MIDDLEBURG - Knowing that Ridgeview High had one of the state's premiere blockers ready to reject scoring shots across the net, Middleburg High got a sterling first set attack effort from lefty hitter Brooke Forkum that fueled a dominant 3-0 district 4-5A championship win over Ridgeview in a clash of Clay County titans.

"We figured they were going to concentrate on Connor (center hitter Connor Rahn) with Haley (Haley Robinson, Ridgeview senior hitter/blocker) as the matchup for the game so our strategy was to move the ball away from her," said Forkum, a junior, and also daughter to Middleburg first year coach Meredith Forkum. "I had my shots and was finding the floor either through the middle or down the sideline and in games two and three, they had to adjust. That's when Connor started to strike."

For Connor Rahn, a senior hitter with 17 scoring strikes for the contest to add to her district-leading 338 for the season, whatever was working was working.

"I kind of became the distraction and our sets from Olivia (Callipo, 35 assists) and Kendyl (Wahl) kept them reacting late to Brooke's side hits," said Rahn. "It's hard for any team to defend both of us let alone account for our third hitter, Kate Lowery or Ally Lowery."

Though Ridgeview scored the contest's first points off a strike from Robinson, it became quickly noticeable of the Forkum strategy.

"We learned a little about ourselves in the loss to Trinity Christian just a few weeks ago," said Meredith Forkum, noting Ridgeview had beaten Trinity Christian just a week later in a barometric measure of both team's abilities. "My coaches and I retooled our approach with a big hitter blocker in the middle of the net on the other side and we were scoring off quick set strikes and cross-country hits. Their blockers were about a step off our pace to the net."

With Middleburg winning game one 25-16, game two 25-22, and game three 25-17, Ridgeview coach Steven Henry felt his team was not in their game.

"We just had one of our worst games in one of our biggest games, pretty simple," said Henry, who was torched last year by Middleburg in the district final behind a 26-kill night by Rahn. "Our blockers were not getting to the point of attack fast enough and we were stretching to the ball rather than being directly in front of the hitter."

Brooke Forkum's first game impact; seven kills in her 11 for the night, was the apparent difference for the contest as Ridgeview had no answer for the left-sided sidewinder. With Rahn taking the lead on games two and three, Forkum accounted for 21 service returns and 15 digs that got the Bronco attack underway.

"We figured their middle hitter (Rahn) was going to come straight at us and she did, but the outside hitter was finding the sideline and open space," said Ridgeview libero Sydney Little, who amassed an astounding 48 digs against Trinity Christians' center hitter Amaria King. "We didn't figure it out quick enough and they took advantage. We'll adjust and hope to see them again."

As the region playoffs start, both Middleburg, No. 1 seed in region 1-5A, and Ridgeview, No. 2 in the region, advance and will host quarterfinals on Wed., Oct. 25 with the Broncos (22-5) hosting No. 8 Arnold (14-14) while Ridgeview (18-7) to host Columbia (16-8). Columbia, the No. 2 seed in the district, lost a 3-1 match to Ocala Vanguard in their district 2-5A semifinal; Vanguard, the No. 3 seed in the district, lost to No. 1 Tallahassee Lincoln in that region final 3-0.

For Arnold, the No. 3 in district 1-5A, lost in that semifinal 3-0 to No. 2 Booker T. Washington who lost in the final to No. 1 Choctwhatchee 3-0.

In the region, No. 1 Middleburg hosts No. 8 Arnold, No. 2 Ridgeview hosts No. 7 Columbia, No. 4 Lincoln (17-10) hosts No. 5 Choctawhatchee (18-8) and No. 3 Beachside (21-5) hosts No. 6 Booker T. Washington (12-13).

Also in district 4-5A, Clay (5-16) lost to Menendez 3-1 in the tournament opener.

In district 4-4A, Keystone Heights (3-18) lost to Bishop Kenny (20-7) 3-0 to end their season.

In district 3-6A, Orange Park (15-8) lost 3-1 to Nease (11-11) in their tournament opener while Fleming Island (19-7) lost in the championship game to Ponte Vedra (13-13) 3-1. Fleming Island, who did not advance into region play despite beating region No. 7 Fletcher in the district semifinal, defeated Oakleaf (10-15) in their district opener 3-0.

In district 2-2A, St. Johns Country Day School (14-7) beat University Christian in that semifinal before losing 3-0 to top seed Christ's Church Academy (17-7).

In regions, St. Johns, the No. 4 seed will host No. 5 Countryside Christian (14-3) on Tues., Oct. 24 in their opener.