THE SOUTH FLORIDA VOLLEYBALL REPORT

William Gonzalez of Palmer Trinity Wins State Coach of the Year

2011-01-27T23:24:00.006-05:00

Coach Gonzalez has been fortunate enough to experience winning in Volleyball on the International Level as well as the local level. His teams at Palmer Trinity have always been a team to recon with, usually going deep into regional and a few State Final Fours.

His knowledge and dedication to the development of girls volleyball has already been acknowledged by the Miami Herald three times with the Coach of the Year Award in 2004, 2005 and 2008. He is a man that is driven to teach the sport of volleyball at it's highest level.

Recently coach Gonzalez was honored by the National Federation of State High school Association (NFHS) with the 2010 Coach of the Year Award for the State of Florida for his dedication to youth sports.

Coach Gonzalez also operates one of the oldest and most successful South Florida Clubs out of Miami: South Dade Volleyball Club (SDVC) which is currently fielding 13 teams of all levels.

We Congratulate Coach Gonzalez for this prestigious award and hope he keeps up the good work and continues to mold future Volleyball Stars from South Florida.

1st Dade County Volleyball League comes to an end with SWAGGER

2010-12-20T20:48:00.008-05:00

It all started about three months ago with try-outs and clinics. Then the league started with eight teams playing for VoleiMiami out of the SouthWest high school gym. After seven weeks of competition it was easy to see all of the teams as they improved.

Last Saturday, the 18th marked the first playoffs for the VoleiMiami League.

In the end the team that had gone the entire season undefeated had to fight through two tough playoff rounds to stay undefeated and become the first ever champions of the VoleiMiami League.

Champions The "U":

Second Place went to a strong team that had an 11-3 Season Record and eventually lost to the "U": the "SPIKERS"

Third Place went to a team that many expected to challenge the "U" as they went 12-2 through the season: the "FLYERS"

Over-all this entire season went extremely well as the level of play improved for all players involved. We think it's great to see leagues develop through-out South Florida that make the sport of Volleyball accessible to all income levels.

We salute VoleiMiami, all the players that participated and the "U" for a great 2010 season!

For more information on the league: visit VoleiMiami

CONGRATULATIONS TO CARDINAL GIBBONS FOR WINNING STATE

2010-12-06T22:53:00.003-05:00

The state's most decorated volleyball program added to an already-rich tradition on Saturday, and the Chiefs did so in impressive fashion.

Gibbons was too strong, too big, and too powerful and there was little Fort Myers could do about it.

The Chiefs captured a Florida-record 19th state title with a 25-19, 25-22, 25-16 victory over the Green Wave in the Class 4A championship match at The Lakeland Center.

The win marked Gibbons' first state title since the Chiefs went undefeated and claimed the 4A championship in 2006.

Now this team and third-year coach Kathryn Farland will add their names to the long list of champions in the school's Fort Lauderdale gym.

"It's something we wanted for ourselves," said Chiefs outside hitter Jessica Wynn (PICTURED), who had a match-high 18 kills and 10 digs. "It's overwhelming."

At their first practice of the season, the Chiefs (25-1) decided they'd settle for nothing less than a state title and in Lakeland, they played like a team on a mission.

While each of the three games in the championship match was competitive early, it never took long for Gibbons to distance itself.

In the first, it was a powerful Wynn kill that put Gibbons ahead 22-18.

Game two was more of the same, with a Caiti Donahoe dig giving the Chiefs an 18-13 lead. And in the third, Gibbons scored six straight points behind the serving of Eleni Bakatselos to go ahead 19-9.

Each time, Fort Myers (29-4) tried to rally, but every one of those Gibbons leads proved insurmountable.

Donahoe, the Chiefs junior setter, finished with a match-high 36 assists and junior middle blocker Katie Hillman added 11 kills and 10 digs.

In all, the Chiefs proved efficient with their attacks, notching just 14 hitting errors.

"We came in knowing that Fort Myers was a great team and we were going to have to work hard and play our best to beat them," Farland said. "That was the most important part to us. Everyone wants a state championship, but to bring home 19 is special."

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE SUN SENTINEL - FOR ALL THE GREAT VOLLEYBALL COVERAGE THEY DO.

Palmer defeats Westminster Christian in Districts

2010-11-03T18:55:00.002-04:00

The Palmer Trinity Varsity Volleyball Team defeated their rivals, the Westminster Christian Warriors, 3-1 to win the 2010 FHSAA District 16 Volleyball Championship. This is the 4th straight District Title for the Falcons who will now host a Region IV quartrfinal game on Tuesday as they take the first step to returning to States.

Paulina Prieto led Palmer Trinity to its fourth consecutive District 15-2A volleyball championship Wednesday night with a 25-20, 14-25, 25-23, 26-24 over Westminster. The Falcons (22-4) defeated the Warriors for the first time this season. Westminster had won the first two meetings.

"The girls had everything they needed [going in], and they came out knowing what needed to done.'' Palmer Trinity assistant coach Arasay Guerra said. "Prieto is very aggressive, she plays for the team and the team plays for her.''

Dani Littke recorded 80 assists and nine digs for the Falcons (22-4). Lauren Buss added 12 kills, two aces and 12 digs.

Broward District Playoffs: Pompano Beach and North Broward Prep Advance

2010-10-28T16:29:00.002-04:00

All season long, Pompano Beach prepared for this. In anticipation of a tough district tournament, the Tornadoes scheduled regular-season matches against some of Broward County's traditional volleyball powers.

Wednesday, that effort paid off as Pompano earned a 25-23, 25-22, 25-22 victory over Pine Crest in a District 14-3A semifinal.

The win means that Pompano not only advances to Friday's district championship, but that the Tornadoes are already assured a playoff berth in next week's regional tournament.

The other team advancing is North Broward Prep, which defeated Coral Springs Charter 25-17, 25-16, 25-7 in the late semifinal.

"We don't take anything for granted in this district," said Pompano outside hitter Peyton Schlosser (pictured - Hitting), who had 13 kills, nine service points and four digs. "This district is really tough, but I think if we keep playing aggressively we can be unstoppable. Everyone is working so hard."

Earlier this season, when Pine Crest (21-4) and Pompano met, the match was an emotional, five-set Tornado victory. This time, Pompano (15-6) used effective ball control to force the Panthers into several errors — and earn a three-game sweep.

Maddy Clawges had 31 assists and nine digs, while Stephanie Pellitteri added 10 kills and 13 digs.

Evita Conway had 16 digs and 12 kills to lead Pine Crest, while Carolina Berger added 17 digs and Catalina Jimenez had 14 digs.

In the other semifinal, top-seeded North Broward Prep (19-7) needed just over an hour to earn its dominating victory.

Senior outside hitter Callie Mitcham had 14 digs and 13 kills to lead the Eagles while Victoria McPherson added seven kills and four blocks. Melanie Garcia had eight kills, six service points, and five digs.

Morgan Haynes had 13 digs and Ashley Corona had six kills for Coral Springs Charter, which finished the season 9-15.
Defend your school: Round 2 of Mascot Madness is open. Your school could win $500

Special Thanks to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel - the Best Volleyball Coverage in S. FL.

New League opens in Miami to Great Success

2010-10-27T09:27:00.003-04:00

We are always happy to see when a league opens in South Florida to help improve the skill levels of our young lady atheletes. Recently AAU club VoleiMiami opened league play at Southwest High School in Central Dade County with Great Success

On October 23rd, Voleimiami Inc. had a great turnout with their 2010 Girls Volleyball League's Pre-Season Games. The turnout included over 75 girls ranging from ages 8 to 14. All levels of play were represented and were very competitive.

This league will allow the growth of volleyball to continue here in Miami and is the beginning of Voleimiami's effort to improve the level of play in Dade County.

If you are interested in the league, individual training or Club information, please contact voleimiami@yahoo.com

We can only hope that more leagues sprout up in South Florida and allow more of our lady atheletes to learn and compete in the great game of Volleyball.

St. Rose Girls' Volleyball Team Takes Tournament Title for Eighth Consecutive Year

2010-10-19T23:05:00.001-04:00

The girls' volleyball team from St. Rose of Lima School in Miami Shores successfully defended its title at the All Catholic Conference Preseason Tournament held on September 18 at Archbishop Coleman Carroll High School.

This is the eighth year in a row that St. Rose girls' volleyball team has gone undefeated in both tournament and season play. Pictured are (Front row, L-R): Erika Garcia, Maureen Gerhardt, Monica Tarczynski, Amanda Rey*, Jacqui Koebel*, Jackie Yao (Back row, L-R) Sasha Jenkins-St. Prix, Paige Zibelli, Sydney Armbrister*, Krystina Dorta*, Erin Donahue* and Mary Shelow*. (*Members of South Florida Volleyball Club (SFVC).

Way to go Ladies, keep up the good work.

USAV Club Try-Outs Starts for Middle School Players

2010-10-16T14:42:00.005-04:00

As middle school teams are in the midst of their seasons, USAV clubs will commence try-outs through-out the week. Please click on the links on the right side to get more info on your prospective club or clubs.

We'd also like to introduce a new club to South Florida: Miami Select Volleyball Club.

Miami Select is headed by a true fan of the sport and it's development; Charlie Albano.

We recently sayt down with Charlie and discussed different elements of his club - Miami Select.

SFVR: What was the inspiration to open a "NEW" club in Miami?
ALBANO: We felt that with some local clubs downsizing or folding all together, our opinion was that the growth of volleyball in Miami would take a step backwards if another club was not created. Our goal is to not take players away from other clubs but to add to the quality of players in the area. I have always been a forward thinker and I would love to eventually see the kids in Miami compete at the highest levels. That will happen if every club realizes that they have a certain role in the process. We certainly have the quality of athletes to grow our programs here in Miami and I think with cooperation we can help the Miami volleyball community become a national powerhouse. I have personally trained hundreds of kids at the middle school level only to watch them go on to play in high school and lose focus on the passion that they once had when they were younger players. If more kids played year round, this short coming would be turned around. We want to instill great work ethics at a young age and continue that through the high school years. We are providing an avenue to keep the kids away from falling into the trap of the electronic age and social networks that take away their focus. Our kids don’t have the same physical fitness programs that many of us had when we grew up and I feel that it is important to keep these kids active by some means. Volleyball provides an awesome opportunity for the kids to do that. With the amount of growth the sport has seen in recent years in both the girls’ and boys’ programs we think the time is right to help put Miami on the volleyball map.

SFVR: Briefly go over the types of coaches and general experiences that they bring to the club?
ALBANO: Our coaches are a young group. All of them have played in high school, club, college and some have pro-experience. They are currently coaching at different levels, which give them the opportunity to help our players grow in progression through the years. They all share similar philosophies on how to coach and if there are indifferences about any coaching techniques it gets discussed in an open forum at our weekly coaches meetings. We call it the knights of the oblong table. Everyone throws out different ideas at the table and after much deliberation will agree on a common goal. This is what is so great about our coaching staff. Although they don’t always agree on things they are open minded and will reach a common goal for the benefit of the program. Not only are they great coaches but also great people. Their goals as a group are to not only create great players but also create great people and leaders in the community. They understand that in training elite athletes, they must focus on keeping the kids in top shape as well as in good mental form. The pre-season forum came to the conclusion to improve every player, every day. They know if that happens that victories will certainly come along with that type of re-inforcement.

SFVR: What is the goal for the 2010/2011 Club year?
ALBANO: To improve every player that walks into our gym everyday. We also want to be a club where every coach, player and parent feels a sense of ownership and are proud to be a part of Miami Select. Every member of the club should feel comfortable with the coaches and club director that they can offer advice as to how to improve our product. We know we can’t be all things to all people but we can be great mentors for the young players who play with our club.

SFVR: Congratulations, we feel that your addition to the South Florida Volleyball community will help all players at all levels to excell and become the best that they can be. We at the report wish you a great year as you join the fraternity of great clubs in South Florida.

TRY-OUTS: The Miami Select Volleyball Club will be conducting tryouts for 11U-14U age divisions on Monday, October 18th. and Wednesday, October, 20th at the Killian High School Gym. Information and registration will be from 6:30pm and 7:30pm. Tryouts will be run from 7:30-9:30pm.

For more information, please visit www.miamiselectvolleyball.com

Cardinal Gibbons outlasts St. Thomas Aquinas

2010-10-11T19:26:00.002-04:00

Fort Lauderdale — — After dominating early, Cardinal Gibbons nearly let one slip away Wednesday.

The Chiefs didn't need much time to take the first two games and build a big lead in the third.

But St. Thomas Aquinas found its rhythm and rallied to force a deciding fifth game.

It was then that Gibbons regained control and secured a 25-22, 25-18, 23-25, 27-29, 15-9 victory over the rival Raiders.

According to Chiefs coach Kathryn Farland, it was the first time since 2006 that Gibbons has beaten St. Thomas.

"None of us have won against them so this is the icing on the season right now," said junior Katie Hillman, who had 22 kills, 19 service points, 14 digs, 10 blocks and four aces for Gibbons. "It's definitely a big thing to win and it shows a lot that we were able to pick ourselves up after some tough calls."

Despite Gibbons' fast start, St. Thomas (6-4) wasn't about to let the Chiefs earn a sweep.

After Gibbons built a 20-15 lead in the third game, St. Thomas chipped away, eventually taking a 23-21 lead on one of Crystal Dedes' three blocks.

Dedes also had 18 kills, one of which allowed St. Thomas to pull within 22-19 in a tough fourth game the Raiders eventually won.

But St. Thomas couldn't finish its comeback attempt.

In the fifth, Gibbons scored five consecutive points on the strength of four Raider errors to build a 10-5 lead.

"We didn't play well and we haven't played consistently well all year," Raiders coach Lisa Zielinski said. "We've been working on it, but we can't close out a match."

Caiti Donahoe had 38 assists, eight digs and five kills for the Chiefs (12-1) and Jessica Wynn added 18 kills, 15 digs and eight blocks.

Allison Belanger and Cassy Congemi each had 18 digs for St. Thomas.

Special Thanks to the Sun Sentinal for their excelent coverage of ladies high school volleyball.

Ransom Volleyball Tournament

2010-09-27T22:08:00.004-04:00

The rivalry between Westminster Christian and Palmer Trinity girls' volleyball teams had another dramatic chapter added to it Saturday.

The Warriors dominated the Second Annual Smoothie King Miami-Dade County Girls' Volleyball Invitational by defeating the Falcons 25-13, 25-23 at Ransom Everglades.

Westminster Christian (15-2) took a quick 13-2 lead in the first set. Coach Julie Doan said the rivalry fueled her team.

``This has been such an intense rivalry the last six to seven years,'' Doan said. ``We were just excited and pumped.''

Westminster Christian's Julie Trembley won the invitational's most valuable player award and had the game-winning kill against Palmer Trinity.

Teammates Rebecca Acevedo and Sylvia Hernandez earned all-tournament honors.

Palmer Trinity (11-2) came out in the second set with a lot more energy and held a 17-13 lead, but Doan called a timeout, which sparked a 12-7 run to end the match.

Palmer Trinity's Savannah Dominguez and Paulina Prieto received all-tournament honors.

MORE GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL
(Silver Division Championship) -- Miami Country Day d. Gulliver 25-21, 25-14: Samantha Sardinia five kills and five blocks; Marissa Bolten six kills, seven digs, and two blocks; MCD 9-2.

(Silver Division Semifinal) -- Miami Country Day d. Miami Christian 25-22, 25-19: Samantha Sardina seven kills and six blocks; Marissa Bolten eight kills, six digs, and three aces.

(Gold Division Semifinal) -- Westminster Christian d. Palmer Trinity 25-13, 25-23: Paulina Puerto 16 kills (PT); PT 10-2.

Stay tuned for more regional tournaments as the high school season reaches the midway point.

FREE VOLLEYBALL CLINICS, SATURDAY THE 18TH & THE 25TH

2010-09-16T09:13:00.009-04:00

We are always happy to see when a group of people comes together to help out kids develop their game. A group of very talented coaches from VoleiMiami will be holding a FREE 3hr Clinic at the gym at Southwest High school this and next Saturday September 18th and the 25th respectively.

This clinic is organized and coached by FHSAA State Championship Volleyball Coaches, College Coaches and Players, as well as ALL-Dade Players.

Middle School season is just around the corner - what better way to work on your skills and tune up for the upcoming tryouts and season.

WHAT: Free clinics open to girls ages 8 - 15yrs old.

Where: The Southwest Gym is located at 8855 SW 50th Terrace.

When: September 18th 5-8PM
-----------September 25th 5-8PM

Contact: voleimiami@yahoo.com
or you can call 786-252-8387

This is a great opportunity to play with other aspiring players - make your plans to attend it.

UM and FIU to face off in a can't miss Thriller, SAT. 7:30PM

2010-09-08T19:55:00.012-04:00

Stand up and make some noise for your ___________! Will you fill in the blank with FIU or will you go with the canes. One things for sure you better show up early because the limited space at the UM gym will be packed to capacity.

This Saturday, the 11th the University of Miami and Florida International University will face off at 7:30PM at the James L. Night sports complex on the UM Campus in Coral Gables, FL.

Last year these teams meet twice. The `Canes and Panthers last met in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament [Gainesville Regional] on Dec. 3. FIU took that match, 3-2.

Miami enters the weekend working with a 7-1 record, winners of its last five matches. The `Canes swept through last weekend's Blue Raider Bash at Middle Tennessee State, and defeated Florida Atlantic on Aug. 31, finishing 5-0 on the week.

The `Canes are led offensively by junior outside hitter Lane Carico with 107 kills (3.34 per set), ranking her seventh in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Setter Katie Gallagher sets up the offense, having collected a league second-best 290 assists (10.74 per set). Meanwhile, senior middle blocker Ariell Cooke leads the front line with 26 blocks (24 assisted), while sitting third on the squad in kills (64).

FIU enters this contest with a 2-4 record but has had a tougher schedule early on.

They are lead by Sr. Setter Natalia Valentin, Jr.,MB Andrea Lakovic and So. Outside Hitter Jovana Bjelica.

This match will be an electrifying experience for all who witness it in person, hope to see ya there.

BROWARD TOP TEAMS FOR 2010

2010-08-28T14:55:00.004-04:00

This year we preview the top teams and players to watch from Broward County. Some teams are loaded and well coached such as Cardinal Gibbons, Chaminade-Madonna and St Thomas Aquinas and look to have a strong season in 2010. Below are the teams we look to have the greatest impact on the 2010 Season:

Cardinal Gibbons: The Chiefs have won a state-record 18 state titles. That means they need to be mentioned in any volleyball conversation. With five returning starters including Jessica Wynn, Katie Hillman and Caiti Donahoe back, Gibbons is going to be in contention.

Chaminade-Madonna: The Lions went 24-7 last season and advanced to their first state tournament. With four returning starters, including outside hitters Brianna O'Neil and Michelle Wade, the team is looking for another deep postseason run.

Douglas: New coach Dean Barboza led the Eagles to a 17-7 record last year. Now that a core of returning players are back and familiar with his system, the coach expects another solid season. Junior Brittany Sauls will give the Eagles a versatile threat at both outside and libero.

Hollywood Hills: The Spartans moved up to 6A in 2009 and responded by winning the District 11-6A championship and advancing to the regional finals. Setter Beth Shoaff is back and middle blocker Sasha Pottinger is already drawing interest from college programs.

