Palm Beach County volleyball has hit the most dramatic point in the season, and a number of programs have shown up for their biggest performances when it mattered most.
Dr. Joaquín García's (15-11) season started off with the expectation of head coach Erica Green handing the keys off to the next leader of the Bulldogs' volleyball program.
Scheduling conflicts with the new coach mingled with an emotional pull for Green to finish her coaching career with the seniors that began her tenure at García — putting her right back at the helm to finish off 2026.
Dr. Joaquín García flips the script on Wellington for championship win
Oh, how the tables have turned.
Dr. Joaquín García fell to Wellington by a 3-1 match margin at the beginning of the season,
but at that point, the Bulldogs were still figuring out their identity.
Thursday night proved that at some point along the way, they'd found it.
García walked into Wellington's gymnasium and took down the Wolverines to win the program's fourth district title in four tries — across three different classifications.
"We have a lot of seniors on the team this year," Erica Green said. "Seven girls, and one of them is a manager this year, so six players, and you know, I think they kind of rallied around them. They weren't ready for the season to end."
Sophomore Daniela Leite paced the Bulldogs with 15 kills on a stellar .385 hitting percentage and 23 assists, while her freshman sister Joslyn Leite tallied 12 kills on the other side.
Shadiyah Joseph led the team with five blocks, while Sophia Hagerty ― whom Green calls one of the most underrated players in the county ― contributed defensively with 18 digs.
"I have coaches come up to me non-stop telling me what a phenomenal player she is," Green said of Hagerty. "Our defense has kept us in matches so many times this season."
While Green ended up as an unexpected de facto head coach for the year, the playoffs were also full of some quick thinking and last-moment adjustments.
The older Leite sister was a hitter last year, transitioned to setter this year and now plays a bit of both. But with a setter out sick and another missing from injury, the team also had to call in some reinforcements in the form of Teagan Hill moving up to set from junior varsity.
"From JV a week ago to varsity game in a district championship, she kept her composure."
Hill rewarded the team with 14 assists.
The Bulldogs have not been a team that has consistently impressed all year long, and many had García written off as an underdog in a new, larger classification of play. But the results speak for themselves, and the team will now enter the regional playoffs riding a five-game win streak.
Green has confirmed this is actually her last season coaching, so she's enjoying the postseason for as long as the ride lasts.
"We flew low this year," she said. "We weren't really talked about. Our record didn't really stand out. But, you know, it's not how you start. It's how you finish."
Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dr. Joaquín García volleyball beats Wellington for district title
