Déjà vu for Manatee High volleyball team with Venice rematch

For the second straight year, Manatee High is meeting Venice in a regional semifinal volleyball match.

And just like last season, the Hurricanes are meeting the Indians after losing to them in the district championship.

Manatee found a silver lining in 2016 and defeated Venice during a stirring playoff run that culminated with a state semifinal appearance.

This season, the Canes are looking to repeat that magic when Wednesday’s Class 8A regional semifinal takes place inside Venice’s gym.

“Last year, we were like, ‘Third time’s the charm,’ ” senior Stefani Keller said. “So this year, hopefully it’s the same exact situation.”

While the Coulter twins, setter Gabby and outside hitter JoJo, are integral pieces to the Canes’ chances Wednesday, so was the arrival of Aja Jones this season.

A Lakewood Ranch High transfer, Jones’ move to Manatee allowed head coach Tony Cothron to maneuver Keller from the middle to outside hitter and utilize Jones in the center.

“It’s hard to find a high school team with so much height and power,” Jones said.

Venice swept Manatee in the district title match, but Cothron’s group controlled the net a decent clip. The trouble came with passing and losing focus late in the sets.

However, the Canes did go toe-to-toe with Venice in the last two sets of that sweep, which is the positive Cothron and the Canes are taking into Wednesday’s showdown.

“We felt like they beat us in the middle,” Cothron said. “Outsides, not really. Their middles were pretty consistent in putting the ball away. ... As long as we do what we should do and not mishandle opportunities on our side, I think we’ll be OK.”

The match is slated for a 7 p.m. start in Venice.

This story was originally published October 31, 2017 at 6:36 PM with the headline "Déjà vu for Manatee High volleyball team with Venice rematch."