Pompano Beach: The Tornadoes were a regional semifinalist last year after competing in a tough District 14-3A. Six returning starters are back including first-team All-County selections Peyton Schlosser and Amanda Shawver.

St. Thomas Aquinas: Sun Sentinel Class 6A-5A-4A Player of the Year Kelly Marble graduated, but the Raiders return four starters, including middle blocker Crystal Dedes, from last season's regional finalist team.

West Broward: The Bobcats are coming off a regional semifinal berth and return six starters including setter Taylor Bonito and outside hitters Jaclyn Pickett, Jessica Barnes and Ashley Navarrete.

Westminster Academy: The Lions went 22-7 a season ago and advanced to the state tournament behind the strong play of two-time Class 3A-2A-1A Player of the Year Leigh Andrew. Andrew is back, as are starters MacKenzie Keightly, Amelia Bohlander and Emily McMurtrey.

There are several teams this year that are re-building and some well coached teams could catch fire and finish strongly. We wish all the players a great 2010 season where you continue to grow your skills and contribute to your teams success.

"BEST OF LUCK!"

International News: U.S. Women Dominate Thailand at GranPrix

2010-08-21T15:12:00.002-04:00

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 21, 2010) – Jordan Larson (Hooper, Neb.) scored a match-high 16 points in leading the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team to a fifth straight victory with a 25-16, 25-16, 25-16 win over Thailand on Saturday afternoon in Hong Kong during Pool G of the 18th FIVB World Grand Prix.

Team USA, now 6-2 in this year’s FIVB World Grand Prix and with 18 points, concludes the tournament preliminary round on Aug. 22 at 12:45 a.m. Pacific Time against China. Earlier this year, the Chinese defeated the Americans in the Montreux Volley Masters gold-medal match on June 13 in Switzerland. China is ranked second in the world by the FIVB, while the U.S. is ranked fourth.

The U.S. has already qualified for the FIVB World Grand Prix six-team Final Round to be held Aug. 25-29 at Ningbo, China, after clinching a spot on Aug. 20. Team USA has not played in the FIVB World Grand Prix Final Round since 2008 when it finished fourth. The Americans have not reached the World Grand Prix podium since bronze medal finishes in 2003 and 2004. The U.S. won the World Grand Prix in 1995 and 2001, its only other podium finishes.

The U.S. opened the match with a 6-1 lead in the first set and went on to win 25-16, despite Thailand coming back to within two at 8-6. Team USA used an 8-3 spurt to break free from an 8-7 advantage and cruised to a 25-16 victory. The Americans scored nine of 10 points in a key point of the third set to take a 21-11 advantage and never looked back in a 25-16 victory.

“The Thailand team is a very good team,” U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) said. “We respect them a lot as they played late last night and have to play early today. Our team played well. Our job is to win, but our goal is to get a good team together and continue to improve both individually and as a team. China is a strong team and we will prepare as usual. It’s hard to say who will win tomorrow, but we expect it will be a good match.”

Larson collected 13 kills on 22 swings with just one error, two blocks and an ace for her 16 points as the U.S. spread its scoring to nine different players in the match. Destinee Hooker (San Antonio, Texas) notched six kills on 15 attacks, two blocks and an ace for nine points. Foluke Akinradewo (Plantation, Fla.) chipped in six kills on seven errorless attacks and a block for seven points. Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) charted three kills on four attempts, two blocks and an ace for six points. Logan Tom (Salt Lake City, Utah) scored four kills and a block, while Heather Bown (Yorba Linda, Calif.) pocketed three kills on five attempts, one block and an ace for five points. Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) tacked on three kills and an ace for four points. Jennifer Tamas (Milpitas, Calif.) scored three kills on four attacks in the third set, while Ogonna Nnamani (Bloomington, Ill.) rounded out the scoring with two blocks.

Glass provided 10 running sets on 49 attempts in running the U.S. offense. Nicole Davis (Stockton, Calif.) charted a team-high 13 digs to go with 10 excellent receptions on 11 errorless attempts. Larson added 13 excellent receptions on 18 errorless attempts to go with five digs.

“It’s a very nice match and we enjoyed the game,” said Tamas, who is the U.S. captain for this year’s FIVB World Grand Prix. “The Thai team is very challenging. Its attack and block are very good. We look forward to tomorrow’s match and hope to continue to improve. Our win today is due to the whole team’s contribution.”

McCutcheon started Tom and Larson at outside hitter, Akinradewo and Bown at middle blocker, Hooker at opposite and Glass at setter. Davis was the designated libero for the match. Nellie Spicer (Barrington, Ill.) and Nnamani were subbed in all three sets as double-subs. Hodge subbed into the second set for Tom and started the third set. Tamas started the third set in place of Bown, while Cynthia Barboza (Long Beach, Calif.) was a sub in the third set.

Team USA out-blocked Thailand 11-2 and held a 5-1 margin in aces. The Americans also had a 41-33 advantage in kills and limited its errors to 12 for the entire match. The U.S. converted 48.8 percent of its attacks into kills with a .440 hitting efficiency and just four attack errors, thanks in part to 30 excellent service receptions on 39 attempts. Thailand committed 18 errors in the match and converted just 32.4 percent of its attacks into kills as part of a .186 hitting efficiency. The U.S. held a 25-17 dig margin.

Team USA defeated Thailand earlier in the 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix with a convincing 25-18, 25-21, 25-13 victory on Aug. 14 in Thailand.

Malika Kanthong led Thailand with 11 points, all on kills. Onuma Sittirak added nine points in the loss.

“Congratulations to the USA team,” Thailand Head Coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai said. “They played very well and it was a very good game. Our team was not too good today because we played a difficult match last night and physically they are not strong enough. We made errors in reception and skills. Our team learned a lot. We will try to improve our skills and minimize our errors in the future. We wish the USA team good luck in tomorrow’s match.”

Earlier today, Netherlands (4-4, 11 points) defeated Dominican Republic 25-19, 25-22, 25-20 in Pool I at Tokyo. Later today, Poland (6-1, 18 points) plays Puerto Rico (1-6, 3 points) and Brazil (6-1, 18 points) takes on Chinese Taipei at Taipei, Chinese Taipei in Pool H. Japan (6-1, 18 points) hosts Italy (5-2, 15 points) in a battle of Final Round participants at Tokyo, while China (5-2, 16 points) hosts Germany (2-5, 7 points) in Hong Kong.

For the latest news on the FIVB World Grand Prix, visit the U.S. Women’s National Team FIVB World Grand Prix event web site at usavolleyball.org/events/3056. The page includes archived press releases, schedule and results involving all 12 World Grand Prix teams, photos, statistics and match videos by Universal Sports.

The U.S. went in front 4-1 with kills by Glass and Hooker, followed by a Glass block and kill leading to a Thailand timeout. After the break, the U.S. scored a fifth and sixth straight point with a Thailand error and Tom kill. Thailand stopped the run with two points of its own to close to within three at 6-3. Thailand scored the first two points after the first technical timeout to close to two at 8-6. Team USA gained a four-point cushion at 11-7 with an Akinradewo kill and Larson block. The U.S. increased its margin to 13-8 with kills from Larson and Glass. Thailand scored the next two points to move the score to 14-11. Larson connected for a kill and Akinradewo put up a block after a Thailand service error to push the American advantage to 19-13. Hooker served an ace after a Larson kill to send the score to 22-15. Larson gave the U.S. set points with an ace after a Thailand service error at 24-16. The U.S. ended the set at 25-16 with a Thailand attack error, its seventh error of the set. Larson paced the American offense in the first set with seven points, while Glass chipped in four points from her setter position. Team USA held its errors to just two. The U.S. had a 3-2 margin in blocks and 2-0 edge in aces.

Bown scored a kill and ace to give the U.S. an early 3-1 lead in the second set, but Thailand quickly tied the set at 3-all. Akinradewo and Larson turned in consecutive kills to yield a 6-4 U.S. lead. The Americans jumped their lead to three points with a Bown kill and Thailand error at 10-7. Team USA stretched its margin to 12-8 with a Thailand service error and Tom block. The U.S. gained a 14-9 advantage with a Glass ace after a Thailand service error. Team USA went into the second technical timeout leading 16-10 with an Akinradewo overpass kill after a Hooker kill. Out of the break, Thailand scored the next two points to close the deficit to 16-12. Team USA responded with an Akinradewo kill and Hooker block at 18-12 prompting a Thailand timeout. Larson pocketed consecutive kills to increase the American advantage to 20-13. Bown picked up a block and Hodge scored a kill on her first play of the match to give the U.S. a 22-14 lead. The U.S. added to the run with a Nnamani block that Thailand could not cover cleanly, followed by a Hodge block at 24-14. Thailand saved two set points before Hodge scored her third kill of the set to close it out at 25-16. Bown scored five points to lead the U.S. in the second set as the Americans netted four blocks and two aces.

Team USA scored three unanswered points with two kills from Akinradewo and one from Larson to give the U.S. a 5-2 lead. The Americans went up by four points at 9-5 with a Thailand service error and Glass block. Thailand cut into the deficit with an ace at 11-9. Akinradewo and Larson put up consecutive kills and Larson followed with a block to yield a 15-10 U.S. lead. Hodge served an ace at 16-10 for the Americans’ fourth straight point. Hooker and Larson collected consecutive kills to extend the Team USA lead to 18-11. Out of a Thailand timeout, Larson added another kill and Hooker put up a block at 20-11. Tamas added another block for the fifth straight point at 21-11. Thailand stopped the run with two points of its own at 21-13. Thailand cut the deficit to seven points at 23-13 with back-to-back points. Team USA answered with a Tamas kill and Nnamani block to end the set at 25-16. Larson provided the U.S. with six points in the third set and the Americans scored four blocks in the period.

Volleyball fans across the world will be able to watch three FIVB World Grand prix matches a week as FIVB TV announced on Aug. 5 that it will stream matches on the Internet. One match per day from the three preliminary rounds as well as all matches form the Final Round will be streamed live on www.laola1.tv/en/int/fivb/video/203---.html. The USA-Italy match on Aug. 13 was shown live as part of the package, while the USA-China contest on Aug. 22 rounds out the preliminary round coverage. As a note, the FIVB TV matches cannot be viewed in most locations within the United States based on negotiated broadcast rights.

Fans in the United States can watch all remaining USA matches on Universal Sports (www.universalsports.com), on a tape delayed same-day coverage. Selected matches will also be shown on Universal’s television channel. All matches will be on-demand after they take place. To find out if Universal is in your home area and its daily schedule, click here.

For more information on the U.S. Women's National Team, visit its home page by clicking here.

U.S. Women’s National Team Roster for FIVB World Grand Prix Pool D (Hong Kong)# - Name (Pos, Ht, Hometown, College)
1 - Ogonna Nnamani (OPP, 6-1, Bloomington, Ill., Stanford)
2 - Alisha Glass (S, 6-0, Leland, Mich., Penn State)
5 - Stacy Sykora (L, 5-10, Burleson, Texas, Texas A&M)
6 - Nicole Davis (L, 5-4, Stockton, Calif., Southern California)
7 - Heather Bown (MB, 6-3, Yorba Linda, Calif., Hawaii)
8 - Cynthia Barboza (OH, 6-0, Long Beach, Calif., Stanford)
9 - Jennifer Tamas (MB, 6-4, Milpitas, Calif., Pacific)
11 - Jordan Larson (OH, 6-2, Hooper, Neb., Nebraska)
14 - Nicole Fawcett (OPP, 6-4, Zanesfield, Ohio, Penn State)
15 - Logan Tom (OH, 6-1, Salt Lake City, Utah, Stanford)
16 - Foluke Akinradewo (MB, 6-3, Plantation, Fla., Stanford)
17 - Nellie Spicer (S, 5-9, Barrington, Ill., UCLA)
18 - Megan Hodge (OH, 6-3, Durham, N.C., Penn State)
19 - Destinee Hooker (OPP, 6-4, San Antonio, Texas, Texas)

Head Coach: Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand)
Assistant Coach: Karch Kiraly (San Clemente, Calif.)
Assistant Coach: Jim Stone (Columbus, Ohio)
Technical Coordinator: Jamie Morrison (Dana Point, Calif.)
Athletic Trainer/Medical Support: Jill Wosmek (Silver Lake, Minn.)
Team Leader for Poland/Thailand: Reed Sunahara (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Team Leader for Hong Kong/Ningbo: Laurel Iversen (Kalaheo, Hawaii)

FIVB World Grand Prix Standings
Brazil (18 Points) 6-1 - Aug. 21 vs. Chinese Taipei
Japan (18 Points) 6-1 - Aug. 21 vs. Italy
Poland (18 Points) 6-1 - Aug. 21 vs. Puerto Rico
China (16 Points) 5-2 - Aug. 21 vs. Germany
USA (18 Points) 6-2
Italy (15 Points) 5-2 - Aug. 21 vs. Japan
Netherlands (11 Points) 4-4
Germany (7 Points) 2-5 - Aug. 21 vs. China
Dominican Republic (5 Points) 2-6
Thailand (3 Points) 1-7
Puerto Rico (3 Points) 1-6 - Aug. 21 vs. Poland
Chinese Taipei (0 Points) 0-7 - Aug. 21 vs. Brazil
NOTE: Matches won 3-0 or 3-1 earn the winners 3 points; Matches won 3-2 earn the winner 2 points and the loser 1 point

SPECIAL THANKS TO: USA Volleyball for this Update in our Ladies Team.

New Crop of Younger Players show a Bright Future for VB in South Florida

2010-08-04T23:06:00.005-04:00

We were all very pleasantly surprised how many 12U and 13U teams were playing at a high level this past USAV season. We keep seeing young players with sharper and more defined skills than in the past.

In many cases this new crop of players are the second or third sister in a Volleyball family. They've cought the passion for the game at an early age and are sound, if not dominant players at an early age.

One such player is Courney Charneco from Nativity who was the only 6th grader to start every game for their middle school in well over a decade.

She plays OH for the school and has toned her skills with the Wildfire Club in the past.

Always working on her skills, Courtney was with Wildfires summer program and The Dig Beach Volleyball. Courtney was on the same team with Tash Begon from Archbishop McCarthy MB in a summer team 2009. This year Courtney played at Archbishop McCarthy for Volleyball and won a serving prize. In addition she played at St. Thomas for Basketball.

Courtney's older sister Taylor Charneco at Pembroke Pines Chapter Higher School is an OH going into 10th grade and has played in the past for Boomers & Wildfire Club 2008-2009.

Another player that comes to mind is Bria Beverly of Arvida. She was part of a middle school team that came in second in the County Finals, She has three club seasons under her belt the last playing for the South Florida Flyers 13U as an 11 year old. At just 11 she is 5'10" and still growing.

Bria is the youngest of three sisters Alexandra Beverly (now graduated) a two time All-Dade performer for Ferguson and in the Top 15 of the South Florida Hot 100 two years in a row. Samantha Beverly, the second sister is a top performer for Ferguson High.

Like Courtney and Bria, I'm sure many of you know 100's of young lady athletes that will all be a big reason why Volleyball in South Florida is on the rise and will continue to be for years!

Make sure to visit Ft. Lauderdale Beach this Weekend

2010-07-20T21:34:00.002-04:00

This weekend is quickly approaching and it is only TUESDAY! We are hitting the beautiful beach of Fort Lauderdale for the USAV-Florida Regional Championships on July 24th-25th.

This event is open to everyone.

You DO NOT need to qualify for this event to participate.
Regular event format will be played like all of the previous events that Dig the Beach has conducted. Adult on Saturday as usual. The cut off for registration is Friday July 23rd at 8 a.m. Sunday will be our Juniors and Co-ed division! The cut off for registration for Juniors is July 22nd at 12 p.m. If you miss the cut off, you can try your luck on site the day of, however, space is limited. There are no guarantees for a spot, and the price is $100 instead of $70. Sign up early for a guaranteed spot! A reminder….Co-ed check-in begins 7 a.m. and play begins at 8 a.m.

There are only a couple events after this to compete in, so make it worth your time to come out to one of the largest venues Florida has to offer.

Don't miss the FIU Summer Camps

2010-07-17T20:30:00.004-04:00

MIAMI - FIU Volleyball Head Coach Danijela Tomic will begin the previously announced 2010 Coach Tomic Volleyball Camps, Inc., summer camp schedule on Monday, July 12, as Tomic and her staff are set to host three All-Skills Camps and a pair of skill-specific clinics in the month of July.

Walk-ups are welcome for all camps and clinics.

The trio of All-Skills Camps will be held on July 12-15, July 19-22 and July 26-29, while a Setter/Hitter Clinic and a Ball Control/Libero Clinic are each slated for July 17. All camps and clinics will be held at the U.S. Century Bank Arena on FIU's Modesto A. Maidique Campus in Miami, Fla.

For camp and clinic descriptions and details, registration information and more:
CLICK HERE

USAV FL. Regional Jr. Championships where a great success!

2010-05-15T13:39:00.007-04:00

Once again club teams from around Florida gathered in Orlando to compete in the Girls Regional Juniors Championships for the state of Florida. We congratulate every player and parent for a great season.

It was great to see two full days of intense competition at every age level as 45 courts hosted tough matches, many of which went into three closely contested sets. The lady athletes were playing their hearts out and putting everything on the line as the event trainers could attest too.

The most impressive club at this years tournament had to be the Pinellas Heat as most of their teams were in the thick of every age groups competition. Special recognition goes to the Pinellas Heat 16 Elite team that won the 18Club Gold.

South Florida clubs participated strongly in every age division and were a force to be reckoned with - we congratulate all of you.

Special recognition goes out to the following teams for winning the Gold in their respective age group.

16Open South Florida VBC 16-1 GOLD WINNER

15Open Miami Elite 14-Blue GOLD WINNER

13Open Palm Beach Jrs. 13 Elite Gold WINNER

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MISSING IN ACTION: Boomers Club from Broward - strange to not see them at this event nor did they support the Palm Beach Classic. Not sure why they could not attend - hope all is well.

For most of you that is the end of of the USAV Club season - hope you had a great time and you were able to improve upon your skills. Thanks to your efforts and dedication the level of Volleyball in Florida continues ti rise Nationally.

For the teams that will participate in the National AAU Championships in Orlando and those that will participate in the USAV National Championships in Reno, Nevada we wish you all the best and we will be writing about your endeavors soon.

As USAV Club Season Starts to come to an End

2010-04-25T22:21:00.005-04:00

For many teams this weekends Palm Beach Classic and the Jr. Regional Championships in Orlando on the following weekend will mark the end of a great Club season. A few teams will continue to other events outside of Florida and a few others will compete well into the summer as they have qualified for the Jr Olympics this year in Reno Nevada.

For those of us that either Palm Beach or Orlando will mark the end of the season I suggest that many of you write down one anothers numbers and make plans on getting together through-out the summer. After seeing each other twice a week or more for six months saying good bye and ending things abruptly can become quite a shock. It could be good for both the girls and the parents to get together every now and then and hopefully play some Volleyball.

As the season winds down look to do something special for the coaches, especially if you feel that they did a good job or went above and beyond in their attempt to coach and improve the team.

Few clubs have trophy ceremonies at the end of the year. Personally, I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff, I really get a kick from seeing the kids faces light-up from getting a trophy or a medal. if the clubs do not offer it - talk with the different parents on the team and see if you do a ceremony after practice, the last tournament or an end of the season party at a home and give the players something to remember the great club season they had in 2010.

