DeLand\u2019s senior defensive specialist, Kendall Ezell, said the secret to the Bulldogs\u2019 girls volleyball success this year is relishing every practice, every match \u2014 win or lose.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe really try to enjoy it all,\u201d Ezell said with a big smile after her team completed a 22-3 regular season<\/a> with a 3-0 win against Flagler Palm Coast on Tuesday. \u201cWe\u2019ve really built a culture here. We play as one. We are one. We have a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n The fun continues Tuesday. The Bulldogs, who have two sophomores and two juniors as key players, are heavy favorites to cruise to the program\u2019s seventh consecutive district title. Tuesday\u2019s semifinals and Thursday\u2019s final will be played at Spruce Creek High in Port Orange.<\/p>\n Tournament play begins Monday for teams across the state. Topping that list is Orangewood Christian (23-2), which is No. 1 in the FHSAA state rankings<\/a> and No. 4 in the MaxPreps national rankings. The Rams will be home for a 2A District 4 semifinal Tuesday and the final on Thursday night.<\/p>\n The playoff picture has changed drastically this year \u2014 for volleyball, football and nine other team bracket sports \u2014 with the birth of the new Open Division. The top eight teams in the FHSAA power rankings will be pulled out of their classification and moved to the Open bracket.<\/p>\n Top-ranked Orangewood, No. 5 Winter Park and No 6 DeLand are positioned to be elevated to Open \u2014 alongside 3A Calvary Christian (Clearwater), 6A Tampa Plant, 3A Gulliver Prep (Miami), 2A First Baptist Academy (Naples), and 5A Archbishop McCarthy of Broward County.<\/p>\n Winter Park (19-6), which ended DeLand\u2019s 2024 and 2025 seasons with region wins in its state championship runs, jumped the Bulldogs in this week\u2019s rankings and is No. 2 in 6A behind Plant. The Wildcats returned only one starter \u2014 stellar senior Jordyn Lehman \u2014 but have steadily progressed under 38-year coach Stephanie Gibson. Lehman had a career-high 28 digs when Winter Park capped its regular season with a 25-22, 21-25, 25-18, 27-25 win against 12th-ranked Merritt Island.<\/p>\n DeLand beat Winter Park 27-25, 25-22, 25-18 in the first week of play. The \u2018Dogs only losses are to Orangewood Christian (twice) and Alabama\u2019s No. 1, McGill-Tooten (37-2).<\/p>\n Once the top eight teams are called up, that enhances the state championship chances for teams like The First Academy (16-6), which is in the same district as Orangewood. The Royals are No. 4 in 2A and would be the second seed in that 32-team bracket if Orangewood and First Baptist are competing in the Open Division.<\/p>\n Oviedo (22-3) and Horizon (20-3) would be the No. 2 and 4 seeds in 6A if rankings don\u2019t change.<\/p>\n Bishop Moore (17-6), a seven-time state champion, is outside Open contention as the No. 14 team. But the Hornets are ranked No. 1 in 4A and have lost only to teams ranked in the top 10 of their class.<\/p>\n