The South Florida Fabulous 50

The level of play and skill set is increasing in our local volleyball players. We are introducing the game at an earlier age (8-10) and more players are starting to play year round incorporating beach volleyball into their training regimen. Below are 50 of the top volleyball players from South Florida. We've also included 10 of the top 7th-9th graders under the heading "Top Futures"

This list was compiled taking three things into account: Stats, Physical Ability and Height to determine the top players that are ready for the next level.



1) Cassady Cook -Royal Palm Beach 5’11” Sr. OH-MB
Cassady is an all around talent. Tri-County leader in hitting, kills and blocks.
2) Paulina Prieto-Palmer Trinity 6’2” Fr. OH-MB
She can dominate games and impose her will on other teams. Future DIV I Star.
3) Becki Meerbeek Lake Worth Christian 6’2” Sr. MB
She is very strong around the net as an attacker (4.6kills/per) and a defender.
4) Kelly Marble - St Thomas Aquinas 5’11” Jr. OH
She is a top attacker and has sound overall skills.
5A) Rebecca Acevedo - Westminster Christian 5’11” Soph S
Talented all-around player and assist leader.
5B) Stephanie Zielinski St Thomas – Aquinas 5’10” Sr. OH-S
Dominant Force, very athletic, can play all around.
7) Stephanie Toledo-Krop 6’2” Sr. MH
Major Force in leading her team deep into the play-offs
8) Kristen Walewski -Miami Ferguson 5’4” Jr. S
Tri-County assist leader and strong defensively.
9) Latoya Harvin -Royal Palm Beach 6’0” Jr. OH-MB
Tri-County blocks leader, very athletic.
10) Danielle Lampman -Lake Worth Christian 5’6” Jr. S
Top athlete with all around skills and a tri-county assist leader.
11) Alexandra Beverly -Miami Ferguson 6’0” Jr. MH-OH
Strong all around player, very dominant around the net. High hitting percentage.
12) Natasha Vlahovic Miami Country Day 5’10” Sr. OH
Strong all around player, very dominant around the net in kills and blocks.
13) Cristina Abreu Florida Christian 5’9” Sr. OH
Very talented player. Has constantly lead her team deep into the playoffs.
14) Morgan Hill Royal Palm Beach 5’7’ Jr. DS
Tri-County Digs Leader. Strong skill sets.
15) Crystal Dedes Cardinal Gibbons 6’2 Soph. MB-OH
Strong big player, able to dominate games, high ceiling.
16) Laura Posada Palmer Trinity 6’0” Sr. MH
Top-tri-county performer and leader of state finals team. Strong attacker.
17) Jasmine Wilkins Hialeah 5’11” Jr MB-OH
Top tri-county performer in kills and blocks. Very Athletic
18) Shelby Spicer Pine Crest 5’7” Sr. OH
Strong skill set – Can play all around. Several all-county accolades
19) Amanda Marquez Palmetto 5’7” Sr. OH
Very skilled player, both offensively and defensively.
20) Taylor Chao Westminster 5’11” Sr. OH
Talented offensive player – can be very dominating.
21) Brittany Linder St. Thomas Aquinas 5’11” Sr. MH
Talented player, tri-county leader in kills and blocks.
22) Krista Lighter North Broward Prep 5’9” Jr. OH
Constant all- county performer. Helped lead her team deep into the play-offs.
23) Kaylyn Carr Redland Christian 5’9” Jr. OH-MB
All around top performer, well versed in all her skill sets
24) Lauren Alfonso Lourdes 6’0” Sr. MH-OH
Talented big player both offensively and defensively.
25) Lexie Grizzle Highlands Christian 5’4” Jr. DS
Tenacious Defender, strong skill sets
26) Christine Lozano Florida Christian 5’8” Sr. S
Consistent all-county performer. Very talented as a setter.
27) Lucy Perez Miami Sunset 5’11” Sr. MB-OH
Strong big player with good offensive and defensive skill sets.
28) Shaina Abdell Royal Palm Beach 5’11” Jr. O-S
Strong and athletic player. Good hitting percentage.
29) Stef Konarek Miami Varela 5’7” Sr. S
Skilled setter with soft touch and strong defensive skills.
30) Sarvenaz Laussermair Spanish River 5’11” Sr. MB-OH
Skilled big player both offensively and defensively.
31) Jenna Isaacs Mater Academy 6’1” Jr. MB-OH
Athletic Big Player that can have huge games from time to time.
32) Ari Cano Cypress Bay 5’8” Sr. OH-DS
All around player – very skilled offensively and defensively.
33) Kristen Rivera Miami Southwest 5’5” Sr. S
Tri-county assist leader. Very athletic with strong skill sets.
34) Jesyca Schiffman Krop 5’4” Jr. S
Very Athletic, skilled setter and strong defender.
35) Olivia Fernandez Lourdes 5’10” Sr. OH-MB
Talented all-around player. Very Athletic player, strong skill sets.
36) Lauren Whisenant Miami Killian 5’6” Sr. DS
Tri-county digs leader, very athletic
37) Jordan Fisher Jupiter 6’1” Soph MB-OH
Large potential. Skilled as a big player and still has time to improve skill set.
38) Hannah Penna Miami Southwest 5’11” Jr. MH
Talented athletic big player, skilled both offensively and defensively.
39) Kristen Titley Palmer Trinity 6’0” Jr. OH-MB
Talented big player, very athletic.
40) Maria Madrid Hialeah 5’9” Jr. OH
Aggressive offensive player, strong feel for the game. An all around player.
41) Michelle Ceballos Palmetto 5’8” Sr. OH
Skilled player on 6A final four team. Can play all around.
42) Taylor Johnson Royal Palm Beach 5’10” Sr. O-S
Strong all around player. Very skilled.
43) Molly Macek Cardinal Gibbons 5’9” Jr. OH
Athletic player – can be very explosive.
44) Taylor Weitzel Spanish River 5’9” Sr. OH
Athletic player, good all around skills.
45) Renate Comparini Palmetto 5’4” Sr. DS
Very athletic defensive specialist. High motor player
46) Ariam Rios Princeton Christian 5’7” Soph OH
Solid all-around player. Has played every position for the team.
47) Jessica Arcia Jupiter 5’4” Sr. DS
Athletic defensive player. Gets to the ball very fast.
48) Jovanna Santamaria Miami Sunset 5’5” Soph S
Great Setter, very quick player.
49) Julie Trembley Westminster Christian 5’11” Soph OH
Very talented offensive player.
50) Olivia Mesner North Broward Prep 5’8” Soph OH
Talented all around player