We hope you all make the most of the time left with one-another this season and remember to take plenty of pictures!

SEND US YOUR TEAM PICTURES: volleyballreport@gmail.com

THE SOUTH FLORIDA - HOT 100

2010-03-07T21:20:00.006-05:00

It has been great to see Volleyball flourish in South Florida. The girls seem to be getting faster, stronger and taller. As the sport continues to grow in our region, the girls are playing year round for their schools (fall) clubs (winter-spring) and beach (summer). We are also seeing more girls, coaches and clubs dedicating time towards conditioning utilizing weights and plyometric training in an effort to build more explosive players.

In the past we would present the top 50 players, along with ten Futures (Grades 7-9th). Seeing that the talent pool has increased drastically, we are now initiating the top 80 players in South Florida the top 40 will be 1st Team, the next 40 will be second team and the next 20 are the futures - hence The South Florida Hot 100.
Within the 1st team we identified the top 12 players with which we would build an All-Star team.

South Florida All-Stars:

- Leigh Andrews - Westminster Academy 6'0" Soph. OH
Two time Player of the Year for Broward 3A-1A. Dominate player with strong skill sets, very coachable.

- Tatiana Berger - Pine Crest 5'10" OH/RS
Solid player both offensively and defensively ( 310kills / 322 Digs).

- Caiti Donahoe - Cardinal Gibbons 5'11'' Soph. S/RS
Skilled Setter, quick for her height. Dominant around the net. Keep an eye on her game as she develops.

- Latoya Harvin - Royal Palm Beach 6'0" Sr. MB-OH
Dominant Blocker - lead Broward for the second year in a row. Club play has helped develop her game to new heights.

- Jenna Isaacs - Mater Academy 6'0" Sr. MH-OH
Strong and athletically gifted player (424K / 136B).

- Jenna Keeler - Plantation 6'1" Sr. MB
Mrs. do everything. Talented player lead her team in almost every category. brings her "A: game every night.

- Jenny Machado - Killian 5'6" Sr. Lib.
Was forced to play OH in high school but has excelled at the Libero position on elite club teams. If you could measure a players heart and determination, this young lady would be off the charts.

- Kelly Marble - St. Thomas Aquinas 5'11" Sr. OH
Player of the year for Broward 6A-4A. Complete Player: 338K, 192A, 160D, 69B
In addition Kelly made the PrepVolleyball Academic All-American Team. Marble is an AP Scholar with Distinction and member of the National Honor Society. She has a 5.12 cumulative weighted GPA with 11 AP courses to her credit.

- Codi Minum - Benjamin 5'10" Sr. OH
Player of the year Palm Beach County 3A-1A, Took control during district tournaments.

- Paulina Prieto - Palmer Trinity 6'2" Soph. OH-MB
Two Time Dade County Player of the year. Possibly the most dominant player in the group. Has great leaping ability, hard worker, very coachable. Was a leader on the Gold team that won the USAV championships.

- Jessica Santaniello - West Boca 6'0" Sr. OH
Intimidating player that pounds the opposition into submission. Lead the County in kills.

- Kristin Walewski - Ferguson 5'4" Sr. S
3 time All County 1st team. Great hustle and tenacity. makes her presence felt at the net through great leaping ability.

All South Florida First Team:

- Shaina Abdell - Royal Palm Beach 5'11" Sr. OH
- Rebecca Acevedo - Westminster Christian 5'11" Jr. RS/S
- Sarah Alfonso - Palmer Trinity 5'5" Sr. S
- Christina Alessi - Kings Academy 6'1" Sr. OH
- Brytney Annis - Lake Worth Christian 6'0" Jr. MB
- Alexandra Beverly - Ferguson 6'0" Sr. OH
- Carrie Commendiero - Palmetto 5'10" Sr. MH
- Brittany Dubbins - Krop 5'10" Sr. OH
- Natalia Huarto - Loque - South Miami 5'6" Lib.
- Katelyn Hummel - North Broward Prep. 5'8" Sr. S
- Danielle Lampman - Lake Worth Christian 5'4" Sr. S
- Anne Langsenkamp - St. Thomas Aquinas 5'5" Sr. Lib.
- Victoria McPherson - North Broward Prep. 6'1" Soph. M/OH
- Olivia Mesner - Spanish River 5'9" Jr. MB
- Carolina Nuche - Lourdes 5'10" Sr. OH
- Taylor Miller - Hollywood Hills 5'10" Sr. OH
- Brianna O'Neil - Chaminade-Madonna 6'1" Soph. MH
- Danielle Pohl - Ferguson 6'0" Sr. MH
- Alyssa Robertson - Monarch 5'11" OH
- Taylor Ruiz - Coral Springs 5'11" Sr. OH
- Sara Saxner - Nova 5'9" Jr. OH
- Jesyca Schiffman - Krop 5'4" Sr. S
- Kristin Titley - Palmer Trinity 6'0" Sr. OH
- Julie Trembley - Westminster Christian 5'11" Jr. OH
- Alexandra Walewski - Ferguson 5'7" Sr. OH/DS
- Jessie Wilkie - Calvary Christian 5'5" S
- Kristina Wilson - Spanish River 5'6" Sr. S
- Jessica Wynn - Cardinal Gibbons 6'2" OH

All South Florida Second Team:

- Nicole Beckelheimer - Miami Christian 6'0" MB/OH
- Tash Begon - Archbishop McCarthy 5'11" Soph. MB
- Marissa Bolton - Miami Country Day 5'6" Jr. DS
- Elizabeth Boshart - St. Andrews 5'5" Sr. S
- Barbara Cadet - Varela 5'8" Sr. OH
- Viki Collazo - Ransom Everglades 5'9" Jr. OH
- Crystal Dedes - St. Thomas Aquinas 6'0" Jr. MB
- Megan Doyle - Florida Christian 5'11" Sr. OH
- Deanna Etzold - Westminster Christian 5'8" Sr. S
- Jordan Fisher - Jupiter 6'1" Jr. MB/OH
- Andrea Garcia - Miami Christian 5'10" Jr. OH
- Lauren Gillespie - Pompano Beach 5'10" MB/OH
- Deborah Gordon - Calvary Christian 5'10' MB/OH
- Kaylee Groeneveld - Calvary Christian 5'11" Sr. M/OH
- Taylor Kennedy - St. Andrews 5'10" Jr. OH
- Lindsey Knapp - Boca Raton 5'10" Soph. OH
- Brittany Lear - Jupiter 5'6" Sr. S
- Morgan Lear - Jupiter 5'5" Soph. Lib.
- Emily McMurtrey - Westminster Academy 5'9" S
- Katelyn Mears - Lake Worth Christian 5'3" Sr. Lib.
- Emily Navarrete - West Broward 5'4" Sr. DS
- Hannah Penna - Miami Southwest 6'0" Sr. OH
- Jenny Peterson - Park Vista 5'10" Sr. MB/OH
- Pamela Querogia - Park Vista 5'10" Jr. MB/OH
- Ariam Rios - Princeton Christian 5'7" Sr. OH/DS
- Monique Rivers - Princeton Christian 5'7" Fr. OH/DS
- Stephanie Roldan - Miami Southwest 5'10" sr. OH
- Julia Shade - Boca Raton 5'6" Sr. S
- Peyton Schlosser - Pompano Beach 5'10" Soph. LSH
- Amanda Shawver - Pompano Beach 5'4" Sr. Lib.
- Ally Simmons - Western 5'4" soph. Lib.
- Taylor Slaughter - Killian 5'11" Sr. MH/OH
- Suzie Solenski - Cardinal Gibbons 6'0" Sr. OH
- Lauren Spear - St. Thomas Aquinas 5'8" Jr. S
- Samantha Spidell - Boca Raton Christian 5'9" Jr. OH
- Kayla Upman - Nova 5'4" DS/Lib.
- Emily Walz - Kings Academy 5'10" Sr. OH/MB
- Mackenzie Webster - Ferguson 5'10" Sr. OH
- Jasmin Wilkins - Hialeah 5'11" Sr. OH
- Kristina Wilson - Spanish River 5'6" Sr. S

Futures Team (7th - 9th Grade)

- Allison Belanger - St. Thomas Aquinas 5'9" Fr. OH
- Bayley Cook - Crestwood Middle 5'6" 8th S/H
- Brianne Cook - Crestwood Middle 5'6" 8th S/H
- Annie Corrigan - Palm Beach Gardens HS 6'1" Fr. MB
- Taylor David - Miami Elite Blue 6'1" 8th MB
- Sylvia Hernandez - Westminster Christian 5'10" 8th OH
- Kourtney Lesperance - Arvida Middle 5'8" 7th OH
- Danielle Littke - Palmer Trinity 5'11" 8th S
- Brooke Lyons - St Thomas Aquinas - 6'2" Fr. M/OH
- Brooke McDermot - Glades Middle 5'9" 8th OH
- Lauren Miko - Pope John Paul 5'6" Fr. OH
- Meagan Milligan - Lake Worth Christian 6'0" Fr. MB
- Annika Reczek - Archaminian 5'11" 8th MB/OH
- Kristine Rios - Princeton Christian 5'3" 8th S/DS
- Emily Saraza - Arvida Middle 5'7" 8th OH-S
- Beth Shoaff - Hollywood Hills HS 5'7" Fr. S
- Nikki Taylor Lyons - St. Coleman 5'11" 8th M/L
- Ashley Zaldivar - Glades Middle 5'6" 7th OH
- Cindy Zaldivar - Glades Middle 5'9" 8th RS/S
- Mackenzie Zielinski - All Saints Middle - 5'5" 8th S

FIU to host a 6 session Drills and Skills camp Starting this Sunday the 7th

2010-03-04T16:02:00.006-05:00

My coaching staff and our FIU players will host a series of "Skills & Drills" Clinics this spring, beginning on Sunday, March 7 and running through Sunday, April 18. You can read the web release and find the PDF registration form at www.fiusports.com

This is a great opportunity for players in South Florida. These sessions will be great for both club and non-club players. If you are not currently playing for a club this year these six sessions will be a great way to increase your skills and stay sharp. For those who are playing club this is an additional chance to get work in a gym and work closely with the great folks at FIU.

Skills and drills information below:

What: Coach Tomic "Skills & Drills" Clinics"

Ages: 1st - 12th Grade

Time: 3:00 - 5:00 PM

Sessions: 6, two-hour sessions (Every Sunday from March 7-April 18, excluding Easter Sunday)

Instructors: FIU Coaching Staff & Players

Location: FIU - Modesto A. Maidique Campus (Directions below)
U.S. Century Bank Arena
11200 SW 8th St.
Miami, FL 33174

Contact Info: coachtomic@gmail.com
*
Open to all girls and boys in 1st through 12th grade regardless of skill level. No tryout necessary!
*
Designed for players who are interested in improving their skills in the sport of volleyball and do not wish to travel or play in competitive tournaments. This is not league or game play. This is strictly an instructional program.
*
Excellent for players of ALL levels, from beginners to advanced players. Great for players that have never played volleyball before to learn the game and develop their skills. This is an excellent way for players who are planning to tryout for the school team next spring to develop their skills or for players that are already on school teams to keep their skills sharp! Training will be available to advanced players who desire to work on specific skills.
*
Training will range from individualized one-on-one training to group drills. All skills will be taught to players based on their skill level.
*
Players will practice for 6, two-hour sessions.
*
"Skills and Drills" sessions will begin on Sunday, March 7 and continue every Sunday until April 18, except for on Easter Sunday (April 4).
*
Cost: $110.00 for 6, two-hour sessions or $20.00 per session. Fees are due at registration.

Follow the Winter Olympics and support the USA!

2010-02-12T00:56:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow, February 12, the world will gather to watch top athletes from around the globe compete in the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Athletes from Team USA, who have been training their entire lives will take the stage to represent our country. I'm writing with the hope that you could share the news about Team USA with the readers of The South Florida Volleyball Report.

Anyone who registers on Teamusa.org will have access to the latest info and will receive exclusive updates throughout the games. I've put all that information including some very cool Team USA widgets and banners into this social media news release which can be seen by CLICKING HERE.

NOTE: The above message was sent by Team USA
BEST OF LUCK TO ALL THE TEAMS THAT WILL BE COMPETING IN THIS WEEKS TOURNAMENTS IN SOUTH FLORIDA AND TAMPA!

Take your Game to the Next Level

2010-01-13T09:53:00.005-05:00

Improving your vertical is something we are allways trying to
achieve! Plyometric exercising is a type of workout that develops
muscular explosion through exercises that utilize a variety of
physical movements.

Plyometrics are used in many sports to develop many different parts
of the body. In volleyball, these exercises focus solely on jumping
ability. There are a plethora of different exercises, involving
everything from ankle weights to stationary boxes.

If you really want to develop your jump to the maximum level, then
you should look for a book or website devoted to multiple-day
workout schedules. But there are a few simple exercises that should
get you heading in the right direction.

The first plyometric exercise is a simple squat jump. You will be
performing this jump from a stand-still. Bend your knees down to a
ninety degree angle, making it look like you are sitting on a chair.

Now explode from this position by jumping straight up in the air. I
think it is a good idea to keep you hands together in a ball in
front of you chest to keep you arms still while jumping up. This
will prevent you from adding to the height of your jump with the
upward swing of your arms, keeping all of the work and attention
on your legs, abs and lower back.

When you land from this jump, you want to slowly cushion you body
from the jump back down to the original stance with the knees bent
at ninety degrees. There should be no pausing between jumps, just
jumping, landing, and exploding back up again.

The key is to explode from the down position, and to repeat the
process continuously without any breaks. One set of this exercise
would be to simply jump until you can't jump anymore, but you
should probably put a cap on the set with 25 jumps max or until
exhaustion.

After a proper warm up and stretch, do three sets of this exercise.

You could add ankle weights to increase the difficulty of this
exercise, but beware that this can aggravate knee and back
tendonitis and other injuries.

Another exercise will require a box. The height of the box will vary
with every person, but since you will be making numerous jump
attempts, it should not be within eight inches your maximum standing
vertical jump.

With feet shoulder width apart, jump up onto the box, then step
down, and repeat. Like the last exercise, try not to pause at all in
between any reps. Three sets of twenty jumps are a sufficient
workout. This exercise is much more low impact then the previous
one.

The severity that plyometrics can have on a body, especially an
older or injury-ridden body, can be immense. You should always
monitor the amount of jumping you do with in one of these workouts,
and limit the amount of jumps you perform to 120-160 times. Pay
special attention to any injuries or lingering pains while
performing any plyometric exercise.

Special thanks to Hayley of volletball-magic.com for her insight on this article

USAV, HOPSports Partner to Promote Youth Volleyball

2010-01-10T12:50:00.002-05:00

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 8, 2010) - USA Volleyball (USAV) has announced a partnership with HOPSports, creator of a revolutionary fitness program, to improve students' health and wellness by promoting volleyball utilizng 21st century media technology. The HOPSports Training System (HTS) infuses celebrities, DVR technology and fun into physical education and fitness activities that encourage healthy living among youth and adults. USA Volleyball will be HOPSPorts' first National Governing Body partner.

"HOPSports is honored to work with USA Volleyball in advancing the mission of our organization," HOPSports President Cindy Sisson said. "Our goal is to introduce volleyball through the HOPSports vast network in 41 states, 550 schools and after school programs, with an estimated reach of 1.5 million impressions to kindergarten through 12th grade students each week."

The HTS incorporates video fitness lessons with various professional league mascots and players from the NFL, NBA, WNBA and MLB. Additionally, the Ringling Bros., Harlem Globetrotters, Stuntmens Association and Tezoro Productions with choreographers from the hit FOX show "So You Think You Can Dance?" all are active participants promoting health and wellness to a captive audience.The fitness lessons and activities are delivered through a multi-screen format to integrate nutrition, fun facts, anatomy instruction and educational messaging in a fun and exciting workout experience.

"We are delighted to partner with HOPSports," USAV Secretary General Kerry Klostermann said. "Its state-of-the-art technology and presentation techniques will engage, entertain and develop healthy initiatives for millions of children as well as extend the values of the sport of volleyball and the brand of USA Volleyball to broad and diverse populations. This partnership also represents a valuable resource for our 40 Regional Volleyball Associations in service of growing participation."
Besides proper skill instruction at the basic levels, the initiative's goal is to educate the HOPSports audience on the history of USA Volleyball and to promote a series of lessons that will be inclusive in nature. Currently, Olympians Annette Davis and Dain Blanton (2000 Olympic Games gold medalist) are the host celebrity trainers presenting the HOPSports volleyball lessons.

About USA Volleyball: Founded in 1928, USA Volleyball is a Colorado incorporated non-profit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) as the National Governing Body for the sport of Volleyball in the United States. USA Volleyball is responsible for both the Olympic disciplines of indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. USA Volleyball has over 240,000 registered members, 12,000 teams and 5,000 clubs nationwide. With an annual budget in excess of $11 million dollars, USA Volleyball supports the USA men's and women's senior national team programs, youth and junior national teams, national championship events, coaching education and certification programs, grassroots development, and programs for the disabled and ParalympicTeams. USA

Volleyball has a rich tradition of success as evidenced by winning an Olympic medal in every Olympic Games since 1984 and capturing numerous World Cup, World Championship and Continental Championship titles. USA Volleyball is committed to and works toward opportunity for all to participate. It is an advocate for all Americans endeavoring to assure universal access to opportunities at all levels of the game.

About HOPSports: HOPSports is the industry leader in teaching movement through technology. HOPSports is a multi-media instructional tool for physical education teachers and fitness instructors, delivered through DVR technology. The multi-screen format provides fitness lesson plans that meet state and national standards while integrating nutrition, fun facts, anatomy instruction and educational messaging in a fun and exciting environment. HOPSports' delivery mechanism is simple to use and is a great tool for K-12 physical educators and before and after school fitness instructors to teach along with HOPSports' host of exciting trainers. HOPSports is currently installed in schools and youth community sites in 41 U.S. states. For more information, please visit www.hopsports.com.

LYNN UNIVERSITY: January 23rd - Be There.

2010-01-08T23:43:00.002-05:00

Click on the image to make it larger.

Don't miss this opportunity to see one of our great local universities and get to know the Lynn Volleyball Team.

Let the 2010 USAV FL Season Begin

2010-01-05T21:02:00.008-05:00

First and foremost we wish to congratulate all the young ladies for making their teams. Their is a buzz about South Florida on how many quality teams the various clubs are fielding. We commend the commitment that both the players and parents are making this year for yet another successful club season. As club season begins below are a few things to think about as the first tournament nears this January 16th in Miami Beach.

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. Make the most of this experience and 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.

Coaches – We try to give little advise in this area seeing that coaching 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.

During play try not to shout when a player is serving for good sportsmanship. When it comes to seating, please vacate the seats after your teams match and allow the other parents to sit for the next match. It's always smart to bring a few chairs if you want to be sitting at the court round the clock.

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 names and we will post them.

Below are Pictures from Last Year:

Penn State wills itself to a third consecutive Championship.

2009-12-20T09:26:00.004-05:00

Tampa - For those of you that saw the 5 set thriller between Penn State and Texas, congratulations you are witnesses to Women's Volleyball history in the making.
Penn State became the first team to win three straight volleyball titles Saturday night, overcoming a two-set deficit to beat Texas in five and extend its record winning streak to 102 straight games.

