Plant (Florida) volleyball wins Nike Tournament of Champions Southeast

Tampa squad sweeps national power Carrollwood Day in championship match

The Plant high school volleyball team poses behind their championship banner after winning the 2024 Nike Tournament of Champions Southeast in Orlando. / Lara Matta

The Plant High School Panthers know how to serve up volleyball championships, having won 12 state titles in their illustrious history.

Ranked No. 2 in SBLive’s Florida Top 25 volleyball poll, the unbeaten Panthers (7-0) served noticed they are the team to beat in the Sunshine State after sweeping top-ranked Carrollwood Day School of Tampa, 25-20, 25-15, in the National Division’s Platinum championship bracket of the 2024 Nike Tournament of Champions Southeast in Gainesville on Saturday.

The title match was a matchup of defending state champs as Plant last year won the Class 7A championship, while CDS won the Class 3A title. CDS (6-1), which lost just one notable senior from last year’s team, also entered the two-day tournament ranked No. 16 in the nation by SBLive.

“Coming into this high school season, we had lost one of our key players, Bella Lee,” said Plant senior outside hitter Maggie Doster, a Tennessee commit. “We knew that we had to work extra hard to compensate for everything she has done for this team, which meant all of us had to step up, be more consistent and contribute.

“This tournament was a great test to see where we stand and what we need to work on,” Dostic said. “Winning Nike is a huge achievement and I am so proud of the whole team and it gives us additional confidence going forward.

“I can’t wait see what this team can do together for the rest of the season,” Dostic said.

Lee, a Libero who made a whopping 446 digs and 99 assists last season, today plays for Florida. But this year’s Plant team still has plenty of talent with the likes of Dostic, senior outside hitter Lara Matta (a Mercer University commit), and senior middle hitter Kaylee Peper (FSU commit), to name a few.

Plant showcased its skills in the TOC, beating Alabama’s defending Class 7A state champ McGill Toolen in a wild three-setter, 25-17, 26-28, 15-4; Ocala Trinity Catholic, 25-22, 25-18; and defending Florida 4A state champ Miami Gulliver Prep, 25-16, 25-17, on opening day Friday.

Having won its pool, Plant joined the other seven pool champs in the Platinum bracket to decide the overall champion. There, the Panthers beat Texas power Lovejoy, 25-21, 25-13; Sacred Heart Academy of Louisville, 25-18, 25-15; and CDS.

Notre Dame Academy of Kentucky finished third; Sacred Heart, fourth; Winter Park and Naples Seacrest Country Day, tied for fifth; and Lovejoy, seventh.

“It is very encouraging to start the season playing this well as a team,” Matta said. “I hope this gives us the momentum to defend our state championship.”

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