For the second consecutive year, the Branford volleyball team finished as state runners-up and Gainesville High won a district title and made the postseason.

The head coaches of those respective teams, Mendy Sikes of Branford and first-year Gainesville High coach Jerica Carter-Mitchell, have been named the 2024 Bosshardt Realty small school and big school coaches of the year.

Last year, under Sikes, the Bucs advanced to their first state championship game in program history before falling to Baker in the Class 1A state title game and finishing 25-5.

This past season, Branford got revenge by knocking off the Gators in five sets in the Rural state semifinals at Polk State College’s Health Center in Winter Haven to make it back to the state title game.

However, the Bucs (27-4) had their 25-game winning streak snapped in a three-set loss to Liberty County (Bristol) in the state championship game.

They were the only team in the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area to advance to the final four this season.

Special recognition goes to Tifani Knox of Union County (Lake Butler) and Perry McDonald of Oak Hall School.

Knox’s Tigers (17-10), the No. 3 seed in the Rural District 6 tournament, upset No. 2 seed Lafayette (Mayo) in five sets in the district semifinals to advance to the championship game.

They were swept by top seed Branford in the Rural District 6 championship game, but they took the Bucs to a decisive fifth set in the region final, rallying from a 2-0 deficit, and just missed a spot in the state semifinals.

Branford defeated Union County 25-19, 25-14, 17-25, 19-25, 17-15 to send the Bucs to their second straight final four and their third in the past six years.

McDonald, who announced his retirement this year after 28 seasons of coaching, led the Eagles to their fourth straight 2A-District 4 title.

The Eagles (17-3) swept Providence (Jacksonville) in the first round of the Class 2A state playoffs but lost to eventual state runner-up Trinity Catholic (Ocala) in the regional semifinals.

Carter-Mitchell, who was a part of four straight final fours and two state titles as a player at Gainesville High, helped lead the Hurricanes to their second straight district title. The Hurricanes had an easy win against Leesburg in the district semifinals, followed by a sweep of Lecanto in the 5A-District 5 championship game.

“I went into my first season at GHS with really no expectations at all,” she said. “I just wanted to help make a difference in the lives of the girls and instill the love for volleyball that GHS Hurricanes and Coach (Cindy) Boulware instilled into me during the 2001 to 2004 seasons.”

Last year the Hurricanes won 20 games and a district title for the first time in 12 years, but they graduated three seniors who signed with Division-I schools.

Carter-Mitchell said this year’s team, which earned a No. 1 seed in 5A-Region 2 against a very difficult regular season schedule, exceeded expectations.

“Knowing that GHS lost three key D-1 seniors last season as well as losing our senior setter [Chloe Petrik] to injury in July, I thought for sure that it would be a rebuilding year,” Carter-Mitchell said. “To my surprise, we had some very talented freshmen [Jacey, Carter-Mitchell, Jorryn Dye and Sloane Childers] and sophomores [Charlotte Judge and Jordyn Barnard] that filled their roles, and we started the playoffs ranked first in our region, earning the district title, and with visions of a berth to the final four. Although we fell short this year, my returners learned a good lesson and we will be better and stronger next year.”

With three All Area selections expected to return, which includes her daughter Jacey, along with one of her daughters who missed the season due to injury, Carter-Mitchell has high hopes for 2025.

“Personally, I am looking forward to coaching both of my daughters next season and representing the Hurricanes just like I did 20 years ago,” she said. “Sophomore pin hitter, Kenzie Carter-Mitchell, was out recovering from an ACL and meniscus surgery [March 2024]. I know that these next few years will be a special and memorable time in our volleyball careers. I am excited for GHS’ future.”

Honorable mention goes to Eric Marshall of Santa Fe (Alachua).

Marshall, who won back-to-back 4A state titles in 2021 and 2022 and advanced to a region final in 2023, led the Raiders to another district title and a first-round playoff win against Satellite (Satellite Beach).

They lost in the regional semifinals at Merritt Island to finish 20-8.

“We’re in an incredibly tough region,” said Marshall, who has high expectations every season. “I think for me, having my worst finish ever…for us not to get to the final four was a failure for us. That’s the way we looked at the season. Not that the team was a failure, but the goal was a failure because our goal was to make the final four.”