Top 10 Futures Players:
1) Brooke Lyons St. Coleman 6’0” 8th MB-OH
Very fluid for her age. Talented player that plays year round.
2) Monique Rivers Princeton Christian 5’7” 8th OH
High Flyer that is able to play all-around. Year round performer.
3) Pilar Irarrazabel Sagemont 5’7” 8th OH
A kill’s machine. Can play all-around
4) Kelli Weis Trinity Christian 5’5” Fr. S
Very talented setter, moves well around the floor.
5) Giselle Gonzalez Miami Sunset 5’7” Fr. OH
Talented and strong offensive player.
6) Karlee Carr Redland Christian 5’5” Fr. OH
Complete player that is very well coached in all her skill sets.
7) Krystal Garcia Mater Academy 5’6” Fr. S-OH
All around player. Plays year round to develop her game.
8) Cynthia Zaldivar Glades Middle 5’9” 7th OH-S
Solid all around performer, plays year-round including beach.
9) Emily Saraza Arvida Middle 5’7” 7th OH-S
Solid all around player. Serves up many aces.
10) Kristen Nowak Emerald Cove Middle 5’7” 7th OH
Talented player with large upside.

Happy Holidays South Florida

Penn State Sweeps Stanford to Claim Back to Back Championships

The Penn State Nittany Lions became the fourth team in NCAA Division I women’s volleyball history to finish a season undefeated, as the top-ranked Nittany Lions successfully defended their 2007 national title with a 3-0 sweep (25-20, 26-24, 25-23) of second-ranked Stanford in Saturday’s 2008 NCAA final at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb.

Penn State finished one of the most impressive seasons in NCAA history with a perfect 38-0 record, joining Long Beach State (36-0 in 1998), Nebraska (34-0 in 2000) and USC (35-0 in 2003) as the only undefeated champions in NCAA history. The Nittany Lions’ 38 wins are the second-most of any Division I champion since the tournament began in 1981 and the most of any of the four undefeated champions. After dropping its only two sets of the season in Thursday’s five-set semifinal win over Nebraska, Penn State finished its year with its 37th sweep in 38 matches.

