The Oviedo girls volleyball team, fresh off a 2025 state championship, recorded coach Jen Darty’s 300th career victory Tuesday night with a 25-22, 25-16, 27-29, 25-16 road win against Lake Howell.
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Darty, who was inducted into the Seminole County Sports Hall of Fame in May for her play and coaching at Oviedo, has a 300-131 record in her 16 seasons in charge of the program. That includes state championship runs in 2013, 2018 and last year. She was named national coach of the year by the National High School Coaches Association and also Florida Dairy Farmers state coach of the year following the 2018 season.
“I’m very grateful every day for the trust the school put in me,” Darty said. “I was fortunate to get hired by my alma mater. I knew I wanted to coach. I always want to continue to build on the Oviedo tradition.”
She is doing that in two roles, having become the school’s athletic director in the 2017-18 school year.
“It’s challenging. But I have great A.D. assistants and a great athletics secretary that help make my life easier,” Darty said.
Her volleyball team is 4-0 going into a Thursday night home match against Lake Brantley (2-0).
The Lions are on a 13-match winning streak dating back to last season but again face a tough schedule. That includes a trip next week to Hawaii to participate in the Hawaii Island Labor Day Classic, Sept. 3-5.
Oviedo returned senior setter Delaney Sloane, last year’s 6A state player of the year, along with senior starters Eva Woolm and Autumn Westfall, and sophomore Libero Gabby Travieso. Nora Kretchman, a sophomore transfer from Timber Creek, added more talent.
“We’re learning how to play with each other and what makes us go,” Darty said.
Elsewhere
DeLand, which was 3-0 through Wednesday, brought an end to Winter Park’s domination of Orlando area volleyball with a 27-25, 25-22, 25-18 homecourt win vs. the Wildcats last week. Emerson Lalashuis had 9 kills, 12 digs and 3 ace serves, and Kohen Kazmierczak had 34 assists and 13 digs in the victory.
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Winter Park, which won the 2024 and 2025 large-school state titles, was unbeaten against area teams in each of the past three seasons. The streak began after the Wildcats lost a tight 3-2 region semifinal match to Hagerty in 2022.
The Wildcats (1-1), who brought back only one starter, bounced back on Tuesday with a 25-23, 20-25, 25-17, 25-15 home win against The First Academy (2-1).
Adrienne Willis had 13 kills and 26 assists for Lake Highland Prep (2-0) in a 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, 25-16 win against DME Academy.
Lake Nona is off to a 4-0 start with a home match against Winter Park coming up next Thursday. Senior Angeli Aguilar has 35 kills and 45 digs, and junior setter Olivia Tome has 49 assists and 9 ace serves for the Lions.
St. Cloud is 3-0 without losing a set. Abigail Rivas, a Bulldogs senior, has 31 assists and 16 digs.
Trinity Prep is also off to a 3-0 start.
West Orange (2-0) hosted nationally-ranked Orangewood Christian (1-0) Wednesday night.
No. 1 Orangewood, repeat state champ Winter Park go the distance in volleyball
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at [email protected].
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