As any coach would, Academy of the Holy Names’ Jeff Davis is looking forward to the kind of competition his Jaguars will face in this weekend’s AHN volleyball invitational.
The tournament, which is in its 10th year, will bring together eight of the Tampa Bay area’s best teams — including three 2013 state semifinalists in Berkeley Prep, Steinbrenner and Robinson.
But aside from the Jaguars getting a chance to be tested so early in the season, Davis has challenged his team with yet another goal.
“It would be nice to win the tournament you host,” Davis said. “We haven’t done that since I’ve been here.”
Though the tournament has featured teams from other counties in the past, Davis, who is in his fourth year at AHN, said he’s excited about limiting the pool to just Hillsborough County teams.
“It’s a good mixture of some of the best teams in the county,” he said, “And we’re excited to see where Academy of the Holy Names ranks in that competition.”
The Jaguars’ first and only time winning the tournament was in 2010, when they beat Northside Christian 2-0 to take home the crown. Last year AHN got close but fell to Durant — a team that didn’t lose until the playoffs — 2-1 in the tournament final.
Though his Jaguars are certainly hungry for a tournament title, Davis admits that, win or lose, his team will eventually reap the benefits of participating.
“We want to be battle tested,” he said, “so when we get to the end of the season, we feel like we’re ready to face whatever team is thrown at us.”
AHN Invitational
Contact Kelly Parsons at kaparsons@tampabay.com. Follow @_kellyparsons.