The Nittany Lions also became only the sixth team to repeat as national champions and the first since USC captured back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003. After Saturday’s victory, Penn State has now won three national titles in school history – all since 1999 – as the Nittany Lions joined five other programs which rank second in NCAA history with three national championships.

The only program with more NCAA national championships than Penn State is Stanford, which the Nittany Lions defeated for the national title for the second straight year. Despite another terrific season, the six-time national champion Cardinal became the first team in Division I history to finish as the national runner-up in three consecutive NCAA Championships. Stanford, which fell to Penn State in a five-set thriller in 2007, finished the 2008 season with a 31-4 record.

Stanford started the match strong, scoring five of the first six points in set one. The Cardinal rode the strong start to a 15-10 lead at the media timeout, at which point Stanford had 10 kills on only 19 attacks. After the break, it was all Penn State as the Nittany Lions closed the set on a 15-5 run. Penn State scored six of the first seven points after of the break to pull even at 16, then used a 4-0 run to take a three-point lead. The Nittany Lions earned a set point at 24-19 following three straight points and a Megan Hodge block one rally later gave Penn State the first set. After Stanford’s hot start, the Cardinal had just three kills on its final 23 swings, while committing four errors. Stanford hit just .167 in the set, while Penn State came alive late to pound out 14 kills on .257 hitting.

Penn State enjoyed a much better start to set two, as the Nittany Lions jumped out to a quick 6-1 lead. Stanford scored four of the next five points to close the gap to 7-5, and the Cardinal pulled even at 12 on a block by Cynthia Barboza and Foluke Akinradewo. A solo block by Cassidy Lichtman gave Stanford a 14-13 lead, but Penn State regained the lead two rallies later and continued to lead until Hodge closed out the set with a kill. Defense ruled the second set, as Stanford recorded five blocks to hold Penn State to a .102 attack percentage. The Cardinal could not take advantage however, as Stanford hit only .159 and had three serving errors.

Stanford, which rallied from an 0-2 deficit in Thursday’s semifinal win over Texas, was unable to repeat the feat as Penn State never trailed in a set three. The score was tied twice early, but once the Nittany Lions built a 9-5 lead, they led the rest of the way. Stanford came back and pulled within two on seven occasions and finally got as close as one when a 4-0 run made the score 23-22. Hodge answered the run with a kill to set up two consecutive match points. After a Stanford kill, Nicole Fawcett, the 2008 AVCA National Player of the Year, gave the Nittany Lions their second straight national title with a kill off the Cardinal block. Both teams hit below .200 again in set five, but Penn State finished with two more kills and one fewer error.

Hodge, the championship’s Most Outstanding Player, finished with a double-double, recording a match-high 16 kills on .318 hitting and adding 14 digs. Fawcett also had a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs, as Penn State was victorious despite hitting a season-low .177. The Nittany Lions added 11.5 blocks and five aces, while out-digging the Cardinal, 64-54.

Stanford was led by Klineman, who finished with 15 kills. Barboza ended her career with a double-double, as she tallied 11 kills and 15 digs. The Cardinal hit just .142 in the match, but finished with 11 blocks.

A Repeat of Last Years Championship Game is Very Likely

The Final Four will be on Thursday the 18th on ESPN2 & ESPNU starting at 7:00PM Texas vs. Stanford and at 9:00 PM Penn State vs. Nebraska (Live on ESPN2). You can also catch live stats clicking on our NCAA Volleyball Tournament logo on the green portion of the SFVR.

Quick Notes:

All four teams are the respective No.1 seeds of the four regionals. The West Coast usually has a strong showing but only has Stanford representing in this years final four.

7:00PM Texas (29-3) vs. Stanford (30-3) - Places two very athletic and physical teams against one another. This promises to be a very exciting match to watch.
TV: ESPNU
SFVR Prediction: Stanford in 5

9:00PM Penn State (36-0) vs. Nebraska (31-2) - Penn State is the defending Champion. Nebraska leads the all time series with Penn State 11-5.
TV: ESPN2
SFVR Prediction: Penn State in 4

The Championship Game can be seen on Saturday the 20th at 8:00PM on ESPN2 Penn State is just playing at another level and should meet up against Standford in the Championship game. Please make sure your kids watch these matches as much of you did during the Olympics.