When Texas won the first two sets it looked like Penn State's incredible run was going to come to an end. After half time Penn State came out strong and was able to adjust their serve receive of Texas and generate their offense more efficiently.

Megan Hodge led the Nittany Lions (38-0) with 21 kills, including the final one that touched off a wild celebration at midcourt.

"They just won three national championships in a row," Penn State coach Russ Rose said. "Not a lot of people have done stuff like that. Our seniors just willed us to the win."

Penn State's 22-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-13 win helped it stake a claim as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, volleyball team in NCAA history. And maybe one of the best college teams ever.

The winning streak is second in Division I team sports behind the Miami men's tennis program's 137 straight victories from 1957-64.

The Nittany Lions led 22-19 in the first set and were on the brink of going ahead early. Then Texas called timeout, regrouped and rallied for six straight points to put Penn State behind, an unfamiliar position during most of its incredible run.

The Nittany Lions had only lost six sets this season entering the final match, although one of those came in the semifinals against Hawaii, before dropping the first two to Texas.

But Penn State regained its serving prowess and cruised through the next two sets and had only a few miscues in the final set before closing out the Longhorns.

Destinee Hooker had a game-high 34 kills for Texas (an NCAA Record in a finals match), which was trying to claim its first volleyball title since 1988.

Penn State hasn't lost since falling to Stanford in September 2007.

CLUB SEASON:

With the official end to the 2009 Womens Collegiate Season, we officially kick of the USAV Club season in South Florida after the Holidays.

NCAA Championship Match: Penn State vs. Texas

2009-12-18T16:40:00.006-05:00

The NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship will be played in Tampa this Saturday at 8:00PM on ESPN2. We highly recommend that you make the time to watch the match with your daughters and focus on key players to see how the best play certain positions.

The Championship match places No.1 Penn State (37-0) vs. No. 2 Texas (29-1). These are clearly the best teams almost boasting perfection with a combined winning record of (66-1). Speaking of perfection, Penn State is on the longest winning streak in women's NCAA sports history at 101 consecutive matches.

Match Preview:

Both of these team are similarly matched with a great combination of size, athleticism, coaching and experience. Most experts are predicting that Penn State will win the match and it's third consecutive Championship. A Penn State victory in four sets is not unrealistic.

I almost sense an upset brewing in that Penn State is going for an unprecedented third consecutive championship and an unprecedented 102 consecutive victory. I'm not sure if they can overcome all that they have to deal with and overcome a talented Texas team. If they do win, please realize that you will be looking at something that might never happen again in women's collegiate sports.

University of Texas:

Senior All-America outside hitter Destinee Hooker has shined in postseason play, hammering out 5.50 kills, collecting 2.19 digs and 1.00 blocks per-set, while hitting .439 in five matches ... Texas is hitting .386 as a team in the tourney and has held opponents to a .169 attack mark ... junior middle blocker Jennifer Doris leads the team at the net with a club-best 17 total blocks ... senior All-America setter/opposite Ashley Engle is averaging 2.00 kills, 7.75 assists and 2.12 digs per-set in five matches.

Penn State University:

Players to keep an eye on: All American (MB)Megan Hodge is a future USA Olympian and the Senior leader and prominent striker on the team. Setter Alisha Glass is the nations leader in assists and is a team leader. TIDBIT: The no. 2 setter in the Nation is FIU's Natalia Valentine. Blair Brown 6'5" is a dominant right side that virtually stopped Hawaii's attach in the semi-finals. Look to see if Brown can slow down Hooker from Texas.

Stats from Penn State vs. Hawaii: Three Nittany Lions posted double-digit kills. Senior Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) led the squad with 12, while juniors Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.) and Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.) had 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Senior setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) dished out 41 helpers and attacked at a team-leading .692 with nine kills on 13 errorless swings.

Prediction: My fingers are crossed for Penn State, I would really enjoy seeing sports history but part of me says Penn State is facing so much, including a very talented and loose team.

Scenario 1 - If the match goes four or less sets: Penn State Wins

Scenario 2 - If the match goes to five sets: Texas Wins

SEE AN ESPN VIDEO PREVIEW OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

NCAA Final Four in Tampa

2009-12-15T15:40:00.005-05:00

Yet another national volleyball event comes to Florida. The NCAA Women's Volleyball Final four and Championship come to Tampa, FL. December 18th and 19th respectfully.

This is a great opportunity to see the best collegiate teams and players in the sport. If your thinking of going to Tampa and seeing the event first hand please CLICK HERE for more Information.

If you are unable to see the matches in person, we highly recommend that you watch the games as a family and go over plays and positioning with your kids (players). What better model to follow than learning from the best.

This year the matches will be televised on ESPN2.

Thursday - December 17th, Match-Ups

Texas vs. Minnesota at 7:00P.M.

Preview: Two similar teams in size but Texas seems to be the more athletic of the two. Expect a strong attack from Texas.

Prediction: Texas wins in four.
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Penn State vs. Hawaii at 9:00P.M. or 1/2 hour after the first match.

Preview: Hawaii is a smaller athletic team much like that of FIU. Penn State has to much of everything, size, athleticism, experience and coaching.

Prediction: Penn State wins in three

Florida State University advances to the ELITE 8

2009-12-12T00:16:00.003-05:00

In the State of Florida it is usually the University of Florida that goes the furthest in the NCAA tournament. Is 2009 a sign of things to come as Florida State defeats the University of Kentucky to advance to the ELITE 8.

The University of Florida had a tough time facing 2007 and 2008 NCAA CHampion as Penn State defeated Florida in three sets. Congratulations to the Lady Gators for yet another sweet 16 appearance in the Div I Tournament.

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - And the dream season continues.

The No. 12 Florida State volleyball defeated No. 13 Kentucky 3-2 (16-25, 26-24, 25-17, 19-25, 17-15) Friday night in the third round of the NCAA Championship at the University of Minnesota's Sports Pavilion.

With the thrilling triumph, the Seminoles (31-2) advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history and will face the winner of Friday night's Minnesota vs. Colorado State match live on ESPNU Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

In the decisive fifth set, the teams switched benches at the eighth point after Stephanie Neville's kill gave FSU an 8-6 lead. Mira Djuric's kill moved the FSU advantage to 11-8 and the Wildcats' (29-5) coaching staff was forced to call a timeout.

The short break worked in UK's favor as the team scored back-to-back points to make it an 11-10 score. But reigning ACC Player of the Year Brianna Barry's key solo block pushed the Seminole lead up to 12-10.

See the video of the teams celebration and post match comments by CLICKING HERE

Two Florida Universities make it to the Sweet 16's of the NCAA Tournament

2009-12-10T20:17:00.004-05:00

It is exciting to know that two teams from Florida; Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles have a chance to compete in the Final Four!!

The Sweet 16 of Volleyball is this weekend, December 11th and 12th. Both UF and FSU face tough matches on Friday.

NCAA Southeast Regional: Four of the sixteen teams will be playing in Gainesville Friday at 3:30pm , Baylor vs. California , ranked 9th in the nation. Penn State , ranked #1 in the nation and last years champion, will be competing against The Florida Gators - ranked 16th, at 6pm on Friday in the O’Connell Center.

Florida State the top seed in this bracket and the ACC champion will be playing in Minneapolis , Minnesota , against a talented Kentucky team (SEC Champion) on Friday December 11th.

See a great Video of FSU in Minneapolis on Seminoles.com

Winners of these two games will be competing Saturday, December 12th at 4pm in the Regional finals to participate in the Final Four in Tampa .

You can see The NCAA Volleyball Bracket by clicking here:

Stay tuned to the report to see how our Florida teams do and follow the tournament to see who will be in the Final Four in Tampa.

SPECIAL THANKS TO GUEST WRITER CRISTY MACHADO WHO TOOK THE TIME TO HIGHLIGHT THE TWO FLORIDA UNIVERSITIES THAT ARE STILL COMPETING IN THE NCAA DIV I TOURNAMENT.

Help us keep Sand Volleyball in the NCAA...

2009-12-09T21:44:00.005-05:00

Every Vote Counts

Sand Volleyball has been approved as a college sport, but in January there will be another vote held to OVERRIDE this approval. Beach Volleyball has come so far, help us, as we support it becoming a NCAA sport. Here's a chance to make a difference and support a sport that we all love. In addition it opens more opportunities for scholarships for Volleyball players.

We need your support and your vote and it will only take 30 seconds of your time.
If you have already voted, don't worry, you can vote again AND forward to every volleyball enthusiast you know so they can vote as well.

Help us keep Sand Volleyball in the NCAA...

TO VOTE - CLICK HERE.

Middle School Playoffs: Miami Dade

2009-12-05T19:13:00.014-05:00

On Wednesday Dec 3rd, the Middle School Divisional Playoffs got underway at Tamiami Park on the outside hard courts. The top eight teams that had survived the earlier round of the playoffs would all converge at one location to determine a South Dade and a North Dade Champion.

Eight Varsity teams and six Junior Varsity teams had made it this far but only one Champion from the North and South would have their season extended for one more match for both Varsity and JV.

It might not have been the best day to play volleyball outside due to the high winds and threat of rain but you could tell by looking at all the young ladies present that they were all very excited to be at this playoff event sharing the court with 14teams.

Besides the fact that the matches were outside, it was similar to a USAV club event in that the girls were able to observe other matches. For those who do play club, they were able to see many friends on opposing teams. In all, the day's action will hopefully be something every player remembers regardless of who won or lost.

Of course there were winners with Palmetto d Carver for the South Championship and Filer d. Miami Springs in the North Championship.

Arvida's JV captured the South's Championship, Coached by Jerry and Joy Beverly.

Next Week both the North and South Champions will meet at the Miami Springs high school gym to determine both the Miami Dade County Champions for varsity and JV. We wish the best of luck to the teams that will advance to the county championship match.

Top 10 Middle School Varsity Teams for Miami Dade County:

1) Palmetto/Filer
2) Filer/Palmetto
3) Carver
4) Miami Springs
5) Rockway
6) Glades
7) Palm Springs
8) Country Club
9) Mas Canosa
10) Hialeah

Below are a few pictures of the days action. (Click on any Image to enlarge it).

The FIU Golden Panthers outlasted UM in a Five set Thriller

2009-12-03T21:55:00.007-05:00

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The FIU volleyball team notched its second NCAA Tournament victory in school history on Thursday evening as the Panthers defeated cross-town rival Miami, 3-2 (25-16, 20-25, 22-25, 27-25, 15-11), in the opening round of the 2009 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship at the O'Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla.

With the win, the Panthers improve to 32-3 on the season and advance to the NCAA Tournament Second Round where they will face winner of tonight's match between No. 14 Florida and College of Charleston. The second round match is set for Friday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. and can be viewed for free at www.gatorvision.tv. Live stats will be available at www.gatorzone.com.

FIU ran out to an early 5-0 lead in the first set but Miami fought back to tie the score at 13-13. A Hurricane net violation made it 14-13 in favor of the Panthers before senior Isadora Rangel tallied a kill on a pass from junior Natalia Valentin to give FIU a 15-13 lead.

Following a media timeout, FIU recorded a kill and gained a point on a Miami attack error to increase the Panthers' advantage to 17-13. The Hurricanes called a timeout of their own and tallied a pair of points out of the break before senior Olga Vergun slammed home a kill from the right side to put the score at 18-15. FIU then recorded a block to take a 19-15 lead and a Miami attack error made it 20-15.

Another Hurricane attack error put FIU on top by six at 21-15 to force a Miami timeout and, out of the break, the Panthers recorded three straight points to put themselves in set-point position at 24-15. The Hurricanes managed one more point but Rangel registered a kill from the left side to give FIU a 15-16 first-set win.

Up 1-0 for the match, the Panthers didn't let up, making numerous hustle plays and converting on long rallies to take a 15-12 lead. The Hurricanes then went on an 8-0 run to put the score at 20-15 before a kill from freshman Jovana Bjelica ended the run. Miami retaliated with a point to put the score at 21-16 and senior Ines Medved recorded a kill from the left side to bring FIU within four, but Miami tallied two straight points to put the score at 23-17.

Senior Yarimar Rosa would then tally a kill but Miami countered with a kill of its own to get to set-point at 24-18. Rosa struck again from the left side and a Hurricane attack error made the score 24-20, but Miami was able to register its final point to take the set, 25-20, and tie the match at 1-1.

Miami ran out to a 15-10 lead in the third set but FIU clawed back to within three at 15-12 before a Hurricane kill put the deficit back to four at 16-12. A Miami service error put the score at 16-13 but the Hurricanes got the next point to go ahead by four once again. Rosa slammed home a kill from the left side to make it 17-14 but a Panther service error put the score at 18-14 before Medved scored on a tip to bring FIU within three again at 18-15.

The teams traded points and with Miami on top at 19-16, the Hurricanes were called for a pair of violations as FIU got within one at 19-18. Miami took a 20-18 lead on a kill before Vergun slammed home a hard kill from the right side to make it 20-19 and the teams then traded scores once more to make the score 21-20. Rosa then knotted the score at 21-21 with a kill from the left side.

Following a Miami timeout, the Hurricanes went ahead by two at 23-21 but a kill by sophomore Andrea Lakovic brought the Panthers within one at 23-22. A Miami kill put the Hurricanes in set-point position and they managed one more point to take the set, 25-22, and go ahead 2-1 for the match.

The fourth set saw both squads battle back and forth and the score was tied at 18-18 before FIU took a 19-18 lead. Following a Miami timeout, the Hurricanes tallied three points to go ahead, 21-19 and force an FIU timeout.

The Panthers came out of the break and knotted the score at 21-21 before Lakovic scored on a tip to give FIU a 22-21 lead. A Hurricane attack error put the Panthers on top by two at 23-21 but Miami was able to retaliate and tie the score at 23-23 before going ahead by one at 24-23. FIU tied the score at 24-24 but Miami went ahead on a kill at 25-24. Rosa then scored twice from the left side to put FIU in set-point position at 26-25 and then combined with sophomore Sabrina Gonzalez for a block to give the Panthers at 27-25 set-win.

With the match tied at 2-2, the final set saw both teams come out strong. FIU took a 9-7 lead before Valentin connected with Bjelica on the left side for a kill to make it 10-7. Miami then recorded two points to come within one at 10-9 and force an FIU timeout.

Out of the break, the teams traded points to make the score 11-10 in favor of the Panthers. A Hurricane violation gave FIU a point and a kill by Rosa put the Panthers ahead by three at 13-10. Miami registered a kill to come within two at 13-11 before Rosa struck again from the right side to put FIU in match-point position at 14-11. Rosa's third straight kill closed out the match to give FIU a 15-11 set-win and a 3-2 match victory.

For the complete story Visit FIU.com or CLICK HERE.

You can also Visit the Gator Zone by CLICKING HERE

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Preview of FIU vs UF

FIU will now play UF in a game that I personally have been anticipating ever since I had the pleasure of traveling to Gainesville, FL. this year. Many people in Miami have thought that FIU has the talent to defeat the mighty Lady Gators. Hopefully FIU can rise to the occasion and correct errors that allowed today's match to be much closer than it should have been.

The Florida Gators

You can count on two facts:

1) The O'Connell Center will be filled to capacity with fans that expect FIU to become that days "Gator Bait".

2) Coach Mary Wise will have her team focused on shutting down FIU's Strength's

The FIU Golden Panthers

Coach Danijela Tomic will have the team prepared to defeat the UF team both emotionally and technically. The "X" factor will be the players ability to stay loose while raising their games to the highest levels because UF will most certainly try to control Yarimar Rosa's hitting. Defenders must react quicker on tips and improve their spacing because there were to many holes against UM tonight.

We will post the link to tmrw's 7:00PM match.

FIU and UM are both going to the NCAA Tournament

2009-11-29T21:44:00.003-05:00

This is a very joyous ocation for South Florida in that both Florida International University (FIU) and the University of Miami (UM) are both NCAA bound.

FIU - With the announcement of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship bracket on Sunday, FIU received its second straight and third overall bid to the NCAA Tournament in school history.

FIU (31-3) will travel to Gainesville, Fla., to face crosstown rival Miami (18-12) in a first round match on Thursday, Dec. 3 at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Should the Panthers advance, they will face the winner of a contest between Florida (23-5) and College of Charleston (18-12) on Dec. 4 in the second round.

"We're very excited to have earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament and we're all grateful for the chance to get to play another match together," said senior Yarimar Rosa. "I'm really looking forward to it."

UM - On Sunday afternoon, the University of Miami volleyball team (18-12) received its second NCAA Tournament appearance with an at-large bid out of the Atlantic Coast Conference, as announced by the NCAA Selection Committee as part of the tournament selection show.

An Atlantic Coast Conference record five league teams--highlighted by third overall seed Florida State--were selected to the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Championship. In addition to FSU, Duke, Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Miami earned at-large berths in this year's tournament to become the first group of five teams to be selected to the NCAA championship in the 29-year history of volleyball in the ACC.

Florida State, Duke, and Clemson will be competing in the Minneapolis Regional bracket, while Georgia Tech and Miami reside in the Gainesville Regional bracket.

General - Defending National Champion Penn State received the tournament's overall No. 1 seed with Texas earning the No. 2 seed, Florida State the No. 3 seed and Stanford the No. 4 seed. Regional competition will be held at predetermined sites on Dec. 11 & 12 with the semifinals set for Dec. 17 and the NCAA Championship match slated for Dec. 19 in Tampa, Fla.

For Ticket Information, please CLICK HERE

Make Sure You See FIU's Last Home Match this Season

2009-11-26T16:22:00.008-05:00

Make your plans to attend FIU's last home match of the season at U.S. Century Bank Arena as they host Florida A & M at 1:00PM. This will be a very special day as FIU bids farewell to three talented and beloved seniors, OH - Yarimar Rosa, OH - Isadora rangel and RS - Olga Vergun. In addition FIU is in the midst of a very special season (30-3)and NCAA Tournament Bound. The 30 wins is a new team record breaking last years mark of 29. If that were not enough - they are playing a talented opponent that is also NCAA tournament bound as the MEAC conference champion.

I can still remember when I first saw an FIU Volleyball match a few years ago and here's this young lady - #3 that was able to hoover in the air before striking the ball such vigor that a loud BOOM reverberated through-out the arena. Of course many of you know her as "Yari". This Saturday will be the last time that Yarimar Rosa will play before the home crowd. She will leave FIU as the career record holder in Kills with over 2,000 as well as many others. Follow FIU.Com as they are sure to post her many accomplishments.

Olga Vergun #7 is a talented RS that has been instrumental to the team's success this year. She has great court awareness and is a strong striker from any place on the court. Last year she was injured. Both she and Isadora Rangel were major contributors to FIU's success during Rosa's absence due to injury. Isadora Rangel was a transfer player last year and played an important role as a striker for FIU in winning the Sun Belt Conference in 2008 and this year.

All three players will be missed greatly after this season. The level of greatness will be most measured on how they and the team perform in this years NCAA Tournament. Will a Sweet 16 solidify their greatness?

To see the senior profile on Olga Vergun - CLICK HERE

To see the senior profile on Isadora Rangel - CLICK HERE

In addition FIU is playing against 9 time MEAC Conference Champion: Florida A & M. Both teams will be moving forward to the NCAA Tournament and might even be paired against one-another in the Southern Regional. The match should be very competitive.

