Congratulations to all South Florida Volleyball Teams that competed this last week

First and foremost, Congratulations to all of the teams that competed vigorously this week. For those of you that have been eliminated, rest up because club season is getting close and you will have an opportunity to vastly improve your skills and help carry your school to victory next year.

To all who have competed or will be competing in a Championship Match, best of luck in winning your district. Either way both teams will advance to the regionals, Quarterfinals begin next week. This weekend celebrate what you and your team-mates have accomplished. Be sensible and get rest because a long journey still awaits you for a State Championship.

Next week Regionals will have many of South Florida's top teams competing to advance and continue their run towards Lakeland. Even if your team has been eliminated we recommend that you go to a few matches, to support your sport and to to become hungry for more - to be the best!

Local Universities:

Only Lynn and Barry University will have local matches to watch. Both will have #13 in the nation St Leo this weekend. Look at the teams schedules on our side bar links to see when they play.

We wish everyone a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Match Spotlights - District: Miami - Dade

From time to time a semifinals district match places two teams that are capable of achieving great things. On Wednesday night one such marquee match up took place at the Ronald Regan gym in Doral. Top seeded Ferguson was to face a very talented and athletic Southwest team for the right to play in the District 15-6A Championship.

Ferguson would be facing a menacing front line with 5'11" Sr. Hanna Penna, 5'11" Sr. Steffany Roldan, 6'1" Jr. Donihue Caitlin and 5'11" Jr. Claudia Martin. Making matters worse, Ferguson's starting middle hitter, Sr. Danielle Pohl 6'0" would miss this match. Regardless of the outcome, a very talented team would be heading home; the other towards the district championship and into regionals.

The first set started extremely close as fans of each school cheered trying to out do one-another. After the score was tied at 6-6 Ferguson went on a run and never looked back wining 25-15, 25-17, 25-17.

``In my eyes, they are the best team not to advance,'' Shanower said of Southwest. ``They are a very hard-working, focused and tough team to beat, but my girls played their game, and our serving was the difference.''
Mackenzie Webster, a senior, led the way for the Falcons with 12 kills and 10 digs.

Fellow senior hitter Alexandra Beverly added 11 kills and seven digs, and Alexandra Walewski chipped in seven kills and 13 digs.

Ferguson now faces Lourdes in the District Championship match on Friday at 6:00PM in the Ronald Regan gym at Doral.



District 16-6A semifinals at Homestead:

For an experienced team like Palmetto, playoff time is when all of the concepts preached during the season come together. On Wednesday, their quest to return to the final four began as they soundly defeated Varela 25-14, 25-23, 25-14 in the opening round of the District 16-6A tournament over at Homestead High School. ``Tonight we played the best game of the season so far,'' Kim Latshaw said. Palmetto was a different team on Wednesday as the intense ball control and tipping drills gave way to a new wrinkle in the Panther attack. ``[Varela] prepared for us to come out hitting, but we were tipping and they weren't prepared for that,'' Latshaw said. Palmetto came out very patient and found the spaces where they were able to easily tip the ball to.

In the nightcap, top-seeded Killian started out rough against Coral Reef but were able to right the ship and win 22-25, 25-12, 25-11, 25-14. ``Coral Reef was playing like never before, and the girls were taken aback,'' Killian coach Clinton Reid said. ``I told the girls that they knew how to hit, they knew how to play, so all they had to do was show them.'' Jaclyn Lapointe was fundamental on the defense as she came up with 27 digs.-- JUAN ARANGO - Miami Herald.

Note: Send photos of Playoff Action and we will post them.

Match Spotlights - District: Palm Beach

JUPITER - His team needed four games to defeat Boca Raton about a month ago, and Jupiter coach Blane Betz anticipates an equally close match tonight when his Warriors square off against the Bobcats again.

There will be much more at stake this time, however, as they will meet for the District 9-6A title.

"I told the girls that tomorrow night's not going to be any easier," Betz said after Jupiter ended Park Vista's season with a hard-fought 25-20, 20-25, 25-17, 25-18 victory in the district semifinals. "They're much better now than they were then."

Boca Raton (17-6) proved that in the other semifinal with an impressive 25-16, 25-12, 25-15 win against Royal Palm Beach.

"We were really fired up and we really wanted to take it to them right at the start of the match," Boca Raton coach Amanda Angermeier said. "Our serving was phenomenal."

So was the serving of Jupiter, especially sophomore Morgan Lear, who had 10 aces and 16 service points.

"Morgan Lear and her serving is the main reason we stayed alive," Betz said. "I didn't know what to expect [from Park Vista] because we didn't play them this year. We were just swinging away at the start of the match."

Senior setter Brittany Lear also played a key role for Jupiter (19-7) by contributing 41 assists, 15 digs and six kills. Jordan Fiser and Megan Higgins had 15 and 11 kills, respectively, for Jupiter.

Boca Raton was led by senior Julia Schade, who had 24 assists, and sophomore Shannon Gregorek, who had seven kills. Junior Sofia Ellingsworth had 10 service points, including four aces for the Bobcats.

Park Vista coach Ira Hubschman said he believes this district is as strong as any in the state in Class 6A and would not be surprised if either Boca Raton or Jupiter makes it to the state finals.

"Royal Palm did it last year coming out of this district, and I think Boca or Jupiter can do the same," Hubschman said. "It's a shame all four of us are in the same district."

Jupiter will be trying to win the district title for the eighth time in nine years.

Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Photos: Send Playoff-Action photos to: volleyballreport@gmail.com and we will post them.

District Volleyball Playoffs: Palm Beach - Part 3 of 3

As The District Playoffs progress from Quarterfinal to Semifinals the pressure increases for teams and coaches as matches get tighter and more competitive.

The first day saw mostly expected results through out South Florida with a few slight upsets and several 5 set thrillers that had fans cheering and jumping in their seats. As the week continues what will be the upset game?

District 9-6A
Boca d. PB Central 25-15, 25-21, 25-18
Boca Raton: Melissa Green 19 digs; Lindsey Knapp 11 kills.
Palm Beach Central: Caroline Flinchum 5 blocks, 4 kills; Lexus Love 4 blocks, 3 kills.
Records: Boca 16-6, PB Central 15-10.

Royal Palm d. PB Gardens 25-18, 25-22, 22-25, 25-18
Royal Palm Beach: Shaina Abdell 23 digs, 12 kills, 10 service points, 4 aces; Latoya Harvin 14 digs, 14 blocks, 12 service points, 11 kills.
Records: Royal Palm Beach 13-10, PB Gardens 6-11.

Park Vista d. Atlantic 25-16, 25-14, 25-8
Park Vista: Taylor Tendrich 19 digs, 16 service points; Jenny Peterson 11 blocks, 4 kills.
Records: Park Vista 18-7, Atlantic 13-11.

Jupiter d. Seminole Ridge 25-7, 25-14, 25-14
Jupiter: Brittany Lear 36 assists, 5 digs; Jordan Fiser 10 kills, 7 blocks.
Records: Jupiter 18-7, Sem. Ridge 3-14.

District 15-5A
Dwyer d. John I. Leonard 25-17, 25-6, 25-14
Dwyer: Caroline Uhl 18 service points, 6 aces, 10 digs, 6 kills; Madison Ahearn 11 service points, 6 aces, 6 kills.
Records: Dwyer 9-17, JI Leonard 7-14.

District 14-4A
Lincoln Park d. Fort Pierce Westwood 25-20, 25-11, 17-25, 20-25, 15-11
Records: Lincoln Park 5-12, FP Westwood 4-12.

Okeechobee d. FP Central 25-9, 25-10, 25-8
Records: Okeechobee 19-8, FP Central 2-13.

Suncoast d. Boynton 25-10, 25-4, 25-23
Suncoast: Courtney Lombardo 15 assists, Olivia Schram 18 service points, 8 aces .
Records: Suncoast 15-7, Boynton 3-15.

District 13-3A
C. Newman d. Clewiston 25-2, 25-17, 25-23
Cardinal Newman: Hannah Fountain 13 kills, 3 blocks; Kelly Groover 23 service points, 4 aces, 6 kills.
Records: C. Newman 10-12, Clewiston 4-6.

St. Andrew's d. G. Central 25-5, 25-13, 25-5
St. Andrew's: Taylor Kennedy 19 service points, 16 aces, 7 digs, 5 kills; Elizabeth Boshart 12 assists, 11 service points, 8 aces.
Records: St. Andrew's 16-5, G. Central 2-13.