A Few Things to keep in Mind as the 2009 Club Season Starts

First and foremost congratulations to all the girls that have made their teams this year weather you are in a travel, regional, tri-county or developmental team. Both you and your parents have made a considerable investment in developing you as an elite player in the great sport of volleyball.
Below we will give insight and recommendations to players, coaches and parents to get the most out of this year.

Attached Picture is of 2007/2008 VPA 13's.
Players: Weather you are a beginner or a veteran of several club seasons. The team’s success depends on several factors. Obviously the initial talent level is important, but more importantly is the teams overall improvement throughout the year. After-all, isn't that the reason you are playing club?

First thing to do is to get to know the players on your team. If there is a new player on the team make sure that she feels welcomed. Try not to have niches or clicks with-in the team. Sure you’re going to have your best buddy – but remember, “a team is only as strong as its weakest link”.

Make sure you get the most out of every practice and improve. If you don’t understand something either ask the coach then and their or wait till after practice if you’re the shy type. Be sure to have fun, your playing a great sport in a very competitive part of the state, have a great year.

Below are a few conditioning ideas to help you throughout the club year.

1. Get into a regimen of doing push-ups: Try to get up to three sets of 20 three times a weak. This is such a great exercise for volleyball players. It will help you with your serves, spikes, etc.
2. Do exercises to help your legs and ankles. Do Toe Raisers, Lunges and Squats.
2A. Follow that up with a jumping program or plyometrics.
3. Build Endurance – try and jog or hit the treadmill. Tournament days are long and your body has to be fresh at the end of the day when your battling to win the Gold, Silver or Bronze.
4. Always stretch before and after workouts.
5. Eat Healthy. Depending on your age you might want to start cutting down on fast food and grease overall. Try and incorporate fruits as a snack.
5A. On Tournament days try and have a hearty breakfast seeing that between travel time and warm-ups you probably have plenty of time to properly digest that meal before you get into play. Once the tournament starts it’s probably best to eat light until the end of the tournament. Definitely keep your self very hydrated.

(Look at our Skills and Drills Section for more Detailed on the above information)

If you want to get your name out to college Coaches fill out our Player Profile - We'll get you known for FREE.

Coaches – We try to give little advise in this area seeing that it can be a thankless job.

Please never forget to make your players better than they were at the beginning of the season. Be open to communicate with players and parents.


Parents – I am currently in this position myself. First thing to keep in mind, especially if your child is younger than 16, don’t push them to hard. Be there to always give them positive re-enforcement especially if they haven’t played to their potential that game. Pack plenty of refreshments and light meals and snacks for tournaments.

If your faced with low playing time for your child or if your child is not developing a certain skill through-out the year and you wish to discuss this with the coach keep this ideas in mind.

A) NEVER GO TO THE COACH ANGRILY DURING A TOURNAMENT. Most clubs do not allow you to address a coach with-out an appointment and that makes a lot of sense. I understand that we parents spend a lot of money for our kids to compete and improve, but it is important that we show restraint especially during competitions. Remember there is no “I” in team and the same goes for the parents.

If your a NEW Parent to Club Play - During tournament play NEVER make a sound while other players a serving. You will not see it posted anywhere, but believe me if you make the mistake of screaming anything at the time an opposing player serves – you can get in big trouble for it. It happened to me and it was very embarrassing. I really wish that all clubs inform parents about this rule in writing to avoid embarrassing situations.

The above tips are to make sure that this USAV Club Season is an enjoyable one for everyone involved.

We wish everyone in South Florida a Great Club Season and remember to keep us informed on how you and your team performed. Please feel free to send us pictures and discriptions of all the players in the photos.

FIU's Great Season Ends in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament

Gainesville FL. - FIU showed they definitely belonged in the NCAA Volleyball Championship. Facing the 18th ranked Colorado State Rams, FIU played tough in a four match loss (22-25, 25-21, 22-25 and 19-25). Every expert had Colorado State easily winning it's match against the Golden Panthers. After-all Colorado State has been in the NCAA Championship Tournament the last 14 years. FIU had only been to the big dance once in 2001.