Be sure that you show your appreciation for such a great season to the FIU team and it's coaches. If you can make signs and plenty of noise, that would be great. After the match take the time and go down to the court and congratulate as many players as you can, all of the players and coaches are very approachable and a joy to talk too.

Follow FIU during their march through the NCAA Tournament on FIU.com with a Panther Pass.

The University of Miami Closes out the Season with a Loss.

2009-11-25T23:47:00.004-05:00

Coral Gables, Fla. - Sophomore Lane Carico posted a match-high 20 kills while Christine Williamson added 13 more, but it wasn't enough Wednesday afternoon as the University of Miami volleyball team fell to rival Florida State, 3-1 (24-26, 25-16, 25-19, 25-16), in ACC action at the James L. Knight Sports Complex in Coral Gables, Fla.

Miami (18-12, 11-9 ACC) opened the match on fire as Lane Carico and Christine Williamson, both sophomore outside hitters for the `Canes, combined for 13 kills to give UM the thrilling 26-24 first set victory.

Florida State (28-2, 19-1 ACC) countered Miami's strong play in the opener by hitting a match-high .435 clip (14-4-23) in the second set as Rachael Morgan posted five kills and Brianna Barry supplied three more for the Seminoles. FSU battled back from an early deficit to collect a 25-16 win, knotting the match at 1-1 heading into the intermission.

The Hurricanes fought tough in the third set behind seven kills, taking an early 8-4 lead before Morgan and Mira Djuric registered four kills apiece to tie the set at 12-12. Back-to-back kills from Djuric ended the set, giving FSU the 25-19 set-win.

That set victory put FSU on top in the match, 2-1.

In the fourth set, once again Miami played tough behind solid play from Carico, but FSU's Morgan tallied six of her team-high 17 kills en route to the `Noles swinging a .345 clip in the frame. The Seminoles collected the set- and match-victory with a 25-16 advantage.

FSU was led on the day by Morgan's 17 kills, while three more Seminoles added eight kills each. The two-setter system of Nikki Baker and Duygu Duzceler combined for 43 assists--Baker leading the way with 24. Libero Jenna Romanelli had a team-high 11 digs on defense.

Miami was led by Carico's match-high 20 kills and 12 digs, giving the Manhattan Beach, Calif., native her 19th double-double of the year. Williamson added 13 kills and four assisted blocks, and setter Nrithya Sundararaman had 43 assists and three blocks.

Senior libero Cassie Loessberg, in her last game as a Hurricanes student-athlete, had a match-high 14 digs.

Today's match wrapped up a disappointing season for the Hurricanes, collecting consecutive 18-win campaigns under ninth-year head coach Nicole Lantagne Welch. The `Canes finished the season at 18-12, and ended the ACC slate with a record of 11-9.

Having won the ACC title, FSU will await their next opponent for the upcoming NCAA Tournament when the selection is announced next week.

U.S. Women Slotted with Cuba in 2010 FIVB World Championship Opening Pool

2009-11-24T20:01:00.004-05:00

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 24, 2009) - The U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team was placed into Pool C of the 2010 FIVB Women's World Championship Tournament that will be held Oct. 29 to Nov. 14 in various Japanese cities.

Team USA, ranked second in the world by the FIVB, joins NORCECA rival and No. 5 Cuba to headline Pool C being held Oct. 29 to Nov. 3 at Matsumoto, Japan. Other teams participating in Pool C are No. Germany, No. 13 Kazakhstan, No. 17 Thailand and No. 39 Croatia. The order of matches for the Americans will be Thailand on Oct. 29, Croatia on Oct. 30, Germany on Oct. 31, Kazakhstan on Nov. 2 and Cuba on Nov. 3.
"Pool C is a strong group to contend against - as are all of the teams who have earned the right to compete in the World Championship.

" U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) said. "We're excited to compete in this event and build on the foundation we established in 2009. While we hope to do well in this tournament, our initial focus and goal is to get out of our pool and qualify for the next round of competition."

To read the entire press release - CLICK HERE

10th Annual Holiday Beach Event

2009-11-23T13:27:00.003-05:00

Fort Lauderdale Beach, December 5th - 6th.

The Florida Beach Volleyball Tournament group is back for a 10th annual holiday beach tournament. Beach Volleyball in December: While everyone else is dealing with freezing rain and snow, we will be on the beach enjoying clear skies and temps in the 80's. Call all your out of town friends and relatives and tell them to celebrate winter on the beach with us in December! We will have great prizes for all divisions. We might even need a long sleeve t shirt to brave the elements if it dips below 80.

The first 25 teams that pre-register will receive a pair of Gotcha flip flops. Be sure and register early to collect your free gift.

Divisions:
Saturday: Mens and Womens Open, AAA, AA, A, BB, B
Sunday: Juniors and Co-ed AA, A, B
Pre-Registration closes 12 p.m. Friday
Check-in time is 7:30 am - 8:00 am. Saturday and Sunday

Pre-Registration fees: $60 per team for all divisions except open.
Open Divisions: $100 per team

Pre-register at: by Clicking Here

4A - State Champions: Jensen Beach

2009-11-22T21:16:00.005-05:00

LAKELAND — Jensen Beach didn’t have to wait long to win its second state volleyball championship.

Two years after the Falcons won the program’s first title, they did it again, beating Fort Myers 26-24, 25-21, 25-11 to win the Class 4A championship Saturday at the Lakeland Center in just their second Final Four appearance.

Jensen Beach also set a school-record number of wins with a 27-5 finish.

“I don’t care what it looks like from outside the court, but it is very hard to win a state championship,” Falcons coach Mike Sawtelle said. “The teams you play on a nightly basis can beat you on any given day. We played so well (Friday) and so well today. ... We have 14 girls on our roster, and everyone is a part of this because in practice, we play hard against each other and it all paid off in the end.”

Senior middle hitter Brittany Tiegs ended the match on an ace and the Falcons paused a moment in amazement before rushing to the center of the court, hugging and high-fiving each other, while their fans clapped and cheered.

The title makes two for the Martin County School District this year after the Martin County Tigers won the Class 5A championship on Thursday.

“It’s indescribable,” said Tiegs, one of six players who also were a part of the 2007 championship.

Although Jensen Beach made the match look easy by sweeping Fort Myers (28-5) in three games, the first game was a battle to the end.

After a long rally at match point for Jensen Beach, Tiegs finally spiked the ball down on the Green Wave side of the court and the Falcons started celebrating until the Fort Myers crowd erupted in cheers. The officials ruled the hit a carry, which instead tied the game at 24.

Sawtelle called timeout so the Falcons could re-group, and sophomore right-side hitter Allie Bradley and senior middle hitter Molly Alexander scored the next two points on kills to end the game.

“We thought the game was over, and we had to do it again,” Sawtelle said. “We’ve said in the past, ‘Win the game twice if you have to.’ That’s what we did.”

Special Thanks to TCPalm.com for this posting.

With this posting we now close the chapetr in the 2009 High school season (Girls and Coaches: Give yourselves a hand) and now we open the chapter towards the 2009-2010 club season. Hope to see ya in a Tri-County Tournament.

CHAMPIONS: Martin County Wins 5A - State Title

2009-11-21T16:41:00.008-05:00

Elise Walch knew as soon as her feet left the floor, she was going to end the match and walk away a champion.

The 6-foot-5 Martin County senior middle hitter recorded her 32nd kill of the night to give the Tigers volleyball team a 25-16, 17-25, 25-21, 25-21 win over Leon for the Class 5A state title Thursday at the Lakeland Center.

"I could feel it," said Walch, who accounted for the Tigers' final four points on kills and had 12 in the last set. "I wanted it so bad. ... I am just so happy. It's such a great way to go out."

The second the ball dropped to the Lions' side of the court, the Tigers (31-1) rushed to the middle of the floor, and the rows of fans dressed in blue erupted in cheers.

Martin County entered the match ranked 10th nationally by PrepVolleyball.com and backed it up with the program's second state title. The Tigers, who also won a championship in 1994, denied Leon (24-6) its first title after making the Final Four each of the last four seasons.

They will officially celebrate Friday by taking a trip to Busch Gardens.

"This caps a Cinderella season," Tigers coach Marty Bielicki said, noting the championship run was set in motion with a comeback regional final win over St. Thomas Aquinas. "I'm so proud of these girls."

Senior libero Lexi Lloyd added, "It's so unreal. It hasn't really set in that we are state volleyball champs. It's so amazing all our hard work paid off in the end."

Scrappy defense carried Martin County early in the match, as Leon forced the Tigers to get down on the floor with good ball movement around the blocks. Lloyd led the way with 23 digs for the match but had help from some big saves by Lauren Brinskelle and Mallori Moffat, particularly in the first set. The Tigers' only deficit was on the first three points of the set.

Martin County struggled in the second set, though, recording 10 hitting errors to Leon's two, and the Lions rolled to an eight-point win.

"We came out really pumped, and I think that's why we lost the second game," Bielicki said. "We had such an adrenaline rush wanting to prove ourselves to Leon. .. (Leon) played an excellent game. We knew we were going to be in a fight, and it was. We could have slumped very easily, but our girls were determined."

By the third game, Elise Walch, and her sister, sophomore middle hitter Nicole Walch, started heating up, combining for 15 kills in the set. Nicole finished with 15 kills and five blocks.

With Martin County leading 20-15 in the fourth set, the Lions rallied back to within one point at 21-20 before Elise Walch, who also had 3 aces and 2 blocks during her stellar night, closed the door on them.

"With those two great players out there, it's just really hard to defend," Leon coach Joy Becker said. "We were running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to run the ball down. I don't think my team could have hustled any more. ... We left it all out on the court, but I think Martin County played one of the best matches they have played all year to beat us."

MARTIN COUNTY (31-1) - CLASS 5A STATE CHAMPION

No. Player Cl. Pos.

2 Lauren Brinskelle Sr. OH

3 Mallori Moffat So. S/OH

4 Lexis Lloyd Sr. LIB

5 Kelly Brown Sr. DS

7 Madison Arnold Jr. MH

8 Saige Popson Jr. S

9 Monica Meyer Sr. MH

10 Molly O’Neil Jr. OH

11 Kayla Cormier Sr. S

13 Sara Loomis Jr. OH

16 Tierney Seman Jr. OH

17 Morgan Lydon Jr. DS

22 Elise Walch Sr. MH

28 Nicole Walch So. MH

99 Madison Lydon Fr. OH

Coach: Marty Bielicki (28th year, 636-191)

Assistant coaches: Jim Butski, Laura Schoppe, Whitney Warren

Managers: Jenny Maine, Courtney Gates

Athletic director: Greg Hendricks

Principal: Joan Hunt

Special Thanks to TCPalm.com for this story.

Hot Off The Presses - Nov. 20th

2009-11-20T15:22:00.006-05:00

Below is game action details as it comes in.

2A - Westminster Academy put up a valiant effort vs First Academy as it lost in four closely contested sets 25-21, 20-25, 27-25, 25-22.

6A - Just in. Plant was extremely dominant with their tall and talented line up as they beat Ferguson in three sets 25-13, 25-15 and 25-12. Martin of Plant who is on her way to play for Penn State recorded her 1000th career kill during the match.

6A - Boca Raton played close with their great defense but in the end were defeated by Winter Park in four sets: 25-16, 25-21, 23-25, 26-24.

Congratulations to Martin County for winning State in 5A - Full article coming soon!

FIU - Is currently playing in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Bowling Green, KY. FIU has advanced to the Semifinals round and will be playing the University of New Orleans @ 5:00PM today. For more information click on the FIU website on our side bar.

Preview: State Semifinals on Friday the 20th.

2009-11-19T18:07:00.008-05:00

Today three teams took the long bus drive to Lakeland FL. Each team is faced with the excitement of competing for the state championship and the nervousness of knowing it can all end in three sets. The suddenness of the playoffs is what makes them so special.

One can only hope that they enjoy every-bit of this experience, because win or loose they are still South Florida's champions.

On Friday the 20th three more teams will face off with the best teams from the rest of Florida in the State Semifinals. All of our teams are facing extremely difficult opposition. But all of the teams are up to the task at hand.

6A - Boca Raton vs. Winter Park

The Boca Raton girls' volleyball team finds itself in uncharted territory when it faces Winter Park in the Class 6A state semifinals at The Lakeland Center Friday.

Making the school's first appearance in the state final four, Boca comes in red hot having won 16 of its 17 matches.

"We're a quick tempo type of team," said Coach Terri Kaiser, who has led the Defenders to the state tournament nine times in 23 seasons.

Winter Park is energised cy Camille "The Beast" Indest. Indest, who earned the nickname from teammates for her spirited celebrations where she briefly stares down opponents and cheers after a monster kill.

"We feed off of her energy," said Winter Park setter Katelin Henry. "She's a main part of our success."

Match Breakdown: Winter Park possesses and team with strong senior leadership. They are both tall and athletic. Boca will need to have a strong defensive effort to advance to the State Championship.

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6A - Ferguson vs. Plant

The Ferguson team knows they have their work cut out for them as they face the 9th ranked team in the nation. But if you ask the coach and every player they''ll let you know that they are there to win.

Although this is Ferguson's first year in the State Semifinals the Seniors should not be intimidated as they have competed and won in Orlando and Atlanta with their club team: The South Florida Flyers. It's up to those seniors and for Coach Shanower to make sure the team stays loose and yet focused.

``We have a tough test ahead of us, but I would love nothing more than to return with a trophy,'' Shanower said.

Plant coach Leanna Taylor said her team's experience in the state tournament will be an advantage. The Panthers have won the last three 5A state titles and are seeking their first 6A crown. "It's going to be like home court for them," Taylor said. Penn State-bound outside hitter Maddie Martin and Duke-bound libero Ali McCurdy will look to win their fourth consecutive state title as varsity players. Martin leads Plant with 347 kills while McCurdy leads the defense, and Hillsborough County, with 444 digs. Senior setter Becca Howard leads Hillsborough County with 840 assists. Plant, the nation's ninth-ranked team, hasn't lost a postseason game in three years.

Match Breakdown: Will Plant's confidence get the best of them or will they shine as they have in past years. One thing is for sure - Ferguson is there to win and if Plants not careful they might just be packing up to go home tomorrow afternoon.

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2A - Westminster Academy vs. First Academy:

Westminster Academy is no stranger to competing in important matches, nor being an underdog in a match. Just last week, few gave Westminster a chance to advance past Palmer Trinity.

Just as Coach Katie McCrath prepared her team to play it's game and to defeat Palmer, now she must prepare her team to raise the bar a bit higher to defeat last years 2A Champions. With Leaders such as Jenny Walsh and Leigh Andrew, coach will not have a problem preparing the team for a victorious run.

First Academy (25-4) the defending state champion back to the Final Four, where it will face Fort Lauderdale Westminister Academy, which knocked off Palmetto Bay-Palmetto Trinity Friday in the state semifinals at The Lakeland Center.

"Our goal all year has been to repeat," said an elated First Academy coach Michele Moreman. "I couldn't be more thrilled. We're just one step closer. To be able to get it done is huge. They believed in themselves."

The First Academy can thank the front-line play of hitters Kelly Merideth, Ansley Gebben and Taylor English for punching another ticket to the Final Four.

To all of our South Florida Teams: "Stay Loose and Play Hard"

Hot Off The Presses - Lakeland Action

2009-11-18T17:12:00.004-05:00

1A - Wednesday Nov. 18th, the Lake Worth Christian Volleyball team gave an incredible effort losing to Warner Christian of Melbourne in three sets. Both teams came out strong with several lead changes but Warner Came out victorious 33-31. The Second set was dominated by Warner beating LWC 25-18 with the final set being yet another tight contest 26-24.

Warner Christian must be a very talented team to get the best of Lake Worth Christian. Congratulations to LWC to making it to the State Semifinals.
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3A - Wednesday Nov. 18th, the Chaminade Madonna Lions lost in three sets to Holy Trinity 25-14,25-20, 25-18.

``This meant a whole lot because it was out first time [at state], and everyone was really excited,'' Sicam said.

Rey, a senior, said: ``This was -- for a lot of the seniors -- the last chance of playing volleyball. Some of us aren't going to play in college. So it's a really hard loss, but we have to appreciate the fact that we got here, and we had a great season.''

We congratulate Chaminade for a great year and hope to see them back in states soon.

Preview State Semifinals on Wednesday the 18th.

2009-11-17T14:12:00.008-05:00

On Wednesday the 18th, Chaminade-Madonna & Lake Worth Christian will be two of the six (6) South Florida Teams that will be battling in the State Semifinals in Lakeland Florida. The other four commence play on Friday the 20th.

Class 3A - The Lions of Chaminade (24-6) who defeated NBP and will play in Lakeland vs. Holy Trinity of Melbourne in a Class 3A state semifinal at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at The Lakeland Center.

Holy Trinity (23-5)reached the Class 2A region semifinal last season, losing to Class 2A state champs (Orlando) First Academy.

Match Breakdown: Both teams have a strong Sr. foundation. Chaminade's young stars must stay cool under the presure to move forward against a talented team.

BEST of Luck to Chaminade-Madonna – Stay Loose and Play Hard

Class 1A - Lake Worth Christian:

Class 1A – Lake Worth Christian (25-5) will be going up against a very talented Warner Christian Team (26-3) for the right to compete the next day for the State Championship.
This year, the varsity volleyball team stormed out of the gate to a 16-0 start. The team finished a strong regular season at 20-5 and won a fourth straight district championship.

Throughout the year, many great things have taken place. The team won the Palm Beach County Tournament. They also took a road trip to play 1A contenders Bayshore Christian and Bradenton Christian in their respective gyms and beat both teams.

Senior Danielle Lampman committed to Bryan College prior to the season and also was named a News 12 Athlete of the Week late in the season. Senior Katelyn Mears was named to the all tournament team at the Northside Christian Tournament.

Match Breakdown: Both teams are very similar in size, athleticism and excellent coaching. This should be a very close contest and the victorious team will be the one who wants it more. Look at a Video on the top side bar of Warners Setter to get a bit more insight on the Warner Team

History: Warner Christian d. Lake Worth Christian in five (5) sets at the Northside Invitational Tournament.

BEST of Luck to Lake Worth Christian – Stay Loose and Play Hard

Lakeland Bound !

2009-11-15T00:27:00.006-05:00

This Saturday the 14th, several players dreams of making it to States in Lakeland were realized as they advanced as Regional Champions.

6A - Regional Championship - Ferguson High School won the Regional Championship Saturday, defeating Krop 22-25, 26-24, 25-17, 25-17.

Krop came out strong and confident in the first game and controlled the game with consistent serves and good defense. But Ferguson came back to win the second game 26-24 after a key save by Anabel Miguelez, with Danielle Pohl pounding 3 aces to seal the win. Valeria Mejia scored with 5 consecutive serves and contributed the winning block. The Falcons were able to carry that momentum into the third and fourth games to win the title.

Kristen Walewski led the match with 50 assists and 11 digs, and Alexandra Walewski had 10 kills and 10 digs. Danielle Pohl dominated the net with 19 kills and 3 blocks, while Alexandra Beverly slammed 14 kills. Mackenzie Webster played consistently all around, and Alexandra Brando had 16 digs. Danielle Pohl attributed the win to "great team unity that pulled the game out in the end." Alexandra Beverly added, "Krop played an amazing game, but it was our year." Coach Greg Shanower said that while he was proud of his team's effort and tenacity, they would have to improve on ball control in order to win at the next level. This is Ferguson's first trip to the Final Four. Guest Writers Joy and Jerry Beverly.

