PORT CHARLOTTE — The Port Charlotte and Lemon Bay volleyball teams have spent the early part of their seasons playing tight, long matches. So, it made sense that these two teams would have a long night against each other.
Port Charlotte got some huge kills from FGCU-bound Nygeria Hart as it rallied from a set down to defeat the Manta Rays 3-2 (20-25, 25-19, 17-25, 25-16, 15-9) Wednesday night at Pirate Cove.
Trailing 2-1, the Pirates got Hart going after Lemon Bay did a good job much of the night digging her lethal kill shots. It also helped that junior libero Grace Parent served up an 8-0 run to break open the fourth set and give Port Charlotte (5-1) a lead it would not relinquish to force a fifth set.
The set to 15 was all Pirates. Parent served up another run to give them the edge and Hart had four of her 17 kills in that set to put the match away. It was Port Charlotte’s third five-set match of the season, which included their first loss of the season to Fort Myers. They are 2-1 in five setters.
It was also Lemon Bay’s third five-setter. The Mantas have lost all three and have now dropped to 1-6 on the season.
The Manta Rays won the first set after trailing by as much as seven. Evelyn Swidrak served the final seven points of the set to give Lemon Bay the early lead.
Port Charlotte got service runs from Hannah Clarke and Maggie Parent in the second set to square the match. However, Lemon Bay blew the third set open as Swidrak again served up a long run — 8-0 this time — to give the Manta Rays a 2-1 set advantage.
Lemon Bay frustrated Hart for much of the night snuffing out potential kills as Allison Elkins and Natalie Googins played the back line well before the Pirates’ senior outside hitter finally got going.
SWIMMING
Oasis at Charlotte: At Punta Gorda, Oasis dove into South County pool with bigger-than-expected numbers to give Charlotte a stiff challenge in their home opener Wednesday night.
Following a 30-minute rain delay, Charlotte ultimately swept the visitors, but not without some peril. The Tarpon girls won, 171-100 while the boys were pushed in a 157-123 verdict.
Kasey Roy spearheaded the Tarpon girls by winning her two individual events and taking part in two relay wins. She took the 50 and 500 freestyle races while aiding the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay quartets.
Johnathan Rawlings was a double-winner of the boys’ side, winning the 50 and 100 freestyle sprints.
“Oasis surprised us a little with numbers and we had out hands full early on, especially on the boys’ side,” Charlotte coach Jim Lindberg said in an e-mail. “Oasis has numbers and some solid swimmers and gave us our biggest test so far this season.”
Charlotte improved to 4-0 in duals and will jump back in the pool Friday at the Northeast Relays.
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