The South Florida Fabulous 50

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

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



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

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

Happy Holidays South Florida

Penn State Sweeps Stanford to Claim Back to Back Championships

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Repeat of Last Years Championship Game is Very Likely

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

Quick Notes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Live stats are available on NCAA.com.

Nova Southeastern's Magical Ride Comes to an End

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

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

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

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

Catch Nova Southeastern DIV II - NCAA Elite 8 Action

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


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

For more viewing options click our NSU link.

Support FIU - Can You Say - Road Trip

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

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

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

Best of Luck to the Golden Panthers !!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FIU Continues Remarkable Season with a Bid to the NCAA Tournament

For the first time since 2001, FIU will participate in the NCAA Championships in Gainesville, Fla. against Colorado State.The host site, the University of Florida, will determine the date and time. The first and second rounds are set for Dec. 4-7.

If FIU beats CSU, they play the winner of Florida and Florida A&M. Stanford is the top seed in the bracket and the No. 2 overall seed.

The Golden Panthers last made the NCAA Championships in 2001. That season FIU swept UCF before ending their season with a loss to Florida. It is head coach Danijela Tomic’s first NCAA Championships appearance.

Yarimar Rosa is being introduced to the Nation on the NCAA web-page on the eve of an Invitation for FIU.

In Spanish ‘Yarimar’ means treasure of the sea.

Considering how 5-foot-10 junior outside hitter Yarimar ‘Yari’ Rosa leads all Division I schools in kills (5.21 per set) for the Florida International University, ‘Yarimar’ probably means big kills.

“I think she is every coach’s dream,” said FIU coach Danijela Tomic. “She is very talented, but she is also one of the hardest workers in practice. She has a natural gift where she knows the game really well, but I think what distinguishes her from other players is the passion she has for the game. She is a very humble person who doesn’t like to be in the spotlight, but it’s hard for her not to be there consider what she has done for our program so far. She is just a joy to coach.”

Rosa is not only proving that you do not need to play at a big school to put up big numbers, but also how coaches can find talented players even when they are not actively looking for them.

“I was on a recruiting trip to see another kid in San Juan Puerto Rico at a high school game,” said Tomic. “She was one of the players playing and after asking about her, I was told that all of the big schools were recruiting her and that I had no chance. I talked to her mom after the game and left my contact information for them to stay in touch with me.

“All of the schools wanted to sign early and put some pressure on her to sign early, but she didn’t want to do it. In the spring of 2004 her mom emailed me and asked if I was still interested in her. Of course I was still interested in her so I replied by asking when she wanted to come on a visit. After coming here on her visit, she told us that she loved it here and felt most comfortable here. Also with Miami being so close to Puerto Rico, it was close to home for her. I told her that if she came to FIU, she would make a name for herself and our program instead of being a good player that went through a big program. That’s what she has done in three years.”

Since arriving at FIU in 2006, Rosa has been a treasure on the volleyball court for the Golden Panthers. From being the 2006 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the year, the 2006 AVCA Southeast Region Freshman of the Year, a two-time AVCA All-American, All-Southeast Region and first-team All-Sun Belt Conference player, Rosa has made her kills look like exclamation marks during each season.

Yet as impressive as her resume is now, Rosa started playing volleyball in a more humble setting and with innocent intentions.

“The first time I played volleyball I was 6-years old and in the third grade,” said Rosa. “My sister used to play volleyball for the school so I would go to practices with her. One day I was just waiting for her and the coaches asked me if I wanted to play on the team.”

“I remember just trying to get the ball over the net. The first time you get it over you are so happy, but I also remember being happy about getting my serve over the net.”

From those first days of playing to being a member of the Puerto Rican National team for several years, Rosa has a lot of court time to her credit. However, even with someone so experienced as herself, there are some moments in a set that even Rosa would prefer not to relive.

“When I am in the court and going up against someone one-on-one, I really hope that they don’t hit the ball towards my face,” said Rosa. “You just pray that they don’t hit your face.”

While Rosa may pray for an attacking error when she is on defense and the rest of the Golden Panthers are hopeful in getting their first NCAA tournament bid since 2001, Tomic is asking the universe for another special player who can make big kills to come her way sooner than later.

“I am counting down the days and want to cry knowing that I only have one more year with her,” said Tomic. “You really can’t replace a player like her. Every player is special and I had someone tell me recently that Yari is like Haley’s Comet – something special that only comes once every 1,000 years. I don’t think we can replace her. We just hope another special player like her will come into our program.”

