Boys volleyball team forfeits prestigious tourney title match after one set to head back for prom
Anyone who is familiar with volleyball scoring could be excused for employing a double-take when they opened the Sunday edition of the Miami Herald sports section and noticed that Miami (Fla.) Columbus High had won the prestigious Smoothie King Invitational title against Boca Raton (Fla.) Spanish River High by a final score of 27-25. Yes, that 27-25 was the only given score, and it was a correct one.
So what happened to the scores from the other two sets, one might ask? The answer is simple: The sets never took place.
As it turns out, Spanish River abandoned the championship match of the invitational after a single set because -- you guessed it -- the team had to rush back to Boca Raton for the school's annual prom. While Spanish River may have known it was going to abandon the match as soon as the time came to leave for prom, that apparently was news to the Explorers, who trotted back out onto the court for the second set only to stand there alone while Spanish River packed up and left.
"It's a bit disappointing," Columbus coach Greg Villareal told the Herald. "We wanted to continue to play and get some more of the competition in."
Considering the tournament's loaded field, Villareal might not be the only one upset with the Sharks' decision to throw in the towel to rush back for a prom. The 2012 Smoothie King Invitational featured 16 total teams, six of which were nationally ranked in an ESPN boys volleyball poll. Five teams at the event were also ranked in Florida's in-state top-10.
For Spanish River to get that far over two days just to throw in the towel to rush back for prom simply didn't make sense to Villareal.
Then again, it's probably been some time since Villareal went to a prom himself, so maybe the Spanish River teens had the right idea all along. There was no word Sunday on whether the Sharks actually made it back to Boca Raton in time for the big event, or whether they received the silver medals due them before departing the Smoothie King Invitational.
Want more on the best stories in high school sports? Visit RivalsHigh or connect with Prep Rally on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
More news from Yahoo! Sports:
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
• Adelson: Tiger Woods needs to win a major to prove he's 'back'
• New York Jets' special teams may be possibility for Tim Tebow
• Baylor's Brittney Griner alters shots — and perception of women's hoops
• Y! Blogs: Aiming to connect, Mitt Romney gets personal on GOP trail