District 13-2A
Benjamin d. Pope John Paul II 21-25, 21-25, 25-13, 25-13, 15-8
Benjamin: Codi Mimun 21 kills, 15 service points, 4 aces, 11 digs; Christine Casey 20kills, 4 blocks.
Pope: Catie Truzzolino 13 kills, 5 blocks; Taylor Meredith 24 digs, 6 service points.
Records: Benjamin 18-8, Pope 15-6.

John Carroll d. King's Academy 25-13, 25-21, 16-25, 25-19
King's Academy: Christina Alessi 9 kills, 4 blocks; Emily Walz 7 kills, 5 blocks.
Records: King's Academy 14-11.

District 14-2A
CS Christian d. Yeshiva 25-15, 25-7, 25-10
Coral Springs Christian: Caitlin Roy 15 service points, 5 aces; Aubrey Seeger 13 service points, 5 aces, 11 assists.
Records: CS Christian 9-9, Yeshiva 0-13.

District 12-1A
Berean Chr. d. Wellington Chr. 26-24, 23-25, 25-19, 25-18
Wellington Christian: Sydney Shinn 9 digs, 9 assists, 6 blocks, 6 kills; Alyssa Murakami 7 kills, 6 digs.
Records: Berean Chr. 7-5, Wellington Chr. 7-11.

Trinity Christian d. Community Christian 25-6, 25-5, 25-4
Trinity Christian: Brooke Warner 15 service points; Lauren Baker 15 service points.
Records: Trinity Chr. 12-14, Community 0-14.

Pine School d. Morningside 25-4, 25-13, 25-10
Records: Pine School 14-5, Morningside 2-11.

District 13-1A
Boca Christian d. Grandview 25-10, 25-16, 25-21
Boca Christian: Sami Spidell 17 service points, 6 aces, 5 kills; Emily Woda 7 kills, 6 service points, 3 aces.
Grandview Prep: Jennie Polak 8 service points, 4 aces; Casey Polak 5 kills.
Records: Boca Christian 18-4, Grandview 7-5.

Lake Worth Christian d. FAU 25-2, 25-2, 25-12
Lake Worth Christian: Sam Cantwell 13 service points, 3 aces, 4 kills; Britney Annis 9 service points, 4 aces, 9 kills.
Records: LW Chr. 21-5, FAU 3-6.



Specials Thanks to the Sun Sentinel for all the great work they do. Never could you buy so much with so little - support your local paper.

Send us your Photos: We would like to post playoff action photo's as well as your You/Tube videos.

District Volleyball Playoffs: Broward - Part 2 of 3

As The District Playoffs progress from Quarterfinal to Semifinals the pressure increases for teams and coaches as matches get tighter and more competitive.

The first day saw mostly expected results through out South Florida with a few slight upsets and several 5 set thrillers that had fans cheering and jumping in their seats. As the week continues what will be the upset game?




Cypress Bay had a strong showing against Cooper City as they must now face West Broward for the District 12-6A Championship today. Pictured from Cypress Bay #2 Rachel Rivera and #4 Gabriela Wagener.





District 10-6A
Coral Springs d. Deerfield 16-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-23, 15-12
Coral Springs: Lauren Lewkowicz 27 kills, 15 digs, 6 service points; Molly Ferch 43 assists, 15 service points, 9 digs, 2 kills.
Records: Coral Springs 13-8, Deerfield 14-9.

Douglas d. Taravella 26-24, 25-7, 25-19
Douglas: Kirsten Kuhl 11 kills, 7 service points, 4 digs; Victoria Ashley 10 kills.
Records: Douglas 15-6, Taravella 15-6.

District 11-6A (Spotlighted Below)
Plantation d. S. Broward 25-20, 25-19, 25-11
Plantation:Jenna Keeler 16 kills, 11 digs, 9 blocks, 3 service points; Ann-Lory Pierre 13 service points, 2 aces, 9 digs, 4 kills, 4 blocks.
Records: Plantation 14-5, S. Broward 10-7.

Spotlighted Below
Hollywood Hills d. South Plantation 25-12, 25-6, 25-23
Hollywood Hills: Taylor Miller 16 kills, 9 digs, 4 blocks; Aya De La Rosa 12 service points, 4 aces, 7 digs.
Records: Holly. Hills 14-7, S. Plantation 6-15.

District 16-5A
Nova d. Northeast 25-20, 25-7, 25-14
Nova: Cassie Thompson 18 service points, 6 aces, 11 assists, 8 kills; Sara Saxner 11 kills, 8 service points, 3 aces.
Northeast: Kamilah Briscoe 5 service points, 4 blocks; Kaitlynn Bolieck 8 assists.
Records: Nova 17-4, Northeast 4-17.

St. Thomas d. Ely 25-0, 25-5, 25-5
St. Thomas Aquinas: Lauren Spear 35 service points, 15 aces, 15 assists; Mary McNerney 8 service points, 5 aces.
Records: St. Thomas Aquinas 19-3, Ely 7-11.

District 15-4A
Archbishop McCarthy d. Olympic Heights 25-12, 21-25, 25-15, 25-18
Archbishop McCarthy: Tashalyn Begon 20 kills, 4 blocks; Veronica Vazquez 13 digs, 12 service points, 3 aces, 5 kills.
Records: A. McCarthy 17-10, O. Heights 10-12.

Cardinal Gibbons d. Pines Charter 25-14, 25-14, 25-9
Cardinal Gibbons: Jessica Wynn 17 kills, 9 digs, 4 service points; Caiti Donahoe 38 assists, 10 service points, 4 digs.
Pembroke Pines Charter: Stephanie Lopez 7 digs, 3 kills; Leslie Roper 3 blocks.
Records: C. Gibbons 19-2, Pines Charter 13-4.
Take Note: Cardinal Gibbons showed what it's made of by disposing of a talented Pines Charter team in three sets.

District 14-3A
Coral Springs Charter d. American Heritage 14-25, 25-23, 25-21, 20-25, 15-10
Coral Springs Charter: Amanda Holden 15 digs, 14 kills; Ashley Corona 23 kills, 15 digs.
American Heritage: Alex Desjardins-Martel 18 assists, 15 digs, 14 service points, 9 aces, 8 kills; Rachel James-Baker 24 digs, 9 service points, 5 aces.
Records: CS Charter 9-11, A. Heritage 7-15.

District 14-2A
CS Christian d. Yeshiva 25-15, 25-7, 25-10
Coral Springs Christian: Caitlin Roy 15 service points, 5 aces; Aubrey Seeger 13 service points, 5 aces, 11 assists.
Records: CS Christian 9-9, Yeshiva 0-13.

District 14-1A
Sheridan Hills d. Fort Lauderdale Christian 25-19, 26-28, 25-16, 25-15
Sheridan Hills: Patricia Torres 18 kills, 13 digs; Fernanda Rhossard 19 service points, 3 aces, 18 digs, 3 kills.
Records: Sheridan Hills 21-1, Ft. Laud. Chr. 14-6.

Highlands Christian d. Florida Bible 25-15, 25-15, 25-3
Highlands Christian: Lexi Grizzle 27 service points, 9 aces, 13 digs; Kelley Ray 9 kills.
Records: Highlands Chr. 15-7, Fla. Bible 11-11.

Special Thanks to the Miami Herald and the Sun Sentinel for all the great work they do. Never could you buy so much with so little - support your local paper.



No. 1 Hollywood Hills and No. 2 Plantation both swept their semifinal matches and will face each other in the District 11-6A championship Thursday at 4 at South Broward High.

Hollywood Hills: Senior Taylor Miller had 16 kills, nine digs and four blocks to lead the Spartans over South Plantation 25-12, 25-6, 25-23. Aya De La Rosa added 12 service points and seven digs in the winning effort.

For Plantation, Jenna Keeler had 15 kills, 11 digs, nine blocks and three service points to lead the Colonels over South Broward 25-20, 25-19, 25-11. Ann-Lory Pierre added 13 service points, nine digs, four kills and four blocks for the Colonels.

Previous Match: Hollywood Hills defeated Plantation 3-1 back on Oct. 5.

Send us your Photos: We would like to post playoff action photo's as well as your You/Tube videos.

District Volleyball Playoffs: Miami-Dade. Part 1 of 3

As The District Playoffs progress from Quarterfinal to Semifinals the pressure increases for teams and coaches as matches get tighter and more competitive.

The first day saw mostly expected results through out South Florida with a few slight upsets and several 5 set thrillers that had fans cheering and jumping in their seats. As the week continues what will be the upset game?

District 14-6A semifinals -- Hialeah d. Miami Springs 25-23, 25-21, 25-19 victory against Miami Springs on Tuesday: Jasmin Wilkins, who had 19 kills and two aces. Michelle Diaz added three kills and eight aces and Beatrice Gordillo had four assists and five digs.

