Sarah Reiss (formerly Kirkwood) won three state titles (2001-03) as a player at Plant.
On Thursday, she had a chance to win another one, this time as the coach of her alma mater.
The Panthers, who had been to the state semifinals, each of the past three seasons, took the next step by reaching the final for the first time since 2018. Plant also was trying to win its first state title since 2010.
The program achieved its goal the hard way, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to win the Class 7A title in five sets over Windermere.
It was the 11th title in school history, which ranks fourth overall in state history.
Most of the players were already used to winning titles at the club level. Lily Frierson, Reese Friar and Sophia Kotsovolos were all on the OTVA team that won an AAU national title this offseason.
But their high school seasons came up short of winning what had been an elusive title.
This time, they ended years of frustration on volleyball’s biggest stage.
Throughout the postseason, the Panthers were able to cruise. They dropped just one set in their first four playoff matches. On Thursday, they were tested against Windermere, a program that had never made it past the region semifinals before this season.
After winning the first set in the title match, Plant dropped the next two. But there was no panic. The Panthers simply bore down, dominating the fourth set to give them much-needed momentum heading into the fifth and final set.
In the end, their postseason experience paid off with a 23-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-13, 15-9 victory. Jennifer Rayburn had 52 assists and 11 digs. Lily Frierson finished with 23 digs and 17 kills. Maggie Dostic ended up with 21 kills and 14 digs. Reese Friar totaled 15 kills and five blocks. And Bella Lee recorded 16 digs.
Plant joined Calvary Christian as the two bay area champions. The Warriors won the 3A title, their first in school history.
Elite company
Hillsborough County has been dominant in volleyball. The proof is in the number of state titles. Three schools — Tampa Prep, Berkeley Prep and Plant — were already ranked among the top four in the state in titles won. The Panthers added another one to their total on Thursday.
| School | Titles won | Years won |
| Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons | 20 | 1975-79, 1984-89, 1992-96, 1998, 2006, 2010, 2015 |
| Berkeley Prep | 16 | 1986, 1988-93, 1995 (3A), 1997-99, 2003, 2009-11, 2017 |
| Tampa Prep | 15 | 1980-85 , 1987 , 1991-92, 1994, 1996-98, 2001, 2004 |
| Plant | 11 | 1975-76, 2001-03, 2006-10, 2021 |
