The Orlando Bishop Moore volleyball team entered Thursday night’s match at Trinity Catholic ranked sixth in the FHSAA’s all-classification rankings.

The Hornets left with a 25-18, 25-19, 25-16 loss to the Celtics, victors in six straight and starting to look, once again, like a powerhouse in Class 3A.

“We watched and went over a lot of video with them,” said Trinity coach Jeff Reavis, whose team is 14th in the overall rankings. “They are a young team with a lot of talent. We had a good gameplan and played well.”

Here are five takeaways from the Celtics’ win.

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Reavis, outside hitter Kiana LaBorde and outside hitter/setter Amelia Fitzpatrick all said one area Trinity needs improvement is the start of matches.

Against Bishop Moore (11-5), the Celtics (10-3) fell behind 5-0 to open the match before running off seven straight points. After that, they only trailed 11-10 in the first and 1-0 in the second set.

“We have to be consistent the entire game,” Fitzpatrick said. “We always seem to start slow, and we need to figure that out.”

Added Reavis: “That is a mental challenge. It will show the character of the team if we keep working hard and change stuff like that.”

LaBorde, the Star-Banner’s 2021 player of the year, committed to Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala. two weekends ago.

“I loved everything about it,” said LaBorde, who also considered Flagler, Winthrop and Santa Fe. “The campus is beautiful. It is a private school. It reminds me a lot of Trinity Catholic.”

Committing a couple of months ago was Fitzpatrick, the Star-Banner’s 2020 co-player-of-the-year (with Forest’s Emma Truluck). She has pledged to Flagler.

“I loved the coaching style, the players and that it is right by the water,” Fitzpatrick said. “I also want to major in marine biology.”

Out all of the season so far with a left knee injury she suffered at a basketball camp late in the summer, Rose Gravel is set to return next week.

The 2021 all-county middle blocker was in uniform with a knee brace and warmed up with the team but did not play against Bishop Moore.

Reavis said Gravel was cleared this week to do about 50 percent of work in practice and is expected to be granted 100 percent clearance just in time for Tuesday’s match at rival Vanguard.

Gravel has yet to do anything 6-on-6, and Reavis said early matches will be used to “knock the rust off” before adding that in addition to her physical talent, Gravel is one of the most cerebral players on the Celtics and he’s excited for her return.

Gravel’s absence has allowed for Belleview transfer Hope Willis to play meaningful minutes.

“Hope didn’t get much time to get adjusted,” Reavis said. “She goes out and plays hard every time, and she’s banged her thumb like 16 times. The team loves her, and she has come in and delivered.”

Also expected back soon for TC is outside hitter Delaney Baker, who finished with 126 kills last season as a freshman.

With two returning from injury, two talented transfers (Willis and outside hitter Avery Campise) becoming more comfortable on their new team and Trinity’s longtime core still in place, depth is about to become a real strength for the Celtics.

For her part, Campise, a 6-foot-1 junior, finished with seven kills and no hitting errors against the Hornets. 

“She’s been amazing,” Fitzpatrick said.

“She’s also super-tall,” LaBorde added.

In the third set of Thursday’s match Fitzpatrick went to a jump serve. It produced seven points, including three aces (one on match point).

“I usually do a float serve,” Fitzpatrick said. “But I did a lot of hitting tonight, and it just worked out that when I did (the jump serve) that I got some aces.”

Reavis and Gravel had a fun pre-match ritual last year during player announcements, where he would put his hands out and she would slap them as hard as she could.

This year, everyone else has decided they want to participate.

Reavis said Gravel still hits the hardest, but he joked the cumulative effect is making him wonder if spreading it around is a great idea.

“My hands are still red,” Reavis said post-match, about 90 minutes after player intros.