District 14-6A quarterfinals -- Lourdes d. Sunset 25-13, 25-10, 25-15: Sophia del Campo had 14 kills and 12 digs and Malone Plummer eight kills and five blocks for Lourdes.

District 16-1A semifinals -- Miami Christian d. Island Christian 25-6, 25-8, 25-10: Andrea Garcia gad 14 kills, 18 service points and 10 aces, Nicole Beckleheimer 23 kills and eight aces and Alexandra Marchese had 30 assists and 12 service points for Miami Christian.


District 15-2A semifinals -- Palmer Trinity d. Marathon 25-4, 25-8, 25-8: Paulina Prieto had 13 kills and three blocks, Sarah Alfonso 37 assists and two kills and Kristen Titley four kills and two aces for Palmer Trinity.



District 15-2A semifinals -- Florida Christian d. Dade Christian 25-19, 20-25, 25-12, 22-25, 15-10.

District 16-1A semifinals -- Redland Christian d. Princeton Christian 24-26, 25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 15-10: Kaylin Carr had 28 kills and six aces, Karlee Carr six aces and 30 assists and DeeDee Nelson 12 kills for Redland Christian (15-2).

District 15-6A quarterfinals -- Southwest d. Reagan 19-25, 26-24, 25-16, 25-22: Stephany Rolgan had 17 digs and eight kills, Hannah Penna 12 kills and Lynette Perez eight digs and 32 assists for Southwest (16-4).

Coral Park d. Coral Gables 25-16, 25-22, 26-24: Claudia Mena had 26 assists, Ivet Mendoza 11 kills and Kassandra Gavilanes 23 digs for Coral Park (15-7).

District 15-2A semifinals -- Florida Christian School d. Dade Christian 25-19, 20-25, 25-12, 22-25, 15-10: Meghan Doyle had 19 kills and 11 service points, Keilyn Gonzalez 17 kills and eight digs and Stephany Acosta 17 service points and seven kills for Florida Christian (14-9).

District 16-2A semifinals -- Westminster Christian d. Westwood 25-18, 25-16, 25-11: Deanna Etzold had 10 kills, five digs and five assists, Julie Tremblay 16 kills and six digs and Sylvia Hernandez six kills, 10 service points and six aces for Westminster (22-4).

District 16-2A semifinal -- Miami Country Day d. Archbishop Curley 25-16, 25-15, 25-12: Ivana Vlahovic had seven digs, Jasmin Olivera four aces and Marissa Bolton 10 kills and nine digs for Country Day (14-12).

Specials Thanks to the Miami Herald and the Sun Sentinel for all the great work they do. Never could you buy so much with so little - support your local paper.

Send us your Photos: We would like to post playoff action photo's as well as your You/Tube videos.

South Florida Volleyball Districts Get on their Way

And there off . . . The 2009 Playoffs got on their way on Monday as several teams had matches that either allowed teams to live another day in search of a Championship or came abruptly to an end.

The bulk of matches in South Florida will start today. Below is a recap of Day 1 matches:

District 15-3A Quarterfinals -- University d. Hialeah Gardens 25-16, 25-5, 25-21: Morgan Barry 14 service points and eight digs; Damianis Eusebio seven kills; Rachel Savelle 11 service points.

Dade Christian d. Hebrew Academy 25-14 25-12, 25-9: Bernice Wooten 17 assists; Monique Kemp 11 kills; Olivia Mendez eight assists; DC 14-7

District 15-2A Quarterfinals -- Florida Christian d. Doctors Charter 25-9, 25-10, 25-9: Meghan Doyle 11 kills; Keilyn Gonzalez 10 service points; Priscilla Gonzalez 14 service points.

District 14-1A Quarterfinals -- Highlands Christian d. Upperroom Christian 25-8, 25-8, 25-5: Joanna Marko 12 service points and 13 assists; Lexie Grizzle seven aces; Sydney Patreccia seven service points; HC 15-7.

District 15-1A -- Quarterfinals -- Horeb Christian d. Champagnat 25-18, 25-16, 25-10: Amanda Mendoza led Horeb (11-7) with 10 points and three kills. Julie Fuentes had eight points and three kills. Leah Rungel had three points and five kills.

Archbishop Curley d. MAST 25-12, 25-20, 25-14: Melissa Charles led the Knights (8-5) with nine aces and 10 kills. Cindy Schutt had five aces and three kills. Shatoria Edtecome had three aces and three kills.

District 15-3A -- Quarterfinal -- LaSalle d. Somerset 25-8, 25-12, 25-10: Jackie Jarwitz led LaSalle with 10 kills and five aces. Alex Vazquez had six kills and seven aces. Lauren Behar had 12 assists and three digs.

District 10-6A -- Quarterfinal -- Taravella d. Coral Glades 25-17, 25-16, 22-25, 20-25, 15-12. Coral Glades: Amanda Kline 17 kills, 11 digs, 10 service points, 4 aces; Stephanie Holbrook 18 digs, 13 kills, 4 service points.

Deerfield Beach d. Monarch 25-11, 27-25, 25-14

District 11-6A -- Quarterfinal -- South Plantation d. Miramar 29-27, 25-19, 25-17
South Plantation: Ashlyn Boll 11 kills, 10 digs, 12 service points, 7 aces; Mallory Richards 16 assists, 12 service points, 2 aces, 7 digs.

South Broward d. Piper 25-19, 25-10, 25-12
South Broward: Kasey Keane 22 digs, 10 service points, 8 kills, 4 assists; Analysa Laney 12 kills, 8 service points.

District 16-5A -- Quarterfinal -- Ely d. Dillard 25-19, 25-7, 26-24

District 15-4 -- Quarterfinal -- O. Heights d. Hallandale 25-6, 25-7, 25-2
Olympic Heights: Taylor Ott 10 service points, 3 aces, 6 kills; Sara Elias 14 digs, 11 service points, 5 aces.

PP Charter d. Fort Lauderdale 18-25, 25-19, 25-15, 25-10

A. McCarthy d. Stranahan 25-12, 25-4, 25-8
Archbishop McCarthy: Veronica Vazquez 15 service points, 14 aces, 7 digs; Katie Uritis 14 service points, 13 aces, 5 kills.

District 14-1A -- Quarterfinals --Fla Bible d. Hollywood Chr. 27-25, 17-25, 25-13, 24-26, 15-13
Florida Bible: Adrienne Robinson 15 service points, 2 aces, 5 kills; Celine Serrat 14service points, 2 aces, 4 kills.

Ft Lauderdale Christian d. Posnack 25-15, 25-21, 25-16
Fort Lauderdale Christian: Heather Bramos 13 service points, 8 aces, 7 kills; Samantha Clarke 15 service points, 5 aces, 7 kills.

Sheridan d. Zion 25-8, 25-12, 25-12
Sheridan Hills: Caitlin McCluskey 13 service points, 2 aces; Fernanda Rhossard 11 service points.




Specials Thanks to the Miami Herald and the Sun sentinal for all the great work they do. Never could you buy so much with so little - support your local paper.




District 9-6A -- Quarterfinals -- PB Central d. Santaluces 25-6, 25-7, 25-13
PB Central: Caroline Flinchum 12 service points, 3 aces, 7 kills, 6 blocks; Aly Goldstein 26 assists, 16 service points, 5 aces, 4 digs.

District 15-5A -- Quarterfinals -- West Boca d. Forest Hill 25-13, 25-13, 25-9
West Boca: Emily Viskovich 22 assists, 13 service points, 9 aces; Jessica Santaniello 13 kills.

S. River d. PB Lakes 25-3, 25-2, 25-15
Spanish River: Erin Kaplan 4 kills; Brooke Mesner 14 service points, 9 aces.

District 13-3A -- Quarterfinals --G. Central d. Pahokee 25-15, 25-20, 25-12

District 13-2A -- Quarterfinals -- John Carroll d. Jupiter Christian 25-9, 25-9, 25-6
Jupiter Christian: Olivia Giamanco 3 kills.

King's d. St. Edward's 25-23, 26-24, 25-14
King's Academy: Christina Alessi 9 kills, 4 blocks; Kathleen Wiggs 11 service points, 5 kills.

Benjamin d. Glades Day 25-15, 25-23, 25-13
Benjamin: Codi Mimun 18 kills, 7 service points; Maren McRoberts 26 assists, 9 digs.

Pope d. AH-Delray 25-22, 25-11, 25-15
Pope John Paul II: Katie Truzzolino 8 kills, 6 service points, 5 blocks; Taylor Meredith 17 digs, 8 service points.

American Heritage-Delray: Sam Fuchs 9 digs, 9 service points, 3 aces, 7 kills; Ashley Niesman 14 assists, 7 service points, 3 aces.