6A - Regional Championship - Boca Raton d. Hollywood Hills in three sets: 25-19, 25-9, 25-23

5A - Regional Championship - Martin County d. St. Thomas Aquinas in a five set thriller, 28-26, 15-25, 23-25, 25-23, 15-9.

4A - Regional Championship - Jensen Beach d. Cardinal Gibbons in four sets: 25-18, 17-25, 25-21, 27-25.

3A - Regional Championship - Chaminade d. North Broward Prep.: 28-26, 25-21, 26-24.

2A - Regional Championship - Westminster Academy d.Palmer Trinity in a five set thriller: 19-25, 17-25, 25-23, 28-26,15-13.

1A - Regional Championship - Lake Worth Christian d Miami Christian in three Sets: 25-14, 25-22, 25-14.

Congratulations to all of the teams that advanced as Regional Champions, Cherish this win but be focused and prepared for Lakeland FL.

Seven Key matches for the Right to go to Lakeland, FL.

2009-11-12T21:07:00.012-05:00

This Saturday is a major day in the lives of many young ladies through-out South Florida as they have reached the Regional Championship match that will determine which teams deserves to go to Lakeland, FL. and compete for the state championship.

Something to Think about: “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face.” - - Elenor Roosevelt. This quote came from our Inspirational quote section. See which quote pushes your buttons and takes you to new heights.

All the summer workouts, practices, games, bumps and bruises have lead 12 South Florida teams to this point. Which team will have the ability to dig a bit deeper and will their teams to victory.

Below is a Match by Match breakdown of this Saturday games.

6A - Regional Championship - Dr. Krop vs. John A. Ferguson H.S.

Ferguson Coached by Greg Shanower
Top Players: Kristin Walewski, Sr.; Alexandra Walewski, Sr.; Mackenzie Webster, Sr.; Danielle Pohl, Sr.; Alexandra Beverly Sr.

KROP Coached by Caron Schiffman
Top Players: Jesyca Schiffman, Sr.; Brittany Dubins, Sr.; Dylan Yarchin, So.; Brittany Torano, So

Breakdown: Both teams are talented and well coached to make it to this point. Ferguson can come at you from so many angles. Interseting Tidbit: Both teams are lead by two of the best setters in Miami - Dade County: Kristin Walewski (Ferguson) and Jesyca Schiffman (Krop). Previous meeting: Ferguson defeated Krop, 25-21, 25-14 for the GMAC.

6A - Regional Championship - Hollywood Hills vs Boca Raton.

Hollywood Hills
Coached by Jenna Andrews
Top Players: Sr. Ashley James, OH; Sr. Taylor Miller [PICTURED], MH; Fr. Beth Shoaff, S; Sr. Amanda Wright, OH.

Boca Raton
Coached by Amanda Angermeier
Top Players:Julia Schade (Sr.); Lindsey Knapp (So.); Shannon Gregerek (So.); Maria Christakis (Jr.);Mariah Tiona (Sr.); Natalie Fraley (Jr.)

Breakdown: Both teams are very athletic. It will be interesting to see how Holleywood Hills attempts to control Boca's Hard hitting attack. Don't be surprised if the match goes the distance to five (5) sets.

5A - Regional Championships - St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Martin County

St Thomas Aquinas
Coached by Lisa Zielinski
Top Players: Jr. Crystal Dedes, MH; Sr. Dee Dee Dennis; Sr. Anne Langsenkamp, LIB; Sr. Kelly Marble, OH; Jr. Lauren Spear, S.; Fr. Allison Belanger, OH.

Breakdown: A Clash of Power vs. Power. The talented hard hitting St. Thomas team must find a way to get around the Walch Sisters (Sr. Elise 6'5" and So. Nicole 6'2"). The coach and players that adjusts the quickest will be victorious. Interesting Tidbit: Martin County has an amazing 26-1 record. Previous match was won by Martin County in three sets.

4A - Regional Championships - Cardinal Gibbons vs. Jensen Beach

Cardinal Gibbons:
Coached by Kathryn Farland
Top Players: Sr. Courtney Buchanan, OH; So. Caiti Donahoe, S; So. Katie Hillman, MH; Sr. Molly Macek, LIB; Jr. Jessica Wynn, OH/RS.
Comment: Gibbons looks for a 19th State title under second year coach Kathlyn Farland.

Breakdown: Gibbons always has a big hitting team, going to states probably more than most teams out of the south. Jensen has great defense and usually runs a pretty fast game. both teams have mostly high caliber players, as most play club. Interesting Tidbit: Cardinal Gibbons will be going for their 19th state title.

3A - Regional Championship - North Broward Prep vs. Chaminade

Chaminade
Coached by Jason Johnson
Top Players: So. Brianna O'Neil, MH; Sr. Chantal Franzosa, OH; Sr. Ashley Rey, OH; So. April Sicam, LIB.

North Broward Prep
Coached by Terri Jimenez
Top Players: So. Kristi Chynoweth, MH; Sr. Katelyn Hummel, S; 8th McCallen Kennedy, MH; Sr. Krista Lighter, LIB; So. Victoria McPherson, MH/OH; Devin Rawiszer, OH.

Breakdown: Chaminades ability to control the net and be ready for tips could go a long way towards victory against a talented and tall North Broward team. Previous match was won by North Broward Prep 2-1.

2A - Regional Championship - Palmer Trinity vs. Westminster Academy

Palmer Trinity
Coached by William Gonzalez
Top Players: Paulina Prieto [PICTURED], So.; Kristen Titley, Sr.; Sarah Alfonso, Sr.; Cecilia Leal, Sr.; Savannah Dominguez Jr.; Carson Zachar Jr.; Danielle Littke 8th

Westminster Academy
Coached by Katie McCrath
Top Players: So. Leigh Andrew, OH; So. Amelia Bohlander, OH; Jr. Mckenzie Keightley, MH; Jr. Emily McMurtrey, S; Sr. Jenny Walsh, LIB.

Breakdown: Yet another Westminster team stands in the way of Palmers quest to be the best in the state. Two of the best players in their counties (Paulina Prieto / Miami-Dade & Leigh Andrew / Broward) go head to head for the third time this year. Palmer had two back-to-back meetings with Westminster Academy last month, both won by Palmer Trinity, at home and at Westminster Academy.

1A - Regional Championship - Lake Worth Christian vs. Miami Christian

Lake Worth Christian
Coached by Terri Kaiser
Top Players: Danielle Lampman (Sr.); Kristen Kintz (So.); Katelyn Mears (Sr.); Brytney Annis (Jr.)[PICTURED]; Kristy Golden (Jr.); Amanda Krach (Jr.); Gabby Fisher (Jr.); Samantha Cantwell (Jr.)

Miami Christian
Coached by Mary Odio
Top Players: Andrea Garcia, Jr.; Nicole Neckelheimer, Jr.; Daniela Garcia, Jr.; Alexandra Rios, Jr.

Breakdown: Two very talented teams with great height in the power positions will face each other very well. We'll see if lake Worth Christians tough schedule will pay dividends. Interesting Tidbit: First time in a long time that Redlands Christian is not in the Regional Championship match.
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Once again we wish all of you that are competing this Saturday the very best. Make sure to cherish every moment both good and bad.

Folks these matches are being held on a Saturday and all of us should make an effort to attend one of these matches.

Parents: If you have a good picture or two to share of Playoff Action. Please send it to volleyballreport@gmail.com

Special Thanks to our Broward and Palm Beach insiders. This posting would be impossible without their help.

Apologies to Martin County and Jensen Beach - we cover the tri-county area (Dade, Broward and Palm Beach) but would love to have a Martin County insider that helps out with info and stories from time to time - Any Volunteers?

Palmer Trinity Powers over Westminster in three sets

2009-11-10T22:30:00.010-05:00

This time of year is full of the excitement of the playoffs as Class 2A Titans: Palmer Trinity and Westminster clashed for the forth time this year in the Regional Semifinals. Unlike all of their previous matches the victor was decided in just three sets as Palmer Trinity controlled the net.

Palmer Trinity advanced with a three set victory 25-21, 25-9, 25-20 and will now face Westminster Academy of Broward County in the regional Finals.

At the beginning of the match the gym was a buzz with anticipation as both teams respect one-anothers ability and all knew that either way, a very talented teams season would be coming to an abrupt end. The first set was as many have been in this classic match-up; hard fought with many great plays from both sides. In the end Palmer Trinity broke a tie late in the set to capture set one 25-21.

Set two began with Palmer ridding the momentum of the first set to a quick 8-1 run. They never looked back as Paulina Prieto, Savannah Dominguez and Kristen Titley controlled the net and the set with a 25-9 victory.

As set number three started, most in the gym wondered how Westminster would respond.
Would they come out flat or would they dig deep within themselves and play like warriors. Of course they came out like warriors and took a commanding 9-2 lead. Just as it seemed that we were headed towards yet another 5 set thriller, Palmer Trinity started to assert itself and to control the net with it's power game. The 9-2 lead that Westminster earlier enjoyed became a 13-9 deficit as Palmer Trinity went on an 11 point run. The set was closely contested with the last tie being at 18 a piece when Palmer went on it's final run to close the set and the 2009 version of the "Clash of the Titans" as Palmer won set no. 3 (25-20).

As many folks in the gym congratulated the deserving Palmer Trinity players and coaches, I'd like to take the time to acknowledge the Westminster team and tip my hat off to them and the great season that they had in 2009.

Miami Dade Community College wins State Championship

2009-11-09T10:22:00.002-05:00

The Sharks won the FCCAA state championship with the victory. They were led by Yenifer Calcano's double-double (13 kills, 12 digs, 1 ace, 1 block). Calcano was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

The Miami Dade College volleyball team is currently ranked #1 in the State, and # 7 in the Nation. The 25-4 Sharks are the 2009 Southern Conference Champions. For the 4th straight season, they finished undefeated in the conference at 12-0.

The Lady Sharks are lead by OH/M Sandra Montoya, was is currently ranked in the Nation at #8 digs per set, #47 hitting efficiency, and ranked in the State at #2 digs per set, #11 hitting efficiency, #37 kills per set, #48 blocks per set. OH/M Yenifer Calcano is currently ranked in the Nation at #11 kills per set, #24 aces per set, #29 hitting efficiency, and in the State at #1 kills per set, # 5 aces per set, # 6 hitting efficiency, #17 digs per set, #18 blocks per set.

Also, freshman setter Mima Hajdukovic is ranked in the Nation at #23 hitting efficiency, #40 assists per set, and in the State at #6 assists per set, #8 assists per set, #26 aces per set, #43 kills per set. The Lady Sharks have qualified for the FCCAA Region/State Championship competition on Nov. 5-7.

FIU Prevails through a tough Weekend defeating WKU and MTSU

2009-11-08T10:31:00.005-05:00

This weekend's matches had upset written all over them as FIU was ridding a high of consecutive victories and Conference powerhouses (Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee) were lying in wait to ambush FIU and crush this special season.

Coach Tomic obviously had the team focused with the task at hand because FIU came out victorious on both matches.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The FIU volleyball team defeated Sun Belt Conference rival Western Kentucky, 3-1, on Friday night at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., as the Panthers won their 18th straight victory to improve to 25-2 (15-0 SBC) on the season. The 15 conference wins equal the most in the program's history, a mark set by last year's squad.

Rosa recorded a double-double with 20 kills and 14 digs, both team-best marks, while Bjelica tallied 19 kills against just two errors for an attack percentage of .486. Sophomore Andrea Lakovic had a stellar outing on both sides of the net, notching seven kills against a single error for a hitting percentage of .429 and recorded three solo blocks and three block assists. Bjelica added a team-high four blocks.
Valentin recorded 35 assists and FIU's lone service aces of the evening while Araujo added 10 digs.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The FIU volleyball team clinched the Sun Belt Conference regular season title on Saturday night at Alumni Memorial Gym with a 3-1 (26-24, 25-22, 22-25, 26-24) victory over Middle Tennessee. The Panthers are winners of 19 straight matches and improve to 26-2 (16-0 SBC) on the season with the win. The 16 conference wins is also a new school record, breaking the previous record of 15 set in 2008.

Three Panthers reached double digits in kills on the night, as Rosa recorded 21 kills and Vergun and Bjelica added 18 and 14 kills, respectively. Valentin tallied 52assists while Vergun led the FIU defense with six blocks. Sophomore Andrea Lakovic had another outstanding night as she tallied four kills compared to zero errors for a hitting percentage of .500. She also added a pair of block assists.

Be sure to make it to the U.S. Century Arena this Wednesday @ 6:30PM for FIU's second to last home match of the season vs. up and coming Florida Gulf Coast University.

FIU's Volleyball team is in the midst of a Special Season

2009-11-06T10:16:00.007-05:00

We are truly blessed as a community to have a team competing at such a high level in DIV I. The FIU Golden Panthers are on a tear with a 24-2 record. They have received the highest votes from the AVCA coaches poll "Top 25" ever. If you are a fan of great volleyball and you wish to witness first hand a great team in action; I highly recommend you make it to as many games as possible because the season is almost over and the team leaders: Yarimar Rosa #3, Olga Vergun #7 and Isadora Rangel #14 are seniors.

FIU is located right of the Florida Turnpike, there is no reason that folks from Broward County and North Miami Beach can not make it to these matches. The environment is great with 1,000 plus fans always in attendance at the U.S. Century Bank Arena that can hold much more.

There are only two home matches remaining:
Wednesday Nov. 11th vs. Florida Gulf Coast @ 6:30PM
Saturday Nov 28th vs. Florida A&M @ 1:00PM

This weekend will prove to be the toughest test yet as FIU travels to Sun Belt Conference nemesis Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee. Traditionally these two team have been the top teams in the conference since coach Danijela Tomic arrived @ FIU. Last years FIU team captured the conference title as all three teams (W.K. & MTSU) went to the NCAA Tournament.

I'm sure that both Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee are not very happy that there is a new Queen of the Mountain and will do everything possible to knock them off this weekend.

Scouting Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers are 21-7 on the season and 10-3 in SBC play heading into the weekend and are riding a five-match win streak. Offensively, WKU is led by Jordyn Skinner (250 kills, 2.4 kps) and Lauren Stuckel (987 assists, 9.49 aps), while Brittany Bowen (90 blocks, 0.89 bps) and Sarah Rogers (392 digs, 3.77 dps) spearhead the Hilltopper defense. Lindsey Gould leads the squad in service aces with 43. The last time WKU and FIU met (Sept. 2), the Panthers came away with a 3-1 win at the U.S. Century Bank Arena behind a season-high 24 kills from senior Yarimar Rosa. Coutesy of FIU.com

Scouting Middle Tennessee: The Blue Raiders are 19-7 overall and 12-1 in SBC action, as MTSU brings a 10-match win streak into weekend action. The MTSU offense is led by Izabela Kozon (317 kills, 3.56 kps) and Leslie Clark (969 assists, 10.89 aps), while Janay Yancey (88 blocks, 1.06 bps) and Ashley Waugh (248 digs, 3.22 dps) lead the Blue Raider defense. Kozon leads the team in service aces with 30. The Blue Raiders' lone conference loss came at the hands of FIU on Oct. 4 by a 3-1 score at the U.S. Century Bank Arena. Rosa and Vergun led the Panthers with 19 and 15kills, respectively. Courtesy of FIU.com

Regardless of this weekends outcome The FIU team should go far if they stay hungry. Knowing coach Tomic she'll have this team ready to face adversity and to prevail.

University Round-Ups:

This weekend is shaping up to be a good weekend to visit your favorite team cheer your team to victory:

The University of Miami are fighting to establish themselves this year and will host Wake Forest tonight the 6th @ 7:00PM. They will then host ACC power house Duke University @ 1:00PM. If you wish to see the Duke match arrive early.

Nova Southeastern will host Fla. Tech this evening @ 7:00PM and Rollins College Saturday @ 4:00PM.

Barry University will host the same Div II teams in inverse order. Rollins this evening @ 7:00PM then Fla. Tech on Saturday @ 2:00PM.

We hope everyone has a great weekend cheering your favorite teams as the University season winds down.

2009-11-05T13:33:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, Nov 4th were the final Quaterfinal matches in South Florida. Several good teams were eliminated from contention this week. We salute the effort that every player, parent and coach has put forth. We hope that every team that moves towards the State Finals in Lakeland represents South Florida to the fullest.

There was one upset to report in Lourdes defeat of Palmetto (last years 6A Lakeland Representative).

Lourdes was led by the servicing of Senior Lauren Silva (7aces and 6 kills) as they d. Palmeto 26-24, 26-24, 25-19 in region 4-6A Quarterfinal. Senior OH Carolina Nuche finished with a match high 13 kills, Junior Setter Ketherine Zamora had 31 assists and freshman libero Victoria Verdeja had 23 digs.

Region 4-6A quarterfinal -- Ferguson d. Killian, 25-19, 25-17, 25-17: Alexandra Beverly slammed five of her team-high 14 kills in the third game.

``We played a good game overall and our setter really ran our offense well,'' Ferguson coach Greg Shanower said. ``We turned on the switch when we needed to, which is good, but it's that time of year where every point, every set, every play counts.''

Ferguson (20-5) rallied to win the opening game, as Beverly collected four of her 14 kills. Alexandra Walewski added 20 digs and seven kills.

The Falcons will prepare for Lourdes next.

``Playing Lourdes again is tough because they played us so well in the district finals,'' Shanower said. ``They know our weaknesses and though the score didn't reflect it, they played a much better game than we did.''

-- MELISSA MARTI, Miami Herald

• Region 4-6A quarterfinal -- Krop d. Coral Park 22-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-17: The Lightning (23-2) came together once again, rallying around the injured Brittany Dubins.

Although Dubins was hampered by a leg injury she sustained during the district championship tournament, she sparked Krop with 13 kills. The Lightning will host Hialeah at 3 p.m. next Tuesday in the regional semifinals.

Krop coach Caron Schiffman said that before the game, Dubins told her that she wanted to play despite the injury.

``Brittany told me, 'I'm here if you need me [coach]','' Schiffman said. ``I really didn't want to play her at all, but I could sense that the girls needed to get pumped up out there so I threw her in and whenever she got a kill or made big play, it got us going.''

-- J.T. WILCOX, Miami Herald

• Region 4-2A quarterfinal -- Palmer Trinity d. Florida Christian 25-13, 25-18, 25-17: Palmer dominated from the outset and were able to attack incessantly courtesy of sophomore Paulina Prieto who led the charge with nine kills, four aces, and nine blocks. Prieto was also fundamental in the frontline defense as they were able to neutralize the Patriots Meghan Doyle.

Palmer's offense was not only being run through Prieto but also senior Sarah Alfonso (40 assists, three blocks) as well as Kristen Titley (four aces, five kills). Savannah Dominguez (four kills, three blocks) and Lauren Boss (five kills, two aces) were vital contributors to the Falcon cause.

-- JUAN ARANGO, Miami Herald

• Region 4-4A quarterfinal -- Mater Academy d. Archbishop McCarthy 22-25, 23-25, 25-16 25-23, 15-2: The host Lions overcame a two game deficit and dominated the fifth set, scoring 13 points in a row behind a flawless service run from Natasha Naveda and beating McCarthy on a kill from senior Jenna Isaacs.