UM Shows Great Resilience as they Down a HOT Florida State Team

Four Hurricanes recorded double-digit kills, led by freshman Lane Carico (Pictured) with a match-high 16, to vault the University of Miami volleyball squad past rival Florida State University on Wednesday afternoon, 3-2, in a thrilling five-set affair (22-25, 25-21, 18-25, 25-13, 15-11) in the regular season finale at Lucy McDaniel Court in Tallahassee, Fla.

Miami (26-6, 14-6 ACC) hit above .320 in an ACC match for the fourth time this season as the `Canes collected a .329 clip (72-17-167) for the match. Florida State countered with a .282 clip (65-17-170) of their own.

FSU (21-9, 13-7 ACC) won the first set behind a blistering .455 hitting percentage as the Seminoles registered 17 kills against just two errors. Behind Brianna Barry (11 kills / 3 blocks), FSU quickly leaped to a 10-5 advantage. Trailing 16-10, UM went on a 6-3 run to cut the lead at 19-16 behind three kills from Carico and another from sophomore Katie Gallagher. FSU held the `Canes off down the stretch with UM committing back-to-back errors for the 25-22 Seminoles victory.

UM bounced back in the second set with senior outside hitter Angelica Ellis securing five kills and middle blocker Ariell Cooke collecting four more to go along with three blocks (two assists). Miami used a 6-2 run sparked by two kills from Ellis to break a 14-14 tie, running to a 20-16 advantage. FSU's Barry and Nikki Baker tried to keep it close as they brought the `Noles to within 18-16 before three FSU errors down the stretch allowed the Hurricanes the 25-21 win, knotting the match at 1-1.

FSU took the third set (25-18) while UM countered in the fourth (25-13) to even the match once again, 2-2.

In the fourth set, the Orange and Green hitting a whopping .552 clip (17-1-29) fueled by Carico's five-kills, three-service ace performance, assisted by Ellis' four kills and two blocks. Also playing well in the fourth set for UM was defensive specialist Cassie Loessberg who served up two aces and brought in seven digs. Genny Mayhew and Ashley Woods each procured three kills in the set, respectively.

The deciding set was one that kept both Seminoles and Hurricanes alike on the edge of their seat throughout. After three ties, FSU jumped out to a 6-3 advantage when Lauren Young connected on consecutive kills, and teammate Richardson knocked in another to give the `Noles a seemingly comfortable lead.

Miami eighth-year head coach Nicole Lantagne Welch quickly called a timeout, gathering her team in for what would become one of the greatest come-from-behind runs of the season on the road. Kills from Ellis and Gallagher, added block assists from Mayhew and Cooke, and the lead stood deadlocked at 6-6.

The two teams posting ties again until UM gathered their second lead of the frame behind Carico's solo block off the attack from FSU's Baker. That gave Miami a slim, 10-9 lead. It wouldn't last long as the score tied for the seventh time of the set when Rachael Morgan collected a kill off the pass from Baker.

The Orange and Green, seeking their first postseason appearance since 2002 and their highest ACC finish since 2004, were not to be denied as the Hurricanes ended the frame and the match on a 5-1 run. Senior Ashley Woods placed two kills and Carico and Ellis combined for two more, giving Miami their first win in Tallahassee since Oct. 17, 2006. It was also the first season series sweep of the Seminoles since 2004.

The Seminoles' big four of Morgan (13), Stephanie Neville (12), Barry (11) and Richardson (11) all collected double-digits in kills, while Richardson also posted 16 digs for a double-double performance. Barry added three blocks (two assists) while Baker placed four kills and registered 52 assists from her setter position. Defensive specialist Ashlee Moon collected a team-high 21 digs. Jenna Romanelli also added 11 digs on defense.

Meanwhile, the `Canes used assistance from all over, led by Carico's match-high 16 kills and 24 digs, allowing her to claim a team-leading 16th double-double of the year, including 12 in ACC play. She also added three service aces and two blocks (one solo). Teammate Ashley Woods, playing in her final regular season contest for UM, committed just one error on 28 swings, hit .393 and added eight digs on the afternoon. For the Round Rock, Texas native, it was the second time in three matches that she's acquired double-digit kills, and the seventh time overall on the campaign.