District 13-1A -- Quarterfinals -- FAU d. Donna Klein 25-11, 25-19, 18-25, 25-15
Donna Klein: Samantha Peitzer 9 assists, 8 service points, 3 aces.

Grandview d. Boca Prep 25-10, 25-8, 25-7
Grandview Prep: Julia Cournoyer 11 service points, 8 aces, 2 digs; Elise Lang 9 service points, 6 aces, 5 kills.

Photos: We would like to post playoff action photo's as well as your You/Tube videos.

The Chase for a Prep Volleyball State Championship Begins Today

The South Florida High School Volleyball Playoffs start today with Districts. As the regular season is now behind us, it is time for the elite South Florida Teams to rise to the occasion. One bad match and your season is over, there will be no time to go back to the drawing board. The suddenness is what makes the playoffs so special.

When the season started, the top teams had only one goal in site - winning a state championship. For many teams and coaches the regular season was a tune up for the right to go to Lakeland Florida and to bring back a State Championship.

In the last few years our top teams have fallen to the top teams from Central Florida. This year that might be a bit different. This year South Florida has a few teams that have the right mix of talent, coaching, size, depth and chemistry to not only compete in Lakeland, but to win.

Although any team can catch fire and do the unexpected (much like the 2003 Florida Marlins did) we think the following teams have the "Right Stuff" to go all the way in 2009.

6A Ferguson High School
5A St Thomas Aquinas
4A Cardinal Gibbons
2A Palmer Trinity or Westminster Christian
1A Lake Worth Christian

Best of Luck to every team that will be competing in Districts and beyond.

Rest assured that we are proud of every girl that competed this season in the great sport of Volleyball. We salute each and everyone of you for your hard work and for making Volleyball so special in our community.

Q & A with West Broward Head Coach Jill Smitherman

We recently had a chance to sit down and talk with Coach Jill Smitherman of West Broward who last year lead her team in it's inaugural fall season to the second round of the Broward County District Playoffs. Now in 2009 she has the team on the right course as West Broward leads District 12-6A with a 13-4 overall record and 5-0 within the district. The team is lead by top defender Emily Navarette, who is tied for third in Digs in Broward County with a 13.7 avg.

We hope you enjoy the insight and knowledge that Coach Smitherman shares with us today.

SFVR: At what point in your life did you realize that Volleyball would be important to you?
Smitherman: I started playing volleyball late by today’s standards, my junior year in high school. After college, I began teaching and coaching. I headed the junior varsity and freshmen squads, where I soon realized that I loved the teaching aspect of the sport. It was very important to me that a player develops the skill correctly, and not just be happy with a good result. I learned early on that bad habits are very difficult to break, so I focused on constructive coaching.

SFVR: Describe your experience as a former player at the University of Albany and how you have been able to apply lessons to your players?
Smitherman: Transitioning to the next level of play was a learning experience, as I had to compete for a starting position, which was unfamiliar territory for me. There were players who were taller, faster and more powerful hitters than I had ever come across. I had been a middle blocker up until that point, and needed to evolve as an outside hitter in order to get a starting position. I spent two years at Albany and decided to pursue a different educational path. I finished my college career at Cortland, NY, where I once again needed to evolve, moving from left side to right side hitter/secondary setter. Being more versatile can have its benefits, and allowing yourself to grow as a player and learn what it takes to help the team succeed is a lesson I try to incorporate into the vision of the teams that I coach. If you view change as a sacrifice, I believe you are settling because there is so much to learn.

SFVR: What lessons where learned by recently retired Cypress Bay Coach Barry Sikorski, where you were an assistant?
Smitherman: Working with Barry has been a phenomenal experience, one of the best learning environments I have had. He is a great mentor and friend. When I returned to teaching after starting a family, I did not have any intentions on coaching again. Barry asked me to head his JV team and it was the best decision I made. We worked very well together and had similar coaching strategies. Barry was one of the best at communicating to his players exactly what was expected. He was also tremendously passionate about performance. He worked and worked until it was right. Another lesson I learned while there dealt with decision-making.

I recall a time where injuries occurred and Barry needed to use players in different/multiple positions on the court. It was like watching a chess game in which he knew exactly how the game was going to be played out before the outcome had taken place, even though everyone else seemed to be confused! His awareness of key matchups and getting the most out of his players are skills I learned from one of the best. I was sad to see him retire, and I hope he is enjoying every minute of it.

SFVR: What improvements have you seen both player and team wise since you started coaching in South Florida?
Smitherman: I had a twelve-year hiatus from coaching since I left NY and when I came to Florida. I have noticed that in that time, the game has evolved to a much more technical, fast-paced powerful game. Today’s player continues to play year-round, which is something I did not experience. The caliber of play is therefore greater. The teams that have more year-round players tend to be more dominating. I believe that SF has such an advantage with players being able to play all year long, on the beach, travel, whatever, that the athletes can really have an impact as leaders on the court. It promotes the game for the younger players and that can only help volleyball in South Florida.

SFVR: How have your team goals changed from the beginning of the year to the present?
Smitherman: At the end of last season, after losing in the second round of districts, we set our goals for this year. These outcome-oriented goals have remained unchanged, but the process-oriented goals have become more specific. Each player on this squad understands the importance of improving a specific skill set in order to improve our overall game. We want to win, and we want to play well.

SFVR: With such a young program what do you attribute to the teams success?
Smitherman: We have a great amount of chemistry on this team. It was one of my initial goals as we opened the new school to have former rivals come together. I am also thankful to have versatility, as I have several players that can play virtually any position on the floor. The girls work very hard and are very supportive of each other. I have been some of the girls’ coach since they were on JV at Cypress, so they know my system and the expectations I have.

SFVR: If a player wants to play at the next level, what do you recommend she does?
Smitherman: Although I do not coach club due to family commitments, I do recommend that the players play during the off-season. The opportunity to play throughout Florida and other states brings tremendous exposure to the athlete. Playing at higher levels of competition improves their game and contributes to higher success at the high school level as well. If a player wants to succeed at the next level, they must strengthen all the tools which college will need; time management and good study habits, as well as improve their physical training and skills.

SFVR: Coach, Thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion for teaching the sport of Volleyball. You are one of the many reasons that Volleyball in South Florida is
Flourishing!

5 Set Thriller Accentuates the Dig Pink Event

FIU volleyball teamed up with the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure® to support breast cancer awareness, education, prevention and the search for a cure, with both teams - and fans - donning pink t-shirts. The Dig Pink event was special on many accounts because on top of an extremely worthy cause, all who were present were treated to an incredible five set match as the U.S. Century Arena became as loud as I have heard it.

The first two sets went as many in the arena expected with two relatively easy wins. FIU jumped out to a 15-6 lead in the first set and never looked back, as UALR fought back but could get no closer than nine on a few occasions.

With the score at 23-13, senior Isadora Rangel put the Panthers in set-point position with a kill. Junior Natalia Valentin then connected with senior Yarimar Rosa for a kill to give FIU a 25-13 first-set victory.

The Panthers came out strong in the second set, once again running out to a significant lead at 18-8, but UALR battled back as the Trojans would later tally three straight points to come within seven at 20-12.

UALR then recorded four consecutive points to put the score at 23-19 before a block by Vergun and Valentin put the Panthers in set-point position. UALR got in one more score but Rosa tallied a hard kill from the left side on a bump from Valentin as FIU took a 25-20 set win to go up 2-0 for the match.

During the first two sets we could See that the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) had some athletic and talented players that just were unable to match up against the aggressive, hard hitting FIU Panthers.

After the intermission, UALR started the third match with a different line up. One predicated on size with the goal of stopping FIU's attack.

The third set saw UALR take an early lead and the Trojans held steady, but FIU would not go away. A net violation gave UALR a 20-14 advantage before Rangel slammed home a kill and sophomore Andrea Lakovic served up an ace to cut the Trojans' deficit to four at 20-16. Following a UALR timeout, Valentin connected to Vergun for a kill and a Trojan attack error brought FIU within two at 20-18.

The squads continued to trade points and with UALR holding a 23-21 advantage, Rosa and Lakovic combined for a block to bring FIU within one at 23-22. Following another timeout, UALR tallied two points to take away a 25-22 set win and put the match score at 2-1 in favor of FIU.

The Trojans jumped out to a 15-7 lead in the fourth set, as UALR became just the third team of the season to force a fourth set at the U.S. Century Bank Arena, and the seventh team overall to force the Panthers into playing more than three sets.

