Charlotte ends Sunlake volleyball streak

Punta Gorda Charlotte defeated the Sunlake Seahawks in five sets on Oct. 28 to end Sunlake's season.

The Tarpons won the Class 5A region final by a score of 19-25, 25-22, 25-16, 23-25, and 15-10.

Sunlake entered the match with a 22-7 record and had not lost a set in 27 consecutive sets.

The Seahawks' previous 27-set winning streak included nine straight sweeps dating back to Sept. 29.

That run carried the team to a district title and victories over Palmetto Ridge and East Lake in regional play.

Charlotte took control after Sunlake won the opening set 25-19.

The Tarpons won the second set 25-22 and the third set 25-16 to take a two-set lead.

Sunlake responded to win the fourth set 25-23, forcing a deciding fifth set.

Charlotte closed out the match with a 15-10 victory in the final set.

The Tarpons recorded 10 blocks and 84 digs during the match.

Many of those defensive plays came against attacks by Sunlake outside hitter Amelia Snider.

Snider committed to play for Syracuse University after the season ended for the Seahawks on Oct. 28, 2026, relative to this article's date of Nov. 2, 2026. She finished her senior year with 246 kills and her four-year varsity career with 1,177 kills. Erinn Larson finished the season with 174 kills, 384 career kills, and 52 aces, which was a team high. Cailyn Barnes contributed 168 kills and 374 career kills, while Olivia Grobb recorded 333 digs. The program lost nine senior players after the loss. Elyse Garcia Zapata, who is in her eighth season as head coach, holds a 133-62 record at Sunlake. Garcia Zapata stated that the loss did not diminish the hard work of the senior group. She noted that the players elevated the standard and expectation of the program. She credited Charlotte for playing with energy and forcing mistakes. In the Class 1A-District 6 boys golf tournament at Seven Springs Golf and Country Club in New Port Richey, Angeline finished fourth as a team. Jackson Felix shot an 83 for the Angeline team. Preston Yu of Academy at the Lakes shot a 74 to place fourth individually in the same event. On the girls side of the 1A-6 tournament, Academy at the Lakes finished third but did not advance to regionals as a team. Ayla Thornton led the Academy with a score of 79, placing her ninth individually. In the Class 3A-District 9 boys golf tournament at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Sunlake finished sixth with a team score of 357. Land O' Lakes finished seventh with a score of 360. Wesley Quinn led the Sunlake boys with a score of 80, placing eighth. Sutton Hertz led the Land O' Lakes boys with a score of 88. In the 3A-9 girls golf tournament, Land O' Lakes finished sixth with a score of 424 and Sunlake finished eighth with a score of 440. Daniella Rodrigues shot a 102 for Land O' Lakes. Isabella Bolomey shot a 106 for Sunlake. In swimming, the Sunlake girls won the Class 3A-District 5 title. The Sunlake boys finished second in the same class and district. The Land O' Lakes girls placed fifth and the Land O' Lakes boys placed sixth in the Class 4A-District 8 meet. Payton Burton, a sophomore at Sunlake, won the 200-yard individual medley. She also won the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay with Mila Adriani, Atalia Tripp, and Micaela Vasquez. Vasquez, a junior, won the 100 freestyle. Tripp won the 100 breaststroke. Evan Moses, a sophomore on the Sunlake boys team, won the 100 butterfly. He finished third in the 100 backstroke. Moses teamed with Alex Zendegui, Jeremy Morgan, and Owen Kerrigan to win the 200 relay. Morgan won the 100 breaststroke. The same group, with Timur Kenzin replacing Moses, won the 400 freestyle relay.