FlU, which set a school record for wins this season with 28, was led by junior outside hitter Yarimar Rosa’s match-high 22 kills on .312 hitting with 13 digs for a match-high 24.5 points.

Coach Tomic had the team hungry and prepared for this match. They "were not going to be happy just to be invited to the Tournament". Every match was a hard fought battle. Unfortunately it was to be Colorado State's day.

As this season ends we look towards next year as our key players will be seniors our younger players will be more experienced and all will understand what it takes to be the best in the Sun Belt Conference and Possibly the best in the nation.



Notice to America for Next Year- Ready or Not - Here We Come

Catch FIU vs. Colorado State at 5:00PM Friday Dec. 5th on FIUSM.COM

FIU (28-6) takes on No. 22 Colorado State (22-6) in the first round of the NCAA Volleyball Championships on Friday, Dec. 5 at 5 p.m. in Gainesville, Fla.
It is the second time FIU volleyball has made the NCAA’s. In 2001, the Golden Panthers went to Gainesville and beat UCF before losing to Florida. This year is set up similar with the No. 11 Florida and Florida A&M winner set to take on the winner of FIU and Colorado State.

“It’s a thrilling feeling because I feel like we earned the right to be selected among the 64 teams,” said FIU head coach Danijela Tomic on being selected.

Colorado State is making their 14th straight NCAA appearance and poses a threat in middle blocker Mekana Barnes who leads the Rams with 3.38 kills per set. CSU started off the season winning 16 of their first 17 matches including a sweep of Florida. However, the Rams have lost their last three matches and have a road record of 7-5 despite being undefeated at home (14-0).

“They are a very good team who’s been ranked in the top 25 the whole season and have an established program,” said Tomic. “I go into every match believing we can win. I told the team the same thing, we are not happy to just be in Gainesville, we are going there to win.”

FIU is coming off a sweep of South Florida for their 15th 3-0 match of the season. They have a record of 10-2 in road matches this season. Junior Yarimar Rosa broke the school record for most kills in a season (635) in the win over the Bulls and she continues to lead the nation in kills per set (5.20).

Even though this is Tomic’s first NCAA appearance as a head coach, it is not her first go-around at the NCAA’s. She appeared in the 1996 championships as a player with Arkansas-Little Rock and three times as an assistant with the Trojan program. One of her appearances was in Gainesville.

“It’s a fun atmosphere,” said Tomic. “They have a great volleyball fan base and the O’Connell Center is beautiful. They always do a great job of hosting the event. It’s a great experience for our players to be in that kind of atmosphere.”

Andrew Julian and Jonathan Alpert of Panther Sports Talk will broadcast the FIU matches live on FIUSM.com.

Live stats are available on NCAA.com.

Nova Southeastern's Magical Ride Comes to an End

ST. PAUL, Minn. (Dec. 4, 2008) - The Nova Southeastern University volleyball team ran out of magic in their NCAA Division II Quarterfinal match vs. No. 8 nationally ranked Truman State, falling in three sets by the scores of 21-25, 20-25 and 20-25 in action on Thursday afternoon. The Sharks post-season run marks the furthest the team has ever advanced in program history; falling just three victories shy of a national title and conclude their season at 24-12. Truman State improves to 33-7 and will advance to its third National Semifinal match in program history.

In a game of runs, Nova Southeastern gained an early edge over Truman State, the South Central Region Champions, to lead 5-0. The Bulldogs answered back by going on a 17-3 run to lead 17-8 and force a NSU timeout. The Sharks retaliated with a 12-3 run of its own to knot the contest at 20 and regain momentum before Truman closed the set with a 5-1 stretch to take a 25-21 decision in the opening set. NSU was out-hit .061 to .000 in the set. AVCA honorable mention All-American Emily Carle (Sr., Missouri City, Tex.) and Melinda Gorman (Sr., Sarasota, Fla.) paced NSU with three kills apiece while five Truman State players posted two kills apiece.