FIU would go on a 5-1 run to put the score at 16-12 in favor of UALR, but the Trojans battled back and secured an 18-14 lead before Rosa put FIU within three at 18-15 with a kill. Each squad then tallied a point apiece before an attack error by UALR and a hard kill by Rosa brought FIU within one at 19-18.

The teams then traded service errors and with the score at 20-19 in favor of UALR, Lakovic and Rangel teamed up for a block to knot the score at 20-20 as the crowd went crazy in support of the FIU Panthers. The Trojans scored two straight points before Bjelica recorded a kill for FIU, but UALR would then go back up by three points at 24-21.

Rosa tallied a kill but UALR countered with a kill of its own for a 25-22 set victory to tie the match at 2-2, marking just the second time this season that FIU has gone to five sets.

As the fifth set loomed, things were not looking good. The FIU Team would have to dig deep and find the energy to hold off the surging UALR team. Few fans were seated as the fifth set got off to a roaring start.

Following a Trojan timeout, UALR re-gained a three-point lead at 9-6. Vergun then recorded a kill to bring FIU within two, but the Trojans retaliated with a kill of their own to put the score at 10-7. Rosa countered with a kill and a UALR attack error brought the Panthers within one at 10-9 before Rosa struck again to knot the score at 10-10.

The teams traded points and with the score tied at 11-11, Vergun and Valentin served up a pair of aces to give FIU a 13-11 lead. The Trojans then got within one at 13-12 but Valentin connected with Rosa on the right side for a kill to put FIU in match-point position. Valentin then found Bjelica on the right side for a kill as the Panthers took away a hard-fought 16-14 third-set win for a 3-2 match victory.


This was a great victory for FIU as they secured their record 14 consecutive win and 20th overall. Special recognition has to be given to the athletes on both teams that really put all their energy and focus on winning the match. In the end it was a great night for a great cause.

For detailed info on player states, please visit the FIU website by CLICKING HERE.

Ferguson Knocks off Krop to clinch first GMAC Title

Ferguson has come closer each of the past three seasons to becoming the dominant girls' volleyball team among public schools in Miami-Dade County.

With a few more performances like Wednesday, it will achieve that goal.

The Falcons secured their first GMAC volleyball championship by beating Krop, 25-21, 25-14 at the Palmetto High gym.

Ferguson (17-4) won two earlier matches against Killian and Hialeah to advance to the final before outlasting the Lightning (16-2), which had not lost a match to a Dade team this season.

``Another year together has made all the difference,'' Ferguson coach Greg Shanower said. ``They all played club, and have gained a maturity level that allows them to compete like this.''

The last time Ferguson had played at the Palmetto gym was during last season's Class 6A regional semifinals when the Falcons were eliminated by the Panthers.

The entire roster from that squad returned this season and has used that setback as motivation to complete the task of advancing to the state tournament for the first time.

Setter Kristin Walewski, one of 10 seniors on the team, led the Falcons with 20 assists and two aces in the championship match. Danielle Pohl recorded 12 kills and five blocks, and Mackenzie Webster finished with seven kills.

Their efforts helped Ferguson remain ahead in the first game after Krop had pulled to within two points at 19-17.

The second game was more one-sided as Ferguson scored the first four points and eventually built a 19-9 lead.

``We know that as seniors this is our last shot,'' Walewski said. ``When we're out there we try not to stress. We know if we play on the same page, we'll come out strong.''

To read the full story from The Miami Herald, please CLICK HERE

MORE GMAC VOLLEYBALL

• GMAC semifinal -- Ferguson d. Killian, 22-25, 25-11, 15-4: Alex Walewski eight kills, three aces; Valerie Mejia six kills, three aces; Alex Beverly seven kills.

• GMAC semifinal -- Krop d. Varela.

• GMAC quarterfinal -- Ferguson d. Hialeah, 25-10, 25-18: Alex Beverly nine kills, three aces; Mackenzie Webster five kills; Kristin Walewski 24 assists.

• GMAC quarterfinals -- Varela d. Norland; Krop d. Coral Park; Killian d. American.

Come support FIU`s Dig Pink match this Friday the 23rd at 6:30PM

FIU is 19-2 on the season and its winning percentage of .905 ranks fifth in the country, as undefeated Texas and Penn State lead the nation with a perfect percentage.

Our FIU volleyball team will host Sun Belt Conference rival UALR on Friday evening at the U.S. Century Bank Arena, as we team up with the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, Student Government, Division of External Relations and Susan G. Komen for the Cure® for a "Dig Pink" event.
The first 200 fans to arrive will receive a free "Dig Pink" t-shirt or bracelet and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® organization will have a table at the event and a representative there to answer questions and hand out free literature. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m.

At the 10-minute break between sets 2 and 3, I will present a breast cancer survivor — and member of the FIU family — with a pink volleyball, signed by the team.
Our team is honored to be a part of this great collaboration that involves FIU and the Miami and the South Florida volleyball communities in raising awareness about breast cancer and importance of early detection. Teamwork at its best can create magic, and I believe that if we all come together for this great cause, that we can be a part of finding a cure for cancer.

Please bring your friends, family and supporters, all are welcome as we play, fight and win together!
See you on Friday as we make it a perfect 10!

Sincerely,
Coach Tomic

For the full story from FIU.com please CLICK HERE

Prep Volleyball - Top Performers: Miami Dade

As Top teams prepare for the start of the Greater Miami Athletic Conference (GMAC)Tournament this week, we look back to the week that was - Oct. 12th-16th

The match of the week had to be Chaminade-Madonna vs. Dr. Krop:

At the time of this match Dr. Krop was the only Miami-Dade county team that was undefeated and the match-up against Chaminade was much anticipated.
Chaminade d. Krop in four sets (15-25, 25-14, 25-19, 25-11) behind the dominant play of Brianna O'Neil who had 24 kills, five blocks, four service points while April Sicam added offense with 24 service points, three aces and a strong defense with 24 digs. Grace Baldwin controlled the offense with 38 assists, 10 service points and five aces.

This victory helped Chaminade position itself as a serious contender in the upcoming playoffs.

Top Performers for Miami - Dade

Melissa Bolton of Miami Country Day had 17 digs and 12 kills as Izana Vlahovic added 23 digs in a three set d. over Curley.

Kristin Walewski of Ferguson had 34 assists as she set up talented hitters such as Alexandra Beverly with 15 kills and McKenzie Webster 12 kills and four aces in a three set d. over South Miami.

Andrea Garcia of Miami Christian had 20 kills, Nicole Beckleheimer 13 kills and 12 service points in a three set d. over Princeton.

Jenna Isaacs of Mater had 13 kills in three set d. over Dade Christian.

Kristen Cope of Palmetto had nine kills and Carrie Comendeiro 10 kills in three set d. over Coral Reef.

Taylor Slaughter of Killian had 17 kills while Jennifer Machado added nine kills and 11 digs and Diani Barut aired out 32 assists in a four set d. over South Dade.

Julie Trembley of Westminster Christian had 15 kills in a three set d. over Marathon.

Marissa Bolton of Miami Country Day had 18 digs, 10 kills while Ivana Vlahovic added 25 digs and Mallorie Thomas aired out 26 assists and added six kills in a four set d. over LaSalle.

Kaylyn Carr of Redland had 21 kills, five aces, four blocks as Karlee Carr added nine kills, five aces and 24 assists. Dee Dee Nelson also added 11 kills in a balanced attack over Greater Miami Academy in four sets.

Maria Madrid of Mater had 23 kills, three blocks. Natasha Naveda had 41 assists, 12 digs and Krystal Garcia had 21 digs in four set d. over Chaminade.

Claudia Mena of Coral Park had 28 assists, four aces and five kills in a three set d. over Miami High.

Jasmine Wilkins of Hialeah High had seven blocks, 17 kills while Jennifer Marron had 18 assists, four aces in a three set d. over Miami Beach.

Carolina Nuche of Lourdes had 15 kills, 16 digs, 10 service points as Katherine Zamora added 33 assists, four kills in four set d. over Braddock.

Meghan Doyle of Florida Christian had 13 kills and five points in a three set d. over Dade Christian.

Kristen Titley of Palmer Trinity had 11 kills, three aces as Sarah Alfonso controlled the offense with 42 assists in a three set d. over Archbishop McCarthy.

Andrea Garcia of Miami Christian had 26 kills, five blocks, 13 service points. Nicole Beckelheimer had 14 kills, 20 service points. Alexandra Marchese had 33 assists and 12 service points in a four set d. over Marathon.

Denise Prieto of American had 10 kills, four blocks, 20 digs while Camille Santiago added three kills, 19 digs in a four set d. over Goleman.

Daniel Delagdo of South Dade had 16 kills in three set d. over Southridge.