Ellis was brilliant offensively for the Hurricanes as she connected for 14 kills on 18 attacks, posted a .778 hitting percentage and notched her sixth error-free match of the year--her second in ACC play. Mayhew chipped in with 10 kills, and junior Loessberg added 18 digs (her 30th double-digit digs performance of the campaign) to go along with four assists and three service aces. Today, Loessberg broke her own record from a year ago as she recorded a new UM single-season best marks for digs with 554 under her belt this year.

The setter position for UM was key today as well as Gallagher just missed out for the third time this year on her quest for a triple-double, boasting eight kills, a match-high 55 assists and 10 digs.

The Hurricanes now watch the television on Sunday as they wait to see if they will be invited to their first NCAA Tournament since 2002 when they advanced to the Sweet 16. The selection show for the NCAA Volleyball Tournament is set to air live on ESPNU on Sunday, Nov. 30 at 9 p.m. For more information and up-to-date coverage of the bracket unveiling and selection show, please stay tuned to www.hurricanesports.com.

FIU's Win Over USF almost Seals the Deal for an NCAA Tournament Invitation

The incredible season that FIU has had this year coupled with a first place seed in the conference tournament was placing them in excellent position for not only the NCAA Tournament but also a top seed.

In last weeks Sun Belt Tournament FIU came out flat barely getting by the University Of South Alabama and loosing the semifinal round to New Orleans. That loss took FIU from high seed in the NCAA Tournament to being on the bubble of even getting in. With their backs against the wall they had to defeat the University of South Florida in Tampa. FIU showed their resilience as they swept the USF Bulls 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 25-17).

As a result of that Victory FIU has solidified it's chance of being invited to the NCAA Tournament.

Yarimar Rosa (15) and Isadora Rangel (14) combined for 29 kills to improve the Golden Panthers to a 28-6 record. Both had a great hitting percentage with Rosa at .444 and Rangel at .360. The team hit .351, their highest hitting percentage since Oct. 25 at Arkansas State.

Freshman Angelina Colon had a match-high 13 digs as FIU had 34 digs to USF’s 19. Sophomore Natalia Valentin had 29 assists to lead all players. Andrea Lakovic added seven kills to just one error while hitting .429. She also had four blocks to lead the match.

FIU handled South Florida’s main offensive threat in junior Marcela Gurgel. Gurgel had been averaging 4.43 kills per set, the 13th best mark in the NCAA. However, she was held to just eight kills and forced eight errors.

A win is almost assured when FIU holds their opponents to hit .250 or lower this season. FIU’s record in that situation is now 27-2 after holding USF to .133.

There were only five lead changes throughout the three sets and the Golden Panthers never trailed past the 10 point mark.

The Bulls (17-14) were led by Mariana Thon’s 17 assists and seven digs.

FIU now awaits the NCAA Selection Committee’s decision to see if they are one of the teams to get an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. The NCAA Volleyball Tournament selection show is currently set to air on ESPNU from 10-10:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Nova Southeastern Advances to the Elite 8 in Div II NCAA Tournament

TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 22, 2008) - The Nova Southeastern University women's volleyball team came back from a two set deficit for the second consecutive night to defeat University of West Florida and win the NCAA Division II South Regional Finals. The 20-25, 27-29, 25-22, 25-20 and 15-11 victory advances the Sharks (24-11) to the Elite Eight and marks the farthest NSU has ever advanced in program history.
Recovering from an emergency appendectomy the night before, NSU head coach Steve Wilcosky was not present during the match. However, under assistant coach Michelle Piantadosi, the Sharks showed the characteristic heart, passion and will to make their head coach proud. After the match the team visited the hospital and presented him with the championship trophy. A joyous Wilcosky remarked "I couldn't be any prouder of this team."

NSU fell behind early in the opening set, trailing 17-11. The Sharks closed to within four points, but West Florida would go on to win 25-20. Even though the Sharks out-hit (.323 to .317) and out-blocked the Argonauts (3-0), NSU couldn't overcome six kills from West Florida's right side hitter Luciana Rapach. Senior outside hitter Melinda Gorman (Sarasota, Fla.) led the Sharks with four kills and no errors in seven attempts.