``The first two sets, my heart was breaking,'' Isaacs said. ``But our whole team, we brought it back together, and that's the best feeling in the world. -- I'm going to cry right now.''

Isaacs finished with 24 kills and one block, and senior Maria Madrid had 17 kills and two blocks.

-- EVAN DREXLER, Miami Herald

• Region 4-2A quarterfinal -- Westminster Academy d. Fort Pierce John Carroll 27-25, 25-14, 27-25: Amelia Bohlander had 13 kills (three blocks, two tips) and six service points (two aces) to lead a solid effort for Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale.

The Lions (20-6) will host Calvary Christian in a rematch of the district finals -- won by Westminster -- in the region semifinal on Nov. 10.

Westminster avenged an earlier loss to John Carroll (21-8) at the Martin County tournament. The Lions served, passed and hit well Wednesday. The defense was strong, and they won the close games.

Leigh Andrew had 14 kills (tip), nine digs, nine service points (ace), and Brenna Pelletier had nine service points (three aces), eight digs and a kill. Jenny Walsh recorded 12 digs to anchor a solid defense along with Andrew and Pelletier.

-- JIM VARSALLONE, Miami Herald

• Region 3-6A semifinal -- West Broward d. Plantation 25-20, 21-25, 25-13, 25-11: West Broward defeated Plantation to advance to the regional finals for the first time in school history.

West Broward got it done using a variety of different players to tally kills, assists and digs.

``We are blessed with versatility,'' Bobcats coach Jill Smitherman said. ``We distribute the ball well and get the job done.''

Leading the way for the Bobcats was Taylor Bonito, who totaled 33 assists, 15 digs, two blocks and four kills. She also hit four consecutive aces to start the first set.

-- ALEX WEINTRAUB, Miami Herald

• Region 4-4A quarterfinal: Cardinal Gibbons d. Norland 25-4, 25-9, 25-9: Katie Hilman had two blocks, five kills, 16 service points. Kaiti Donahoe had four kills, 28 assists, six aces. Suzi Solenski had 10 kills, six service points. CG 21-2.

• Region 4-2A quarterfinal -- Calvary Christian d. Benjamin 25-23. 25-22, 25-22: Christine Lakatos had 16 kills, five blocks, three service points. Debra Gordon had 14 kills, four service points, four aces. Jessie Wilkie had 30 assists, 10 service points. CC 17-9.

• Region 3-6A quarterfinal -- Douglas d. Jupiter 25-22, 23-25, 25-14, 25-23: Kendall Putnam had 13 service points, four aces, 19 kills. Kirsten Kuhl had five digs, 11 kills, four blocks. Lauren Strode had three service points, 12 digs. DOU 17-6.

• Region 4-2A quarterfinal -- Westminster Christian d. Miami Country Day 25-18, 25-17, 25-18: Julie Trembley had 15 kills, five digs. Deanna Etzold had 11 kills, nine assists, five digs. Rebbecca Acevedo had 34 assists, nine kills, four aces. WC 23-5.

• Region 4-6A quarterfinal -- Hialeah d. Goleman 25-17, 25-19, 23-25, 25-9: Jasmine Wilkin led Hialeah with 13 kills and five blocks. Miriah Reynold had six kills and five blocks. Jennifer Maron had 23 assists.

Photos: Parents and Coaches send in the photos of South Florida's Playoff Action!

South Florida teams continue their qwest towards Lakeland: Regional Quarter Finals

2009-11-04T13:05:00.007-05:00

South Florida's elite teams continue their quest towards the State Championship in the Quarterfinal Rounds of the Regionals. All the teams advanced as expected with the slight exception of Redlands Christian in 1A that was the runner-up of District 16 and d. the winner of District 15 - Greater Miami Christian. This is not a major upset seeing that Redlands has been a constant participant in Lakeland and is still lead by the Carr sisters.

The balance of Regional Quarterfinals take place today through-out South Florida.

Regional Quarterfinal Action - Results and Top Performers for Tuesday Nov 2nd:

>Region 4-1A quarterfinal -- Miami Christian d. Calusa Prep 25-15, 24-26, 25-13, 25-19: Andrea Garcia led Miami Christian (20-3) with 16 kills and eight aces. Nicole Beckleheimer finished with 13 kills and eight aces. Alexandra Marchese contributed 25assists.

> Region 4-1A quarterfinal -- Redland Christian Academy d. Greater Miami Academy 25-12, 25-15, 25-19: Kaylyn Carr had 25 kills, four blocks, four aces and five assists to lead the Falcons (16-3) to victory. Karlee Carr added four kills, one block, seven aces and 31 assists, and Deedee Nelson contributed 10 kills, one block, two aces and one assist.

> Region 4-5A quarterfinal -- St. Thomas Aquinas d. Palm Beach Wellington 25-8, 25-9,25-11: Kelly Marble had 11 kills, two digs, five service points for the Raiders. Allison Bellanger (Pictured Hitting #1) had 10 kills, nine digs and two blocks. Crystal Dedes added six kills and seven blocks. The Raiders travel to face Spanish River, whom the Raiders defeated in their lone regular season matchup.

> Region 4-5A quarterfinal -- Boca Raton Spanish River d. Nova 25-20, 25-11, 25-17: Olivia Mesner (Pictured), a junior transfer from North Broward Prep, led the host Sharks (20-7). She had eight kills in a close game one. Spanish River pulled away in game two as she added four more kills (block, tip). Nova's sound defense had trouble handling the serve of libero Maddy Davell in game one and Alex Burgess in game two. Sara Saxner and Cassie Thompson each had three kills for the Titans (17-6) in the opener, but Spanish River kept Nova off ballance, finding spots.

> Region 4-3A quarterfinal -- North Broward Prep d. Cardinal Newman 25-22, 25-9, 25-11: Victoria McPherson had 16 kills and two blocks, and Kristi Chynoweth added 11 kills and two blocks to lead the Eagles (16-11). Krista Lighter had 11 digs, seven service points and two aces. Katelyn Hummell had 35 assists.

> Region 4-3A quarterfinal -- Chaminade d. Miami Gulliver Prep 25-15, 25-22, 25-17: Brianna O'Neil had 10 kills, eight service points and two blocks to lead the Lions (22-6). Ashley Rey had eight service points, seven kills and six digs. Chantal Franzosa had eight service points, two aces and five kills.

> Region 4-1A quarterfinal -- Highlands Christian d. Boca Raton Christian 25-10, 25-16, 25-23: Katelyn Wik had 12 service points, four aces, six digs and eight kills for the Knights (18-7). Lindsey Nick had 12 service points, three aces, three digs and nine kills. Joanna Marco had eight service points, six digs, 12 assists and three blocks. Kelly Ray had five kills and five blocks.

> Region 4-1A quarterfinal -- Lake Worth Christian d. Sheridan Hills 25-11, 25-6, 25-5: Caitlin McCluskey had four kills and two blocks to lead the Sharks (21-3) in the loss.

Be sure to read your local papers for complete Volleyball Playoff coverage.

Setters Lead Potent Attacks

2009-11-04T10:15:00.005-05:00

Today, we came across a great article from the Sun Sentinel that we had to share with all our readers. Far to often, the middle blockers and outside hitters get recognized but who sets them up with perfect passes to slam down. Obviously it's the setter. Mrs. Chirinos did a great job with this article.

No headlines or flashy statistics. Instead, there's the grueling task of trying to figure out how to best distribute the ball and keep everybody — including the coach —happy.

No wonder volleyball player Nikki Naccarato of Wellington (Pictured) shied away from the idea of moving from hitter to setter.

"It was tough, and I rebelled so much," said the Wellington junior who led Palm Beach County with an average of 32.4 assists per match during the regular season. "I enjoy hitting, and setters don't really get the glory. Now, I would never trade it for the world."

Most likely, Naccarato realized what dozens of top-notch South Florida volleyball coaches preach yearly.

It may be the big hitters who notch the points, but without their unheralded setters, it would be incredibly difficult to succeed.

"They do a lot of the work," Wellington coach Steve Swan said. "Setters are the coaches on the floor. They're the ones calling the plays and making quick decisions. It's a tough spot."

As regional volleyball tournaments begin this week across [South Florida], several of South Florida's top high school setters will be working to move their teams one step closer to the state championships.

South Florida's Top Setters currently leading their teams in the Regionals are:

Boca Raton's Julia Schade
Jupiter's Brittany Lear
St. Thomas Aquinas' Lauren Spear
Calvary Christian's Jessie Wilkie
Lake Worth Christian's Danielle Lampman
Ferguson's Kristin Walewski
Krops Jesyca Schiffman
Palmer Trinity's Sarah Alfonso
Westminster's Rebecca Acevedo
Mater's Natasha Naveda

Those are just a few of the players coaches and hitters will be looking to when it comes time to take a pass and turn it into the perfect opportunity to notch crucial points.

"It's a complete mental game," Cardinal Gibbons coach Kathryn Farland said. "In their minds, they have to take the pass and figure out where they can set it. It has to go through their mind so quickly, and they have to play smart. That's what you look for in a setter."

Aside from the physical skills and the mental prowess, good setters often share another characteristic: the ability to move on quickly.

To Read the complete article please buy a copy of the Sun Sentinel, Never has such a small amount of money bought so much.

Christy Cabrera Chirinos can be reached at ccabrera@SunSentinel.com
Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Class 2A District 16 Championship - by Guest Writer Philip "FLIP" Littke

2009-11-03T12:55:00.005-05:00

Palmetto Bay in South Florida was rumbling last Friday night, but not because of an earthquake, the rumble on the ground happened because of yet another “Clash of the Titans” between rival powerhouses Westminster Christian School and host Palmer Trinity School, which occurred in front of a full house at the PTS gym, for the Championship title of District 16 Class 2A.

Both teams played exceptional volleyball, with every set being fought tooth and nail. Neither team gave away easy points to the other team, since each was extremely focused to ensure that the only way to lose a point would be through a power play, not a mistake or error.

Most notable of the game was the heightened level of blocking skills as both teams demonstrated not only exceptional blocking, but also block recovery, whereas long rallies would occur, with each team spiking, getting blocked, picking up the block, and spiking again. Over and over each team tried to look for each other’s weaknesses.

Westminster Christian did a very good job alternating their crossed spikes and spikes down the line, looking for gaps in the Palmer Trinity blocks, and gaps on the floor for dumping the ball. They have an excellent roster that can spike well in any rotation, and that was one of the key factors for their superior performance this year.

Palmer Trinity relied from their designated center blockers and did a very good job through the middle with their alternate middle spikers, and did prevail with the phenomenal spiking skills of their two twin towers, Paulina Prieto and Kristen Titley. Their varied attacks were all moderated by star setter Sarah Alfonso, who picked up very difficult serve receives and was able to deliver the ball throughout the net to her center or outside players. During tough sets, alternates Lauren Buss, Carson Zachar and Savannah Dominguez were able to contribute significantly. Particularly Dominguez, whom was able to capitulate with speed and her height in various clutch points during the fourth set, where Palmer Trinity saw a comfortable lead dwindle down to a tie at 24-24, and the team momentum, was virtually nil. This allowed Palmer the last burst of effort to finalize match set with a 27-25 and take home the Championship title.

The completion of a strong defensive back row was comprised of Erica Vazquez-Bacardi, Bailey Evans and Cecilia Leal, whom had their work cut out chasing deep spikes and dinks that landed virtually every time in the far corners, or in the middle. They continually were on the floor after a long dink, or fielding a strong spike from the powerful Westminster hitters.

With this win the Lady Falcons clinch the District 16 title and will face off the runner-up of the District 15 (Florida Christian). The Lady Warriors will face the winner of the District 15 matchup (Miami Country Day).

This historic rivalry might not be over yet this season. If both teams win their next game for the regional semi-finals, there is chance that they’ll meet again!! Good luck to both teams!!

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

2009-10-29T22:32:00.006-04:00

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

2009-10-29T11:47:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-29T11:41:00.005-04:00

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

2009-10-28T15:48:00.005-04:00

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

2009-10-28T13:51:00.008-04:00

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

2009-10-28T10:39:00.007-04:00

South Florida Volleyball Districts Get on their Way

2009-10-27T10:19:00.007-04:00

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

2009-10-26T13:38:00.007-04:00

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

2009-10-24T15:10:00.005-04:00

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

2009-10-24T09:58:00.006-04:00

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

2009-10-22T20:42:00.004-04:00

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

2009-10-22T10:22:00.004-04:00

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

2009-10-20T23:24:00.001-04:00

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

2009-10-20T11:14:00.000-04:00

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

2009-10-18T21:12:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-10-16T20:59:00.000-04:00

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

2009-10-16T13:41:00.003-04:00

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

2009-10-14T16:09:00.005-04:00

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

2009-10-13T18:14:00.004-04:00

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

2009-10-12T16:46:00.001-04:00

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.

Prep Volleyball - Top Performers - Palm Beach

2009-10-11T15:28:00.004-04:00

Last week was yet another great week of Volleyball team and individual performances. Before we get into the top performers in Palm Beach we like to congratulate, the Lake Worth Christian girls' volleyball team that continues to stand alone 16-0.

The only undefeated team in either Palm Beach or Broward County stayed that way by winning four matches in a two-day span during the Palm Beach Classic girls' volleyball tournament.

Below is a list of the Top performers for Palm-Beach:

Anne Corrigan of Palm Beach Gardens had 20 kills, 16 service points and 4 blocks as Kory Hayden enforced the net with 10 blocks and 9 kills in four set d. over Dwyer.

Madison Ahearn of Dwyer had 23 kills, 14 service points and 4 aces as Caroline Uhl added 16 kills, 11 service points and 2 aces in four set match vs. PB Gardens.

Alissa Vazquez of Lake Worth aired out 21 assists, 13 service points and 5 aces in three set d. over Boynton.

Shaina Abdell of Royal Palm Beach had 17 assists, 9 digs, 9 blocks, 8 kills, 6 service points and 4 aces while Latoya Harvin added 15 digs, 13 blocks, 13 service points 10 Kills and 4 aces in 5 set d. over King's.

Codi Mimun of Benjamin had 14 kills and 9 digs in three set d. over Summeit Christian

Danielle Lampman of Lake Worth Christian had 21 assists, 9 service points and 3 aces in three set d. over FAU.

Taylor Meredith of Pope had 24 digs and 6 service points in a great defensive effort in three set d. over Trinity Christian.

Kelli Weis of Trinity Christian had 29 assists and 10 service points while Erica Asher pounded 15 kills and added 9 digs in three set match vs Pope.

Julia Schade of Boca Raton aired 27 assists, 6 service points and 4 aces in three set d. over O. Heights.

Nikki Naccarato of Wellington had 32 assists and 3 kills in three set d. over PB Central.

Sami Spidell of Boca Christian had 15 service points, 14 kills, 5 aces and 2 blocks in three set d. over Jupiter Christian.

Katelyn Mears of Lake Worth Christian had 15 digs, 10 service points and 5 aces as Danielle Lampman had 31 assists.

Keelin Severtson of Cardinal Newman had 31 assists, 17 service points and 7 aces while Hannah Fountain added 12 kills, 6 service points and 3 blocks in three set d. over Sem. Ridge.

Sarah Wickstrom of Jensen Beach had 28 assists, 10 service points, 3 acesand 5 kills in a three set d. over Suncoast.

Hannah Fountain of Cardinal Newman slammed 14 kills, and added 8 digs, 8 service points and 4 aces in three set d. of Clewiston.

Caroline Uhl of Dwyer had 15 digs, 5 service points, 2 kills as Victoria Penrod aired out 22 assists in three sets vs Wellington.

Brooke Stegeman of St. Andrews had 29 digs; Taylor Kennedy 20 digs, 16 kills, 10 service points, 2 aces, 3 blocks; Courtney Kaiser 11 blocks, 10 kills, 6 service points, 5 aces in five set d. over Boca Christian.

Monica Sowers of Boca Christian had 27 assists, 21 service points, 7 digs; Sami Spidell 16 kills, 13 service points, 3 aces, 6 blocks in five set match vs. St Andrews.

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: volleyballreport@gmail.com

Road Trip Gainesville - Day 2 - UF vs Tenn.

2009-10-08T21:26:00.003-04:00

After a great breakfast, we were off to the O'Connell Center on the University of Florida campus to participate in the Beyond the Net Program. We arrived at the lady gators practice facility and were greeted by several members of the University Athletic Association (UAA).

During the presentation we learned about the life of a student athlete. Besides the honor and excitement of representing your school, traveling and competing at the highest level, it's not all fun and games. Student Athletes have a difficult schedule. During the season the first practice is at 6:00AM - then students attend classes and have a second practice at 3:00P.M. That practice is usually followed by a team dinner, that sounded like a great team bonding opportunity.

During the off season, the team continues to have 8 hours of mandatory practices and volunteer conditioning. The student athletes don't have summers off either, that might be when they work hardest getting ready for the upcoming season.

The Beyond the Net program was a great look inside the life of a student athlete. It might not be all fun and games, but if you really want to compete at the highest level - not having much free time is a small price to pay. Especially if you are a Gator. Gainesville really knows how to treat the volleyball team like rock stars.

After touring some of the athletic facilities we were off to see UF vs. Tennessee(also referred to as "Gator Bait") at the O'Connell Center.

Once you enter the O'Dome, you can't help but feel the excitement and energy as hundreds upon hundreds of people are pouring in, through the gates. We immediately came across a gift store with several great UF volleyball shirts, shorts, balls, etc and quickly purchased a few.

Once we sat, the arena filled quite rapidly and it was game time. Special kudos to the production people with their giant video screens (felt like a Miami Heat game), special lighting, UF band, dancers and the lovely Alberta. We started learning the special chants and gator chomps and by the end of the game we looked just like veteran fans.

The official Attendance was listed at 2,318 and this wasn't even a marquee match-up. The Kentucky game on Friday night October 2nd brought in well over that number with 3,820 fans in attendance.

The gators disposed of a very talented Tennessee Volleyball team in three sets (25-20, 25-19,25-21). To read the complete game breakdown visit the official Gator site by CLICKING HERE.

As we were walking back to our van, the excitement of what we just witnessed was still resonating as my kids were quite giddy. If you have not witnessed a UF game in person in the O'Connell Center I recommend you do so. It is a great experience for your kids both Volleyball wise and the entire UF experience.

For those wondering I am not a UF Alumni - Actually I'm an ALABAMA Alumni.

I plan on staying in contact with the University of Florida and advise the South Florida Volleyball Community as to the next time the Beyond the Net program will coincide with Family Day so that you can get the most out of your UF experience.

"GATOR BAIT!"

Road Trip Gainesville, FL. - Day 1

2009-10-08T12:35:00.006-04:00

It was 6:30AM Saturday Oct 3rd as I was loading up the family van to embark on a 5 hr trip to the University Of Florida in Gainesville. The birds were singing their sweet morning melody as the horizon glowed in the anticipation of a new day. Everyone aboard shared the excitement and anticipation of the events and activities we would experience over the next two days.

Our itinerary was to get to know the campus on day one and attend the beyond the net program offered by ladies Volleyball Coach Mary Wise and to witness first hand one of the best volleyball teams in our nation in game action on day two.

Although rain was on the forecast, we were blessed with great weather and beautiful views of rolling hills just north of Orlando in Lake County. We arrived around lunch time and promptly quenched our hunger at a university eatery "The Swamp". Then we were off to get to know the University of Florida campus.