Jennifer Machado of Killian had 12 kills, 19 digs and Diani Barut had 25 assists while Taylor Slaughter added had 12 kills in a three set d. over Coral Reef.

Alexandra Walewski of Ferguson had nine kills, 14 digs. Alexandra Beverly had 12 kills, four blocks. Daniel Pohl 12kills, four blocks in three set d. over Southwest.

Gaby Gutierrez of Hialeah-Miami Lakes had seven kills, 31 assists; Vannessa Borroto had 15 kills, 28 digs and Jasmine Prada added 22 digs in a four set d. over Carol City.

Unfortunately we are unable to see all the games and rely mostly on the coaches, newspapers and parents. We know that there are many deserving players that are instrumental to their teams success. There is no "I" in TEAM and every player is important.

Coaches and Parents: Send us stats and Pictures on Players from SOUTH FLORIDA!
Write down our e-mail address and send us info on players:volleyballreport@gmail.com

Prep Volleyball - Top Performers: Broward

The Douglas girls' volleyball team likes to play a fast-paced style that features low sets for its outside hitters. When executed properly, it is tough to defend.

Wednesday, the host Eagles were able to consistently feed the ball into the hands of their outside hitters, senior Kendall Putnam and sophomore Brittany Sauls, as Douglas won 25-11, 25-17, 23-25, 25-19 in a key District 10-6A match.

The Eagles (12-5) remain tied with Coral Springs for the top seed in the district at 6-0. The teams will meet Thursday night at Coral Springs to decide the top two seeds.
Sauls and Putnam each had seven kills, as did Ashley Siegel. Sauls added 12 digs and four service points with three aces. Putnam had 11 digs and seven service points.
Setter Aline Valieno chipped in with a team-high 18 assists, three kills and two blocks.

Broward schools had many great matches and below are the Top Performers for Oct 12-16th:

Jessica Wynn of Cardinal Gibbons had 19 kills, 6 digs, 3 service points and 3 blocks while Katie Hillman added 14 service points, 10 kills, 7 blocks, 3 digs, 3 aces in four set d. over West Broward.

Taylor Ruiz of Coral Springs had 15 kills, 8 digs as Molly Ferch aired out 23 assists and 15 service points in three set d. over Coral Glades.

Alyssa Robertson of Monarch had a monster five set match with 31 kills, 21 digs, 10 service points, 4 aces and 3 blocks in d. over Fort Lauderdale.

Morgan Barry of University School had 14 kills, 8 digs, 13 service points, 8 aces and 6 assists in three set d. over Hebrew Academy.

Kayla Upham of Nova put in a strong defensive effort with 25 digs and 4 kills in a three set d. over Coral Springs Charter.

Gaby Matos of Western had a triple/double 21 points, 15 aces, 15 digs, 10 kills and 6assists in a four set d. over Everglades.

Jenna Keeler of Plantation had 12 digs, 10 service points, 8 kills and 7 blocks in a three set d. over South Plantation.

Kendall Putnam of Douglas had a solid double/double with 20 digs, 16 kills and 8 service points in a four set d. over Coral Springs.

Lauren Lewkowicz of Coral Springs had a triple/double with 15 kills, 15 digs and 11 service points as Taylor Ruiz added 15 kills, 13 digs and 3 blocks in a four set match vs. Douglas.

Kasey Keane of South Broward had 15 kills, 12 digs, 12 service points and 5 aces and Jessica Cleveland added 15 digs and 10 kills in four set d. over Everglades.

Taylor Miller of Hollywood Hills had 18 kills, 7 service points and 5 digs in three set d. over Cypress Bay.

Ashley Jocelyn of Miramar had 17 kills and 8 service points as Alessandra Cabrera added 21 assists and 11 service points in five set d. over McArthur.

Kaylee Groeneveld of Calvary Christian had 19 kills, 7 blocks, 7 service points and Jessie Wilke added 40 assists, 7 service points, 3 aces and 6 digs in four set match vs. Westminster Chr.

Brianna O'Neal of Chaminade-Madonna had 24 kills, 5 blocks and 4 service points while April Sicam added 24 service points and 24 digs in four set d. over previously unbeaten Dr. Krop.

Talena Castillo of Hollywood Christian had 17 kills, 11 service points and 9 aces in four set d. over Hillel.

St Thomas Defeats Venice on the West coast with a Block Party of their own and won 25-21, 21-25, 25-23, 25-21. Dee Dee Dennis had nine blocks; Crystal Dedes had eight blocks and Kelly Marble added six blocks to help thwart a formidable Indians' (15-8) attack.

Complete Team Effort:
Allison Bellanger of St. Thomas Aquinas had 19 digs, 10 service points, 3 aces and 5 kills while Kelly Marble added 16 kills, 16 assists, 7 digs, 6 blocks and 4 service points while Anne Langsenkamp cleaned up 23 digs and added 7 service points in four set d. over Venice.

``Our blocking was very strong,'' Marble said. ``It put them off guard, forced them out of their game.''

Unfortunately we are unable to see all the games and rely mostly on the coaches, newspapers and parents. We know that there are many deserving players that are instrumental to their teams success. There is no "I" in TEAM and every player is important.

Coaches and Parents: Send us stats and Pictures on Players from SOUTH FLORIDA!
Write down our e-mail address and send us info on players:volleyballreport@gmail.com

Prep Volleyball - Top Performers Palm Beach

Last week was yet another great week of team and individual performances as District seating is taking place and teams are playing for positioning into the playoffs. We are seeing more great individual performances as new names are being added to the lists of Top Performers.

Top Performers for the week of Oct 12th - 16th for Palm Beach:

Block Party: Jenny Peterson of Park Vista had 17 blocks and 6 kills while Brie Roulette added 30 assists, 9 service points, 10 digs in a four set d. over Summit Christian.

Jessica Santaniello of West Boca had a triple/double of 16 kills, 13 digs and 11 service points in three set d. over Forest Hill.

Seema Patel of Olympic Heights had 30 assists, 19 digs and 3 aces as Taylor Ott added 12 kills, 7 aces and 5 digs in a Five Match Thriller over Atlantic.

Brittany Lear of Jupiter had 39 assists, 8 service points as Shay Whelan added 10 kills, 5 blocks in a three set d. over Cardinal Newman.

Emily Viskovich of West Boca had 34 assists and 5 digs as Jessica Santaniello had a solid double/double with 21 digs and 15 kills in a three set d. over Dwyer.

Tatiana Berger of Pine Crest had 29 digs as Taylor Bracco added 25 assists in a three set d. over AH-Delray.

Codi Mimun of Benjamin had 24 kills and 13 digs while Christine Casey added 15 kills and 6 blocks in a five set thriller over Cardinal Newman.

Emma Rocha of Pope John Paul II had a solid game with 17 assists and 12 digs in a three set d. over Glades Day.

Caroline Uhl of Dwyer had 19 kills, 14 digs and 4 service points as Madison Ahearn added 14 kills, 14 service points and 4 aces in four set d. over Seminole Ridge.

Kim Boshart of St. Andrews had 27 assists, 13 digs, 6 service points and 6 kills in a complete effort in a five set victory over Cardinal Newman.

Morgan Barry of University School had a complete effort with 13 assists, 12 service points, 10 digs, 9 kills and 4 aces in a three set d. over Trinity Christian.

Ashley Burns of Summit Christian had 43 assists and 14 service points in five set d. over Boca Christian.

Brittany Lear of Jupiter had 36 assists and 5 kills in three set d. over Dwyer.

Unfortunately we are unable to see all the games and rely mostly on the coaches, newspapers and parents. We know that there are many deserving players that are instrumental to their teams success. There is no "I" in TEAM and every player is important.

Coaches and Parents: Send us stats and Pictures on Players from SOUTH FLORIDA!
Write down our e-mail address and send us info on players:volleyballreport@gmail.com

New Club is looking for Players that are ready to FLY!

We had the pleasure of meeting with Coach Shanower during last years club season. He was coaching a very talented team in the 17U division: The South Florida Flyers.

After great success with the 17U team that won and or placed very high in several tournaments, Coach Greg Shanower looks to expand the club experience to all age groups.

We contacted coach Shanower and asked him a few questions about this upcoming club season and to get a better idea of what it's like to be a Flyer.

SFVR: Coach, please expound on your motivation to offer your volleyball teaching to a wider age group of Players?
Shanower: I only had one team last year for the South Florida Flyers. People kept asking me if I was going to have more age divisions for the 2010 season. I got so many calls and emails that I decided that I should try this year to expand the club. When my friend, Geronimo Chala (a former professional player) told me he would help me, it was a no brainer. With his experience I figured we could put together a club that would help kids learn how to develop and practice their volleyball skills.