With it's back pushed up against the wall, NSU clawed back from a 17-12 deficit to win 25-23 in the third set. The Sharks picked up their defensive intensity, posting six blocks en route to limiting West Florida to a .91 attack percentage. Gorman, Carle and freshman middle blocker Molly Sigerich (Downers Grove, Ill.) each tallied three kills. Carle and junior outside hitter Jenerra McGruder (Euless, Tex.) had four blocks apiece. Libero Kathleen Yony (So., Miami, Fla.) contributed with five digs.

The block party continued for NSU in the fourth set, as the Sharks recorded five more blocks to hold the Argonauts to a -.029 hitting percentage. Petrova and McGruder each had three kills as NSU hit .207 as a team. Middle hitter Patricia Gandolfo had four kills for West Florida.

NSU jumped out to an early 6-2 advantage in the fifth set on back-to-back kills from Gorman and Sigerich. West Florida rallied to tie the set at nine apiece, before NSU pulled together to go on another 6-2 run to complete the 15-11 victory. The Sharks peaked at the right time, hitting a match high .474 in the final set. West Florida was held to a .208 hitting percentage. Carle, Sigerich, Petrova, Gorman and McGruder each had two kills in the Sharks balanced attack. Gandolfo led West Florida again with three kills.


For the match, NSU out-hit West Florida .248 to .181. The Sharks had six more kills, three more assists, five more digs and 14 more blocks than the Argonauts.

Gorman and Petrova led the Sharks to victory, with Gorman posting 16 kills, nine digs and six blocks while Petrova fell just one dig short of a triple-double with 12 kills, 50 assists and nine digs. Carle and Sigerich followed with 12 and 11 kills, respectively. McGruder contributed with six kill while seniors Christina Chubb (Oakland Park, Fla.) and Andrea Irarrazabal (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) added four and three kills apiece. Sophomore Paola Ruiz (Rio Piedras, P.R.) also had two kills for NSU.

Defensively, Yony had a match high 19 digs for Nova Southeastern. Defensive specialist Alison Kalish (Jr., Miami, Fla.) added seven digs. Sigerich and Carle tied for the match high with eight blocks each. Gorman tallied six blocks, including two solo, while McGruder had four.

Petrova, Gorman, Carle and Yony were all named to the NCAA Division II South Regional All-Tournament team.

Nova will next face Truman University on the 4th of December in Elite eight action.

The complete NCAA Division II Tournament Bracket can be found at:

http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/2008/ncaa_bracket_DII_volleyball_women.html

We wish Nova the best of luck this upcoming Thursday.

Friday Action: UM Wins in NC State and FIU Falls in the SBC Tournament

Raleigh, N.C. - Hurricane freshman outside hitter Lane Carico (pictured) hammered out a match-high 13 kills to lead the University of Miami Volleyball team to a 3-0 sweep over North Carolina State Friday night at venerable Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes' 25-22, 25-15, 25-19 win allowed eighth-year head coach Nicole Lantagne Welch to register the 150th win of her career.

FIU (25-6, 13-6 ACC) trailed for much of the first set as NCSU's Lindsay Benac helped the homestanding Wolfpack to four consecutive points off starting serve. UM's senior right side hitter Ashley Woods ended the run with a kill, cutting the UM deficit at 4-1. The Hurricanes rallied late after trailing by as many as 10-3 when Woods, sophomore Katie Gallagher and junior Genny Mayhew punched in kills to cut the N.C. State lead at 13-12. The Orange and Green took the lead for good in the frame following an attack error charged to the Wolfpack--one of five in the set. The UM defense limited them to just .136 hitting in the set (11-5-44), while hoisting a .239 hitting percentage (17-6-46) themselves. UM claimed the 25-22 win with a kill from freshman Carico and blocks from Woods and senior Angelica Ellis.

UM was led by three players in double-figures for kills, most notably Carico's 13-kill performance. Not to be lost was Ellis (10) and Mayhew (10) as the duo accounted for 20 of Miami's 47 kills in the match. Carico added 13 digs to notch another double-double while teammate Cassie Loessberg collected a match-high 13 digs and two assists.

Now Miami has to play in Tallahassee next week in it's final regular season game vs. Florida State for second or third place depending how Duke plays out it's schedule. A victory almost insures that the Hurricanes will be NCAA Tournament bound.

MIAMI – In the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Championships, the FIU volleyball team lost to New Orleans 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-19) on Friday night at U.S. Century Bank Arena.

