in school history for the program.
The Mustangs' No. 2 pair of senior Delaney Petit and junior Reece Loggins started strong, defeating Charlotte's junior Savannah Massolio and sophomore Dakota Galley 2-0 in the first session. The team's No. 4 pair, junior Khloe Horton and sophomore Lydia Scott, also won 2-0 against Charlotte's sophomores Lainey Frohlich and Myla Hoffart. In the second session, Merritt Island claimed two of three matches. Junior Whitney Wisniewski and sophomore Peyton Riordan won 2-0 in the No. 3 pair over Charlotte's sophomores Sarah Richardson and Olivia Planer. Junior Sadie McClellan and sophomore Gena Walters added another win with a 2-0 sweep of Charlotte's senior Elia Le and freshman Raegan Price.
Charlotte secured one win in the semifinal, with juniors Samantha Vega and Juliet Hurley defeating Merritt Island's juniors Bella Becker and Amber Ives 2-1 in the No. 1 pair. The Mustangs' overall performance earned them a spot in the championship match against Chiles, which dominated its semifinal with a 5-0 win. Chiles swept four of five matches, including a 2-0 victory by its No. 2 pair in the first session.
The championship game is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday at the same venue. Merritt Island's advancement to the final is a significant milestone for the program, which has not previously reached the state championship in its history. The Mustangs will now face Chiles, a team that has a strong record this season, in what promises to be a competitive final.