SFVR: What are your goals for the 2010 Club Season?
Shanower:I want to put a very competitive club together. I really just want to help develop Miami volleyball as much as I can.

SFVR:Where will your try-outs and or practices take place?
SHANOWER: Tryouts for girls ages 10-14 will be held at Ferguson High School on Oct. 22nd from 6PM-8PM, with registration beginning at 5:30PM. I am aware that some girls might just be finishing games for their Middle Schools, no problem. Come in your Middle School uniforms and if your a little bit late we'll evaluate every player.

A second Tryout will be held for girls ages 10-18 at Killian on Nov. 22. Players 10-14 will have their Try-out from 3PM-4:30PM and ages 15-18 from 4:30PM to 7PM.

SFVR: When it comes to the coaches that will be working with you, are you looking for a certain criteria in that person?
Shanower:I am looking for people who have a knowledge of volleyball with a passion to teach kids.

SFVR: What type of learning environment are you looking to create?
Shanower: I try to have a very family oriented program. I just think that if you involve the family you tend to get more from your players. The parents need to know the coaches and trust that you are doing the best thing for their kids.


SFVR: We understand that there are many expenses involved in offering a top notch Volleyball club, but when it comes to Pricing – will you take our current economy into account?
Shanower: There are many things that my club does different than other clubs to keep the price down for kids. First we stay in vacation homes rather than hotels. Second when we go to the travel tournaments we cook in the house. The third is that I do not have to rent the gym space at Ferguson, that really helps. We are looking to keeping the tri-county teams price to around $1,000 and national teams about $1500. Which makes our club one of the more reasonable clubs in the area.

SFVR: Will you offer, tri-county, state and national teams?
Shanower: I will offer both, problem is, you never know what you are going to get until tryouts. But our 17u club last year was a national team that went to Atlanta and Orlando. It was a great time.

SFVR: We really love the name “Flyers” and we were wondering; what was the motivation of using that name?
Shanower: I am from Ohio and there is a college named Dayton Flyers. I always liked that name. When I created the club I just kept thinking of names and the "FLYERS" just kind of stuck in my head. The name made me think of girls flying high over the net, putting the ball straight down. The girls, on the other hand started to think of butterflies and angel wings. Our first year at AAU, the girls even got me in a pair of fairy wings. Let me tell you, that was not a pretty sight. Please no pictures.

SFVR: Coach we wish you and your Flyers Club the best in the upcoming season.

For More information visit the Flyers site by CLICKING HERE.

Note: If you have yet to commit to a club for the 2010 season I think it wise to give this club a look. Both Ferguson and Killian are relatively close to the Turnpike which makes this club accessible to many players from as north as Hialeah and Doral and as South as Homestead.

I Guess you have to ask yourself one question: "Are you Ready to FLY?"

FIU's Coach Tomic has Special Information for FIU Volleyball Fans

So many great things have fallen into place for our FIU Volleyball team since my last email. I have to think that all the hard work, focus and preparation are paying off but I will let you be the judge of that. First of all, our Sun Belt Conference home opening weekend on Oct. 2-4 was a total success as we beat both of our big conference rivals 3-1 , Western Kentucky (24-26, 25-16, 26-24, 25-13) and Middle Tennessee State (25-20, 27-29, 25-20, 26-24). Second of all, these big wins were witnessed by a packed U.S. Century Bank arena with our fans creating a great atmosphere that helped to motivate our team to win big. I want to personally thank you if you were one of those fans who turned out to support our team and urge you to continue your support as we work our way through the conference one victory at at a time.

Yarimar Rosa was tabbed the Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Player of the Week on Oct. 5 for the second straight week for her efforts in our two big wins. The honor was the 11th of its kind for Yari, a new Sun Belt record.

After those two big conference wins we didn’t have much time to rest as we prepared for our in-state rival Florida Atlantic. Our 3-0 win over FAU on Oct. 6 was our 15th overall and 5th conference win.

Our FIU volleyball squad marched on to secure our fourth consecutive unbeaten weekend on October 9-11 as we defeated Denver, 3-0 (28-26, 25-20, 25-23), and North Texas, 3-0, (25-22, 25-22, 25-23), on the road. We are off to the best start in school history with an overall record of 17-2 (7-0 SBC). Our team has won 10 straight matches and shut out 12 opponents on the year, including eight of its last 10. Our potent offense has outscored the opposition, 51-12, this season, while our defense has out-dug its last eight opponents and has held nine of its last 10 opponents to attack percentages of under .200.

This week started on the up side as we received some great news for our volleyball program. On Monday we found out that for the second time in school history, our FIU Volleyball team appeared in the AVCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll receiving nine votes. You can check the AVCA Top 25 Poll here:

In addition the first NCAA Women’s Volleyball Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) numbers are out and FIU is up front at 18 which is the highest position in FIU history. The closest competitor in our conference is Middle Tennessee at 47. We are in the company of Penn, Michigan, Florida State, Florida and LSU. Click Here

And finally we received notification on Monday was that our senior Yarimar Rosa had been tabbed Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the third consecutive week, as determined by a vote of the league's 13 head coaches. Yarimar, who now owns a career Sun Belt record 12 SBC Player of the Week citations, was also recognized by The College Volleyball Update (CVU.com) as a Top Performer this week. Watch Yarimar in action in this video that was nominated for the AVCA Play of the Week: Click Here

If you missed our team in action two weeks ago, you have another chance this weekend as we are host Sun Belt Conference foes Troy on Friday, Oct. 16 and South Alabama on Sunday, Oct. 18. Our first serve against the Trojans is set for 6:30 p.m. while the match versus the Jaguars is set to begin at 1 p.m.

There are only six more home matches left this season, and only six more opportunities phenomenal group of athletes in action. The spirit and energy of our fans is integral to our success. We hope you will be there to cheer us on to victory!

Go Panthers!!!


Sincerely,
Coach Tomic

Prep Volleyball - Top Performers: Broward

Today we have the pleasure of spotlighting Western High School Sophomore Libero Allison Simmons who had 25 digs in a three set match vs. West Broward. Team-mate Ashley Boulier also put in an excellent defensive effort with 21 digs. Ally currently ranks 2nd in Broward County in digs with a 14.7 AVG. - Congratulations Ally keep up the great job your doing defensively for your school.

Last week was yet another great week of team and individual performances as District seating is taking place and teams are playing for positioning into the playoffs. We are seeing more great individual performances as new names are being added to the lists of Top Performers.

Top Performers for the week of Oct 5 - 10th for Broward County:

Jessica Wynn of Cardinal Gibbons had 14 kills, 7 blocks, 7 service points, 3 aces and 6 digs in a complete effort as Caiti Donahoe aired out 37 assists, 5 service points, 4 kills, 3 blocks, 3 digs in three set d. over Pompano Beach.

Peyton Schlosser of Pompano Beach had 13 kills, 6 service points and 4digs in three set match vs. Cardinal Gibbons.

Amanda Wright of Hollywood Hills 14 digs, 10 kills, 6 service points, 3 aces as Beth Shoaff added 22 assists, 8 kills, 7 service points and 3 aces in four set d. of Plantation.

Ms. All Around player Jenna Keeler of Plantation had 23 digs, 12 kills, 10 blocks in four set match vs. Hollywood Hills.

Katie Uritis of Archbishop McCarthy had 13 kills and 5 digs in three set d. over Pines Charter.

Shelby Nix of Cooper City had 35 assists, 9 service points, 4 aces and 5 kills as Jessica Bruno slammed down 15 kills in Victory.

Alex Miles of Everglades had 19 kills, 10 aces, 9 digs and 4 blocks while Morgan Turner had 31 assists, 8 aces and Leana Edwards enforced 9 kills, 7 blocks, 7 digs in five set thriller vs. Flanagan.

Kaylee Groeneveld of Calvary Christian had 15 kills, 6 blocks, 9 service points in three set d. over Florida Christian.

Tatiana Berger of Pine Crest had 17 kills and 12 digs in a three set d. over North Broward Prep.

Leigh Andrew of Westminster Academy had 16 kills, 10 digs, 2 blocks as Mackenzie Keightly added 13 kills, 6 service points, 5 aces and 2 blocks in four set d. over Summit.

Tampa Prep Invitational:

St. Thomas Aquinas is doing the right things to build a championship team. They have a Great Coach, Talented Deep Team and the complete support of the school's administration. Recently the team traveled to Tampa to compete in the Tampa Prep Invitational and and out shined many respectable teams. Below is a small recap on matches and top performers.


