Ponte Vedra volleyball earns county championship on senior night

Ponte Vedra swept Creekside on Monday’s senior night. The Sharks (15-4) are 6-0 against St. Johns County opponents this year.

Five pictures were affixed to a wall on the western side of the Ponte Vedra High gymnasium on Monday night.

The baby pictures represented each one of the five seniors who took the court against Creekside for Ponte Vedra’s senior night.

Catherine Culliton couldn’t believe it was finally her turn. The thought of Kelsey Bishop’s teammates reduced her to tears. Morgan Batchelder made the same walk her sister made. Sophia Ervanian was the smallest of the quintet, but gave the biggest of hugs to each of her senior teammates. The final person introduced was outside hitter Logan Mignerey.

“It’s brought our friendship closer, going through all the ups and downs of PV volleyball together,” said Mignerey, who finished with a match-leading 13 kills and 14 digs.

The five seniors helped Ponte Vedra (15-4) claim the St. Johns County championship with the 25-20, 25-16, 25-22 win.

Earlier this season, the Sharks swept St. Augustine, Menendez and swept Nease twice. A four-game win over Bartram Trail on Oct. 3 combined with Monday’s win eliminated any discussion about who was the best team in the county this fall.

Ponte Vedra ends the regular season this weekend in Orlando at the Bishop Moore Swing for the Cure tournament. County titles, district championships and 20-win seasons have become commonplace at Ponte Vedra.

Culliton said the Sharks have the passion and bond to make another long run. They have to clean up minute things — their passing, concession of free balls and keeping their intensity high throughout a match.

The latter part of Game 1 set the tone for the entire match. Creekside used dumps, quick sets and even an opportunistic mishits to take a 17-14 lead. Ponte Vedra called time, before tying the match at 19-all.

Creekside’s Megan Bowers tried to blunt the momentum. Instead, Ponte Vedra won six of the final seven points to win a game that ended with a Knights miscommunication on a set.

“We have to learn to bounce back faster,” said Creekside volleyball coach Megan Bowers. ”...They served really aggressively tonight. They hit well. They are a well-balanced team. They are experienced from the last couple of years.”

Ervanian (12 digs), Culliton (seven kills, 12 digs) and Logan Mignerey were all on the court during the Sharks run to the 2017 state championship. Batchelder is the only one of the five who has been a first team All-St. Johns County selection. Meanwhile, Bishop has proven to be a thunderous hitter since moving to Ponte Vedra Beach from Georgia.

Monday night was Robin Mignerey’s 14th senior night as a head coach. Each even was unique opportunity to reflect, none of them were more poignant than when it was her turn to shift from coach to mom.

“I pulled up some pictures. They have grown up in this gym like little rugrats,” Robin Mignerey said. “We have albums each year. We have albums from 2008, 2009 and pictures of them in it. We look so much younger. But, they were little. They grew up getting excited for Dig Pink, seeing the girls’ senior night with their fins and all the hoopla. That was very nostalgic. And to have one happen...it was kind of cool. I’m proud of her. I’m very proud of her.”

Mignerey stepped down as Jacksonville University’s head coach in 2002 to spend more time with her family. These days she is the matriarch of a family of five. Oldest daughter, Logan, is a senior outside hitter for the Sharks and younger daughter, Kendall, is a sophomore outside hitter.

Logan Mignerey and Culliton have played volleyball together since they were seven — then and now Robin Mignerey was their coach. Logan has played with Batchelder since they were 10 and Ervanian since they were in fifth grade.

The five of them don’t want the run to end now. Ponte Vedra will be the top seed in next week’s District 4-5A tournament in Palm Coast. The Sharks are hungry for more than a ninth straight district title.

If Ponte Vedra can combine the laid back intensity that was a staple of their 2017 run with the fun that an ever-present last year, the Sharks will be on their way.

“We are just a close family on and off the court,” Culliton said. “We do so much on and off the court. It’s our bond that lets us play harder.”