The campus was filled with many activities seeing that it was family day. We started of at the student rec. center. We visited the book store, bought some Gator shirts (not much to chose on Volleyball). We then joined tour groups for family day and were off to get to know more about the university.

As we strolled along the quad like patios between the brick covered buildings and the wise spanish moss covered oak trees; I could see my kids eyes grow with enlightenment and desire to become something great, something more than they are now.

Some institutions of higher learning have a special affect upon a person and I was happy to see the UF campus affecting my kids in such a positive manner.

One of the stops during the tour was at the Century Tower - where a talented student choir entertained all who were lucky enough to hear their melodies.

Later in the afternoon we drove to the Museum of Natural History on the UF campus and also visited the Butterfly Rainforest.

As my kids (only in middle school) were talking about student life and their possible fields of study, I knew that my wife and I did good in bringing them to Gainesville. As we made it to the hotel that evening we reflected on a great day and knew that tomorrow could be even greater as we would meet Coach Mary Wise, witness firsthand Gator Volleyball and that days "Gator Bait" - the Tennessee Volunteers.

Prep Volleyball - Top Performers: Miami Dade

2009-10-07T09:29:00.003-04:00

This last week was filled with special performances in key games for many teams as the top teams start to see just how they shape up against their yearly rivals and are finding out that new teams are making their mark on the South Florida Volleyball scene.

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.

Below are Top Performances from September 26th- October 3rd, 2009 in South Florida:

Top Performers - Miami – Dade

The Killian's girls' volleyball team earned a big district victory Thursday night, defeating Palmetto 28-26, 25-20, 25-14. Alycia Lenoble had eight kills and eight digs for the Cougars (7-2). Taylor Slaughter had 11 kills and four blocks, and Dianie Berut had eight digs and 20 assists.

Paulina Prieto of Palmer Trinity had 19 kills and four blocks. Kristen Titley chipped in 12 kills and four aces while Sarah Alfonso (PICTURED) had 43 assists and two aces in three set d over Miami Country Day.

Jesyca Schiffman of Krop had 40 assists and four aces while Brittany Dubins slammed down 17 kills and four aces in four set d. over University.

Ariam Rios of Princeton Christian had 23 assists and nine aces, Monique Rivers powered 10 kills and Kristine Rios had six kills and seven aces in three set d. over Brito.

Tytravia Smith of Westland had 13 kills, three digs and six aces in five set d. over Key West. She then followed that up with yet another 13 kill performance in d. of Norland.

Dian Fuentes of Goleman had 25 digs and nine kills in three set d. over North Miami Beach.

Kelly Adams of Coral Gables had 12 kills and Jasmine Jackson aired out 42 assists in three set d. over Miami High.

Jasminie Wilkins of Hialeah had 17 kills in five set d. over Coral Park.

Marissa Bolton of Miami Country Day had 16 digs and 13 kills, Sam Sardinia had 12 kills and 10 blocks and Mallorie Thomas had 37 assists in five set d. over Florida Christian.

Kaylyn Carr of Redland Christian had 20 kills in three set d. over Miami Christian.

Jesyca Schiffman of Krop had 33 assists in three set d. over HML.

Steffany Rolgan of Southwest had 11 kills and Linette Perez had 29 assists in three set d. over Regan.

Myrelis Fustet of South Miami had 31 assists and 18 service points and Natalia Huaroto had 22 digs and nine service points in four set d. over Braddock.

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

Prep Volleyball - Top Performers: Broward

2009-10-06T17:57:00.001-04:00

This last week was filled with special performances in key games for many teams as the top teams start to see just how they shape up against their yearly rivals and are finding out that new teams are making their mark on the South Florida Volleyball scene.

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.

Below are Top Performances from September 26th- October 3rd, 2009 in South Florida:

Top Performers: Broward

Kelly Marble of St. Thomas Aquinas had a triple double with 16 kills, 15 service points, 12 digs and 5 aces in three set d. over Douglas.

Keara Fullerton of South Plantation had 15 kills, 9 blocks in four set d. over Ft. Lauderdale.

Tatiana Berger of Pine Crest had 18 kills and 5 digs in three set d. over Miami Pace.

Morgan Barry of University School had 14 kills and 10 digs vs. Dr. Krop.

Suzie Solenski of Cardinal Gibbons had 10 kills, 6 blocks and 2 digs in three set d. over Westminster Academy.
Leigh Andrew of Westminster Academy had 17 kills and 4 digs vs. Cardinal Gibbons.

Melissa Le of Flanagan had 23 assists, 8 service points and 4 kills in three set d. over Coral Springs Charter.

Elizabeth McHugh of West Broward had 12 kills, 4 blocks and 3 digs while Emily Navarrete controlled the back with 27 digs and added 5 service points in three set d. over Cypress Bay.

Jenna Keeler of Plantation had 18 digs, 10 kills, 4 blocks, 4 service points and 2 aces in a three set d. over Everglades.

Brianna O'Neil of Chaminade-Madonna had 18 kills, 16 service points and 5 aces as April Sicam added 19 digs, 14 service points and 3 aces in four set d. over Hollywood Hills.

Kelley Ray of Highlands Christian had 16 kills in three set d. over Florida Bible.

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

Prep Volleyball - Top Performers: Palm Beach

2009-10-05T12:25:00.004-04:00

In a matchup of the biggest names of small-school volleyball in the county, Lake Worth Christian defeated Boca Raton Christian 25-19, 25-22, 25-16 Tuesday at the Blazers' gymnasium.

"It was an exciting game and we gave them a run for their money," Blazers coach Len Visser said. "Lake Worth Christian is always a great team and we came into this match saying we were going to learn from this match and make it a positive thing."

Sami Spidell, the Blazers' leading hitter with 12 kills and a pair of service aces, agreed.

"We'd rather play a better team and lose than play weaker teams and win," she said. "Besides, we'll be playing them again in regionals."

Special Thanks to the Sun Sentinel - for the complete article please CLICK HERE.

Top Performers: Palm Beach County This is for the week of the Sept. 29th - Oct. 3rd, 2009

In yet another marquee match-up;Park Vista d. Royal Palm Beach 25-23, 25-12, 18-25, 25-11 in four sets.
Park Vista Top performers: Taylor Tendrich 26 digs, 9 service points and Pamela Queiroga 21 kills, 2 blocks
Royal Palm Beach Top Performer: Shaina Abdell 20 digs, 12 kills

More Top Performers:
Caroline Uhl of Dwyer had 28 kills, 15 digs, 6 service points and Victoria Penrod aired out 49 assists, 10 service points and 2 aces vs. Suncoast.

Brittany Lear of Jupiter had 40 assists, 10 digs and 8 kills in four set d. of Boca Raton.

Codi Mimun of Benjamin had 14 kills, 11 service points and 2 blocks in d. over Cardinal Newman.

Kelley Ray of Highlands Christian had 12 kills and 5 blocks in five set d. over St. Andrew's.

Michelle Denise Robinson of Lake Worth almost had a triple double of 18 digs, 10 service points and 9 kills in d. of John I Leonard in four sets.

Tamoya Merritt of John I. Leonard had 17 kills and 5 blocks vs. Lake Worth.

Emily Viskovich of West Boca had 29 assists, 12 service points and Jessica Santaniello had 14 kills, 11 digs, 7 service points in d. of Wellington.

Shaina Abdell of Royal Palm Beach had 21 digs, 14 service points, 11 kills, 6 aces and Latoya Harvin had 12 blocks, 11 kills and 10 digs in d. of Sem. Ridge.

Maren McRoberts of Benjamin had 36 assists, 13 service points, 8 digs and 4 aces and Codi Mimun enforced the net with 14 kills and 3 blocks vs. Kings Academy in 5 sets.

Monica Sowers of Boca Christian had 28 assists, 24 service points, 6aces and 4 digs and Sami Spidell had 15 kills, 11 service points, 2 blocks in three set d. over Ft. Lauderdale Christian.

Nikki Landau of Donna Klein had 37 assists, 4 service points and 3 aces vs. Posnack.

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

South Florida Volleyball Club (SFVC) Players make their Presence Known

2009-10-02T22:18:00.002-04:00

We are posting an interesting story that was in Wednesday the 30th edition of the Miami Herald about a successful middle school program that feeds talented players into the high school level. What's interesting is that many of these girls also belong to a USAV club.

St. Rose of Lima School in Miami Shores has been very good to Chaminade-Madonna volleyball in Hollywood. One of its alums, sophomore 6-0 middle hitter Brianna O'Neil, has led the Lions to a 12-2 mark this season.

O'Neil, a Miami Shores resident, competed for St. Rose of Lima from 6th to 8th grades. She joined Chaminade in her freshman season, along with hitter/libero April Sicam and middle blocker Michelle Wade, two more current sophomores who also played at St. Rose of Lima.

``We're a package deal,'' O'Neil joked. ``We're friends. We go to school together. We car-pool together. We play volleyball together.''

The three also compete for the South Florida Volleyball Club. O'Neil added: ``We three stick together, and there's never a dull moment with us.''

For the Complete Story in the Miami Herald and scores of Tuesday's action please CLICK HERE

SFVC Players at St. Rose of Lima School Win Sixth Consecutive Title

Congratulations to the St. Rose of Lima School girls' volleyball team for successfully defending their title and winning the All Catholic Conference Pre-Season Tournament -- held at Belen Jesuit on September 19 -- for the sixth year in a row!

The team includes nine South Florida Volleyball Club (SFVC) players: Emily O'Neil, Alyssa Osborn, Camilla Latimer, Jacqui Koebel, Amanda Rey, Sydney Armbrister, Krystina Dorta, Mary Shelow, and Erin Donahue, along with Jennifer Cooks, Jazzmin Peluchette and Jackie Yao.

The team is coached by SFVC coach Dee Rey and assistant coach Jeff Yao.

Local University Weekend Previews: Key Match-ups

2009-10-02T10:12:00.005-04:00

This is a great weekend to watch your favorite local university play as four (4) local schools will be showing off their talent in front of their fans. It is very important that you make the time and show up strong and loud because several schools are having to play against top flight schools.

Below is a preview on the matches that our local schools will have to face and prevail:

Lynn University travels up I-95 today to compete vs. Palm Beach Atlantic. Lynn is in the midst of a very impressive season going 12-4 and beating #15 West Florida, #17 Florida Southern and #12 Lewis. Coach Lynze Roos (pictured) and the fighting Knights really deserve your support.

Recently Lynn University's volleyball team defeated its third ranked opponent of the season with a 3-1 (25-18, 25-18, 23-25, 25-18) victory over No. 17 Florida Southern on Saturday afternoon. The Fighting Knights move to 12-4 on the season and even their Sunshine State Conference record to 2-2.

Four Knights tallied double-figure kills, led by Mallory Deneen's match-high 12. Katie Bradley added 11 for the Blue and White while Kala Abdell and Haley Pratt each chipped in 10. Sophie Gagnon finished just under double-digits with nine kills.

Florida International University is facing a tough home-stand matching up against two of the top teams in the Sun Belt Conference hosting Western Kentucky tonight @ 6:30PM and Middle Tennessee State on Sunday @ 1:00PM.

University of Miami will be hosting two top ACC opponents in a must win situation. UM faces Clemson tonight @7:00PM and a tough Georgia Tech team on Sunday the 4th @ 1:00PM. Read why UM is in a must-win situation in the story below.

Florida Atlantic University faces a tough home opener as they first host Middle Tennessee State tonight @ 7:00PM then Western Kentucky on Sunday @ 1:00PM.

Nova Southeastern hits the road on Saturday the 3rd for match play vs. Rollins College in Winter Park, FL.

Barry University hits the road to play vs. Rollins College tonight then faces Fla. Tech. in Melbourne on Saturday the 3rd.

St. Thomas University hits the road vs. Embry Riddle tonight in Daytona Beach then battles vs. Southeastern University in Lakeland on Saturday the 3rd.

Special Road Trip: On Saturday the 3rd we hit the road to Gainesville Florida. We have a scheduled tour of the University of Florida campus and hope to enjoy the campus and night-life as much as possible. On Sunday my daughters will attend the Beyond the Net Program with Coach Mary Wise, then at 1:30 we will watch the No. 5 Lady Gators take on the University of Tennessee.

We look to post our Gainesville Road-Trip adventure on or before the 7th of September.

UM is not Matching High Expectations for 2009

2009-10-01T13:37:00.006-04:00

What's going on in Coral Gables? The UM volleyball team that just missed the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and returned the full complement of it's young stars and playmakers is falling way short of expectations. The ACC Coaches pre-season preview had the lady canes ranked as the third best team in the conference, the SFV Report had them ranked second and sure that they would make it to NCAA Tournament.

After-all the team was lead by All ACC talents, Lane Carico, Jenny Mayhew and Kattie Gallagher. The Middle was going to be enforced by Lici McGee and Ali Becker. The team is well coached by Nicole Lantagne Welsh. It was only natural to think that a team that went 26-6 in 2008 should only get better with another year of experience and conditioning under their belt.

Up Hill Battle: After only 13 games into the season the 2009 campaign looks to be in jeopardy. UM is currently 8-5 and 1-2/ACC and is currently in 8th place within the ACC. This is not an easy conference with Georgia Tech and Clemson coming in this weekend hoping to give UM two more defeats and practically putting a fork in UM's hopes of having a great season. After these two matches UM still has to contend with 15 more ACC battles.

I am unable to piece together why this is happening to such a talented team. Although, as a spectator I have not seen the same intensity as I did last year nor has the attack been as sharp and fierce as it was last year.

I hope the coaches and the players find the right mix and bottle it up because they need to go on a special run to live up to what we all know this team is capable of.

Let's do our part: The Lady Canes need your energy. Last year the UM team feed from the energy of an enthusiastic and large crowd - they need you once again to get a special winning streak going. So show up strong this weekend and cheer your team to victory.

For Inspirational Quotes - CLICK HERE!

Prep Volleyball - Top Performers: Miami - Dade

2009-09-29T22:00:00.006-04:00

This last week was filled with special performances in key games for many teams as the top teams start to see just how they shape up against their yearly rivals and are finding out that new teams are making their mark on the South Florida Volleyball scene.

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.

Below are Top Performances from September 20th-26th, 2009 in South Florida:

MIAMI DADE COUNTY

Paulina Prieto of Palmer Trinity had 18 kills, 9 aces, 3 blocks and Sara Alfonso aired out 53 assists and 3 kills in 3 set defeat over Ransom.

Natasha Naveda of Mater Academy led the Lions with 30 assists and four aces in d. over Norland.

Julie Trembley of Westminster Christian had 19 kills and five digs and Rebecca Acevedo had 35 assists, nine kills and six aces in 5 sets vs. Westminster Academy.

Jasmine Wilkins of Hialeah led the Thoroughbreds with 19 kills and eight blocks in d. of Coral Gables.

Sarah Alfonso of Palmer Trinity led with six aces and 38 assists in d. of Westwood Christian.

Meghan Doyle of Florida Christian had 18 kills, 10 digs and six points in d. over Gulliver.

Barbara Cadet of Varela had 15 kills, 20 digs and Jasmine Pierre added 15 kills in d. of Palmetto in five hard fought matches.

Christine Marino of Hialeah-Miami Lakes had 16 kills and 8 digs in a three set defeat of North Miami.

Daniela Aguilera of Gulliver Prep. had 15 kills and five aces in d over Lourdes Academy.

Kristin Walewski of Ferguson had 35 assists and Alexandra Beverly had 17 kills and 3 blocks in three set d. over Braddock.

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

Prep Volleyball - Top Performers: Broward

2009-09-27T23:14:00.005-04:00

This last week was filled with special performances in key games for many teams as the top teams start to see just how they shape up against their yearly rivals and are finding out that new teams are making their mark on the South Florida Volleyball scene.

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.

Below are Top Performances from September 20th-26th, 2009 in South Florida:

Broward County

Caiti Donohoe of Cardinal Gibbons had one kill, 33 assists, six digs and three service points. Jessica Wynn had two blocks, 14 kills, seven digs and two service vs. Lake Highland Prep. Cardinal Gibbons won the silver bracket championship of the East Coast Challenge.

Sara Faxner of Nova led with 16 kills, 13 digs, nine points and three blocks. Kathy Thompsom had 13 kills, 10 assists and seven points in d. of Plantation in three sets.

Tashalyn Begon of Archbishop McCarthy had 12 kills, 9 service points, 4 digs and 3 blocks in d. of Cypress Bay in three sets.

Ashlyn Boll of South Plantation had 16 kills, 16 service and 12 digs in a complete effort vs. South Broward.

Lauren Lewkowicz of Coral Springs had 17 digs, 16 kills, 2 service points in d. of Taravella.

Emily Navarrete of West Broward had 27 digs, 15 service points in d. over CS Charter.

Ashlyn Boll of S. Plantation had 18 service points, 16 kills and 12 digs in a complete effort vs. Hollywood Hills.

Katie Hillman of Cardinal Gibbons had 12 kills, 8 service points, 3 aces, 3 blocks; Molly Macek 17 digs, 7 service points in d. of Pines Charter in three sets.

Victoria Basso of Olympic Heights had 15 kills, 6 digs 5 aces in d. of Ft. Lauderdale.

Deborah Gordon of Calvary Christian had 25 kills, 3 service points, 3 aces; Kaylee Groeneveld 18 kills, 3 service points in d. over Pine Crest.

Tatiana Berger of Pine Crest had 23 kills, 17 digs, 3 blocks; Taylor Bracco 28 assists, 7 service points, 5 aces vs. Calvary Christian.

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

Prep Volleyball: Top Performers - Palm Beach

2009-09-27T22:45:00.004-04:00

This last week was filled with special performances in key games for many teams as the top teams start to see just how they shape up against their yearly rivals and are finding out that new teams are making their mark on the South Florida Volleyball scene.

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.

Below are Top Performances from September 20th-26th, 2009 in South Florida:

PALM BEACH:

Kelli Weis of Trinity Christian had 55 assists, 22 service points, 3 aces, 13 digs in d. of Suncoast in four (4) sets.

Sarah Shifflett of Park Vista had 20 digs, 7 service points, 2 aces in d. of Forest Hill in three sets.

Denise Robinson of Lake Worth had 17 digs, 11 service points, 5 kills; Fabiola Cosmeus slammed down 17 kills and 7 service points in d. Santaluces in four sets.

Kelli Weiss of Trinity Christian had 48 assists, 10 service points; Erica Asher 16 kills, 10 service points d. St. Andrews.

Latoya Harvin of Royal Palm Beach had 17 digs, 15 blocks, 5 kills; Shaina Abdell added 19 kills, 17 service points, 7 aces, 15 digs, 7 blocks in five set d. of PN Central.

Codi Mimun of Benjamin had 16 kills, 12 digs; Christine Casey added 15 kills, 5 blocks and Maren McRoberts aired out 46 assists in d. of St. Edwards in four sets.

Katelyn Mears of Lake Worth Christian had 32 digs, 12 service points, 4 aces and Meagan Milligan had 13 kills and 6 blocks in d. of Cardinal Newman in four sets.

Hannah Fountain of Cardinal Newman had 20 digs, 17 kills, 9 blocks and 3 service points vs. LWC.

Victoria Basso of Olympic Heights had 15 kills, 6 digs 5 aces in d. of Ft. Lauderdale in four sets.

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