St. Thomas Aquinas d. Tampa Prep 25-23, 25-12, 25-23
St. Thomas Aquinas: Kelly Marble 20 kills, 16 assists, 10 service points, 8 digs, 4 blocks; Cassy Congemi 12 digs, 7 service points, 2 kills, 2 blocks.

St. Thomas Aquinas d. Fort Myers 25-20, 25-21, 23-25, 18-25, 15-7
St. Thomas Aquinas: Allison Bellanger 12 digs, 8 kills, 5 service points, 3 blocks; Taylor Miller 10 kills, 10 blocks, 2 digs.

Berkeley Prep d. St. Thomas Aquinas 25-22, 26-28, 15-11
St. Thomas Aquinas: Anne Langsenkamp 15 digs 10 service points

The following is the Tampa Bay Invitational volleyball all-tournament team: Martin County—Elise Walch, Nicole Walch. Berkeley Prep - Jordan Burgess, Mackenzie Dagostino. Ponte Vedra Nease- Kamryn Sherman, Chyenne Tiffany. Tallahassee Leon - Alex Johnson, Molly Pearce. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas - Kelly Marble. Ft. Myers- Kaitlin Holm. Orlando Lake Highland Prep - Taylor Sherwin. Tampa Prep - Caroline Dillabough. Jensen Beach - Sarah Wickstrom.

Unfortunately we are unable to see all the games and rely mostly on the coaches, newspapers and parents. We know that there are many deserving players that are instrumental to their teams success. There is no "I" in TEAM and every player is important.

Coaches and Parents: Send us stats and Pictures on Players from SOUTH FLORIDA!
Write down our e-mail address and send us info on players:volleyballreport@gmail.com

Prep Volleyball - Top Performers: Miami - Dade

Last week was yet another great week of team and individual performances as District seating is taking place and teams are playing for positioning into the playoffs. We are seeing more great individual performances as new names are being added to the lists of Top Performers.

Top Performers for the week of Oct 5 - 10th for Miami-Dade:

Jasmine Wilkin of Hialeah had 22 kills in three set d. over Miami High.

Kristin Walewski of Ferguson had 33 assists and seven aces, Danielle Pohl 11 kills and Alexandra Beverly added another 13 kills in three set d. over Sunset.


Kelly Martinez of Goleman had 31 assists and 11 aces, while Diana Fuentez added 19 kills in four set d. over Carol City.

Andrea Garcia of Miami Christian had 26 kills and 10 digs with Nicole Beckelheimer adding 15 kills and eight service points.

Steffany Roldan of Southwest had 15 kills and Shannon Ferguson had 16 digs in four set d. over Coral Reef.

Audria Nickles of Coral Gables had 16 kills while Jasmine Jackson aired out 40 assists in four set d. over Miami Beach.

Kaylyn Carr of Redlands Christian had 29 kills and four assists in four set d. over Princeton.

Carolina Unche of Lourdes had 18 kills and 11 digs while Sophia DelCampo added 12 kills and 20 digs in five hard faught set d. over South Miami.

Kristen Cope of Palmetto had 11 kills and and nine digs in three set d. over South Dade.

Jenna Isaacs of Mater Acedemy had 12 kills, Maria Madrid nine kills and Natasha Naveda 31 assists in three set d. over Norland.

Alez Itt of Ransom had 24 assists and eight service points, Karina Lorezen had 20 digs in three set d. over Archbishop Carroll.

Latrice Holton of South Miami had 10 kills, Christina Salazar 10 kills and six digs and Natalia Huaroto 17 digs for South Miami in three set d. over Reagan.

Andrea Garcia of Miami Christian had 17 kills and six aces as Nicole Beckelheimer added 16 kills and six aces in three set d. over Island Christian.

Carrie Commendeiro of Palmetto had 12 kills in three set d. over Southridge.

Barbara Cadet of Varela had 15 kills and six digs in three set d. over Homestead.

Cladia Mena of Coral Park had 21 assists in three set d. over Coral Gables.

Jessyca Shiffman of Krop had 33 assists while Stephanie Harris added 12 kills in three set d. over Miami Beach.

Unfortunately we are unable to see all the games and rely mostly on the coaches, newspapers and parents. We know that there are many deserving players that are instrumental to their teams success. There is no "I" in TEAM and every player is instrumental towards a teams success.

Coaches and Parents: Send us stats and Pictures on Players from SOUTH FLORIDA!
Write down our e-mail address and send us info on players:volleyballreport@gmail.com

Clash of the Titans in Miami - Dade 2A

Already considered a Classic amongst school rivalries, Palmer Trinity School (PTS) hosted Westminster Christian School for a rematch of their loss at Westminster's gym last month. The game would be the rematch of the 2009 season!

As with every match in the past, spectators were treated with a high-octane, powerful game between the undisputed powerhouses of volleyball in Miami. Palmer Trinity School, headed by 6’2” Sophomore Paulina Prieto, Senior outside spiker Kristen Titley, and senior setter Sarah Alfonzo, were coming in to the court with just two losses in the season, and that one of those losses was against Westminster Christian’s Lady Warriors.

The Lady Warriors came into the court short by one critical player, their star setter/spiker, Rebecca Acevedo was out with a seriously sprained ankle that occurred during one of their practice sessions that week.

Almost a carbon-copy of last month's game, both teams came out with all guns blazing. However, the end result gave PTS the win, but not without a huge struggle. The Lady Falcons had to struggle with a marvelous team, where Westminster’s forte is blocking and deep ground defense. They did a good job shutting out many of the PTS spikes with their meticulously synchronized single, double and triple blocks!

Westminster again displayed the best defense in the league, with their pinpoint blocking and awesome placement of personnel. They managed to keep our best spikers at bay, but not for long.


PTS was able to shift their spiking approach to include more inside and outside combinations, focusing on their weaker blockers. At the same time, PTS began with shabby positioning on the court on defense, but was able to overcome and began to make some impressive saves and digs. A lot of points came off from the PTS alternate hitters, whom were able to counter with off-speed hits and keep their blockers second-guessing!!

All games went over 20 points for each team, and the last one PTS was able to show a lot of heart in playing focused and refused to have a repeat of the last game against John Edwards High School, where they lost in the last set during the finals at the Cardinal Gibbons Academy Tournament, and went out powerfully to finish off the last set at 15-9! The final tally was as follows: 26-24, 23-25, 21-25, 25-22, 15-9.

Hustle and determination were the key focus points that helps the Lady Falcons persevere during the final tie-breaking set. They were able to gain, and keep the lead from the beginning of the set and finish off the Lady Warriors this time.

Both teams played with a lot of heart and passion. Which, coupled by the depth of skill knowledge and experience from both teams, it’s why everyone that witnessed the game walked away awed by the experience.


Palmer Trinity also hosted a “Dig for the Cure”, where over $ 1,600.00 were collected for the Walk for the Cure Breast Cancer program. A special thank you is in order to all who donated.

All in all, this particular match up between these two schools demonstrate what schools can put out when their athletic organization supports and enhances their sport-specific development plan with a depth of field where young players work their way up through Middle School and Junior Varsity teams, where skill development and experience/confidence builds up remarkably to reach skill proficiency that will allow them, after graduation, to continue to college and university ranks and even professional ranks.

Both teams continue this sport-specific development long after the school season is over by continuing the ladies’ development through club action.


Most Lady Warriors continue participating as a team in their Elite Volleyball Club, where last year all their teams were the highest ranked teams in Miami, and several of their players are playing collegiate level volleyball.

The Palmer Trinity Lady Falcons continue their development through the South Dade Volleyball Club, another powerhouse in Miami.

The scripting for these ladies’ development closely resembles the Broward area teams, whom have dominated Volleyball in the state of Florida and are top-ranked nationally for many years. Broward teams have a meticulous organization that develops individual athletes and teams throughout the whole year. The level of play witnessed at the Palmer Trinity School gym last Thursday happens literally every time Broward schools meet…that is how powerful they're teams are!

This type of commitment is what is needed in order to develop an excellent volleyball program. With so many natural athletes in Miami, it will be a matter of time before we begin to match and even surpass Broward’s powerhouse teams, and be recognized throughout the United States as one of the best volleyball factories.

However, these teams need your support, so please go and attend the games, and ensure that your athletic departments focus their energies in the long-term development of girls’ sports in Miami!

It is hoped that both teams will meet for the tie-breaker at the semi-finals game at Palmer Trinity on the 27th!!


At the report, we get very excited when we hear of the many matches across South Florida that instill such passion for the sport of Volleyball. We know that all of you who read the Report share in such a passion. In the future please bring someone to a High School Volleyball Game - it will be a gift that they are not soon to forget!

Special Thanks to Philip "Flip" Littke for his great pictures and insight to this marquee match-up in Class 2A in Miami-Dade County.