Senior outside hitter Eli Medina had a team high eight kills for the Bulldogs. She was also the team dig leader with 16 saves. Lisa Weber came in with seven kills, five block assists and five digs. Whitney Boehler had 13 digs, followed by Dana Hanselmann with ten. The setting game was split between Kylie Easlon and Ashley Petak with 17 and 13 assists each, respectively

The match marked the conclusion of the careers of NSU seniors Emily Carle, Christina Chubb (Oakland Park, Fla.), Melinda Gorman, Andrea Irarrazabal (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) and Valia Petrova. After the match, Gorman commented "Starting off my freshman year, we went 4-19, were last in the conference and only won one conference game. The five seniors on this team have made some traditions and set a standard for others to follow."

Catch Nova Southeastern DIV II - NCAA Elite 8 Action

Click on the tittle to go to the CBS site to view the game for FREE - Coming off its first ever South region title, the Nova Southeastern University volleyball squad will look to remain its momentum and capture its first National Title at the NCAA Championships - held Dec. 4th-6th in St. Paul, Minn.
The Sharks took an unusual path to the Elite Eight, winning the NCAA Division II South Regional as the sixth seed in an eight team field. After sweeping SSC rival Lynn University out of the field in the opening round, NSU was forced to pull off a thrilling comeback in the semi-finals, overcoming a two set deficit to Saint Leo University. On top of that, the team lost its head coach (Steve Wilcosky) to an emergency appendectomy the morning of the South Region finals. After the Sharks dropped the first two sets against West Florida, the team methodically climbed back into the match and pulled off the upset to capture their first South Regional Championship in program history.


Nova Southeastern, 24-11, will take on Truman State in the national quarterfinals on Thursday, Dec. 4th at 3:30 pm (ET) in St. Paul, Minn. To follow along with all the NCAA Division II Volleyball Elite Eight action, click any of the links below and follow the Sharks LIVE!

For more viewing options click our NSU link.

Support FIU - Can You Say - Road Trip

If your thinking of supporting the FIU Ladies Volleyball Team in their quest to become the 2008 NCAA Volleyball Champions we invite you to do so. Gainesville is beautiful this time of year and your sure to see great volleyball.

Florida welcomes Colorado State, Florida A&M and Florida International to Gainesville for this season’s first and second round matches. Colorado State and FIU square off at 5 p.m. EST Friday, while the second-round match-up is slated for 7:30 p.m. EST Saturday evening. The winner advances to the Colorado State regional in Ft. Collins, Colo.

Ticket packages for both days may be purchased in advance through the Gator Ticket Office for $10 for adults, $6 for students and senior citizens and $4 for children 12and under. Single-session tickets also may be purchased beginning the day of the match for $7 for adults, $5 for students and senior citizens and $4 for children 12 and under.

Best of Luck to the Golden Panthers !!!

The NCAA selection Committee put an End to UM's Great Season

The University of Miami volleyball team was unable to cap-off a dream season Sunday night as they found out they would not be continuing on to post-season play when the field of 64 bracket for the NCAA Tournament was revealed on ESPNU beginning at 10:15 pm. They were seeking just their second-ever visit to the field of 64 since reinstating the program in 2001.

At 10:57 pm as the final region was revealed, head coach Nicole Lantagne Welch tried to console her team who was upset that the third-ranked team in the league would not be continuing the season they worked so hard to produce on their way to collecting the best record (26-6) since 2002 for the Hurricanes program. Miami finished tied for third place with Clemson, while Duke and North Carolina shared the 2008 ACC Championship.

"We are extremely disappointed and surprised that we were not selected as an at-large team in this year's championship," commented Lantagne Welch, who led her team to their best finish in the ACC since 2004. "We felt that our résumé spoke for itself, and that our 26-6 season record--5-2 record against the NCAA field, third place ACC finish (just one match behind the champions), our solid RPI and our significant win out of conference was more than enough to warrant a bid."

North Carolina and Duke, co-champs of the ACC, as well as Clemson will represent the Atlantic Coast Conference in this year's NCAA Tournament. UNC and Duke travel, while Clemson will serve as a Regional site host. Miami swept the season series with Duke for the first time ever, while splitting the season series' with Clemson and UNC, respectively.

The other win against a team in the field of 64 was a 3-2 victory over San Francisco earlier in the year in the finals of the Asics/Coca-Cola Invitational hosted by USF.

"Our program has accomplished so many great feats this season, and it is just a shame that a memorable season would end this way," continued Lantagne Welch.