Lake Mary got an early wake up call in the team’s Saturday morning state semifinal match against Cardinal Gibbons: they lost the opening set, 25-10.

“We just needed to really wake up and get going,” said Lake Mary head coach Louis Reyes. “I was so happy with how the played the rest of that match.”

The Rams would take control and win the next three sets (25-18, 25-19, 25-17) to send their programs to its first state championship, where they would face Miami Killian.

But, just like the semifinals, the Rams dropped the opening set (25-19). Unfortunately, there would be no magic left for Lake Mary. Miami Killian was the 2016 state runner-up. And the Cougars came to Naples on a mission. They took a hard fought second set, 26-24.

The third set would be a crowning moment for Killian. The Cougars swept their way to the state title (25-19, 26-24, 25-21).

The Rams end their season with a record of 21-5.

Freedom’s Perfect Season Ends In State Semifinals

What a ride.

That was how the Patriots (29-1) felt after falling to Miami Killian in the state semifinals on Saturday morning.

It was a back-and-forth battle that would be capped off with two unforgettable sets: The fourth set would end 27-25 in favor of Freedom. The winning point came on a block on the far side of the net. The Patriots celebration was on pause for a split second as the officials mistakenly pointed to the Killian side of the court to signal the point to the Cougars. It only added to the victory.

But in the fifth set Killian pushed forward and allowed its athleticism to carry them to a 15-11 win, to take the match 3-2.