The 2024 Lady Hawks have earned a bid to the FCSAA State Championships

The 2024 Lady Hawks have earned a bid to the FCSAA State Championships for 18th time in 22 years. Their trip will begin this Thursday when they travel to Ft. Myers to attend the end of the year banquet at which the All-State and the All-Conference rosters will be announced. Play then begins on Friday. 

All six state participants have spent time in the National Top 20 poll, and the top two spots have been held by Florida teams most of the season. HCC was ranked as high as #13 this season. The final two teams in this tournament will move on to play other regional champions for a bid to the NJCAA National Championships in Tennessee. 

"I like our balance, discipline, and harmony right now," said Coach Larkin. "Our good has been very good, but we have had some inconsistent results. During the last couple of weeks, our players have been playing with discipline and poise."

The Lady Hawks are led by current FCSAA player of the week, Taylor Sass. Taylor has carried a heavy load for HCC, having recorded 338 kills on the season.

"It's that time of year," explained Sass. "Everyone is sore, and everyone is tired. You have to deal with it."

The Lady Hawks have gotten hot as of late, recording sweeps in their last two matches. 

"I love our team defense right now," continued Sass. "We are becoming hard to play against, and everyone is buying into their role and the structure."

The Lady Hawks are set to face Eastern Florida State College in the first round at 1pm on Friday. HCC hopes the third time is the charm as they lost the first two meetings against EFSC.

"Eastern is coached well, and they always play with passion," noted Larkin. "First contact will be key, and we need to play with joy and creativity. I have a good feeling."

Fans are encouraged to cheer in the Lady Hawks at the Suncoast Arena on the FSW campus in Ft. Myers.