New Orleans entered the contest as a hot team winning their past six matches and only losing three sets over that span. FIU (27-6) struggled to find any consistency and hit only .132 compared to UNO’s .237.

“New Orleans was just better and they outplayed us” said FIU head coach Danijela Tomic. “I don’t think we had a chance, maybe in the second set a little bit.”

This loss will affect FIU 's NCAA seeding. No matter where they are seeded we are very proud of this team and wish them a strong showing in the tournament.

FIU and UM Volleyball action this weekend

Come out and support your FIU Volleyball team as they compete in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. Today, FIU will go against New Orleans who defeated UALR 3-1 on Thursday. The Golden Panthers hit the floor at 5:00 p.m. for the semifinal match up.

If FIU defeats New Orleans in Today's 5:00PM match, make sure you attend the Championship match on Saturday at 3:00PM.

In yesterday's action Despite South Alabama’s best effort, junior Isadora Rangel’s career-high 20 digs paced FIU to a 3-1 (25-13, 22-25, 27-25, 25-20) win in the first round of volleyball's Sun Belt Conference Championships on Thursday.

On a day when Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Yarimar Rosa didn’t have her best match, three other Golden Panthers (27-5) stepped up to the challenge. Rangel had 12 kills to add to her best defensive day. Combined, FIU had a season high total of kills in a four-set match with 69.

Freshman Sabrina Gonzalez had a career-high 11 kills. Fellow freshman Andrea Lakovic also had double-digit kills with 10.

“I think it was key for us today because Yarimar, even though she had 21 kills, it wasn’t one of her better matches, but we had other players step up," said FIU head coach Danijela Tomic.

The match had 28 ties and 12 lead changes, yet none in the first set. In set one, FIU played as they did when the two teams first met, a 3-0 FIU win. The Golden Panthers got out to a 7-2 lead and cruised to a 25-13 win.

In University of Miami action, the Hurricanes fell to the University of North Carolina in Chappel Hill in 4 sets. Genny Mayhew had 16 kills and Ashley Woods had 12 more, but it wasn't enough as UNC downed Miami, 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 25-18).

UM now falls to a tie for third place tonight after Florida State swept NC State over in Raleigh. Miami now trails first place by two matches, but needs a win in their last two matches against NC State and rival Florida State, as well as losses from FSU, Duke and UNC to earn a shot at their first-ever ACC title.

The Hurricanes will try and regroup before traveling 15 miles across the RDU area to nearby Raleigh and facing N.C. State beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday. The match will have live stats available through Game Tracker at www.hurricanesports.com.

UM now is in a must win situation against NC State and next week at Florida State. A loss vs. either opponent and an invitation for the NCAA Tournament might not be a reality.

Palmer Trinity falls short in quest for a state tittle

In the 2A State Final Championship Game, First Academy d. Palmer Trinity in three (3) sets: 25-18, 25-12, 25-17. When you get so close to the ultimate prize loosing hurts all the more. With that in mind we solute the players and remind them of the great year that was theirs. The future looks bright in that many players will return not only to the team but to Lakeland in 2009.

First academy, from Orlando must also be congradulated for a great year. They were lead by Kelly Merideth 12 Kills, Ansley Gebben 9 Kills and 10 Digs, Danielle Shipe 9Kills and 10 Digs and Abby Mixner with 34 Assists.

Lets all root for Florida Christian as they start semifinal round play tomorrow at 4:00PM. We will post results as soon as they are available.

FIU recieves Accolades for a Great Regular Season

For every fan of FIU Volleyball, this seasons awards and accolades must not come as a major surprise seeing that we have all been witnesses to a special season.

Danijela Tomic won Coach of the Year and Yarimar Rosa won Player of the Year at the Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Awards Banquet on Wednesday night at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Miami.

The Newcomer of the Year award went to junior Isadora Rangel, who also made the All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team. Joining her was sophomore Natalia Valentin.

Coach Tomic has led FIU to a school-record 26 wins in her fourth season as head of the Golden Panther program. It is the second coach of the year honor for her, last winning it in 2006.

“I wouldn’t be able to get this award without my assistants Eve Rackham, Trevor Theroulde, Dave Garcia and Lori Woodard (athletic trainer),” said Tomic. “They have been a great addition to this program and a lot of people don’t realize that it’s not just one person. It takes everybody involved in this program and they are a big part of this award.”


Rosa (pictured right), a 5-10 outside hitter, picks up the award after being named the preseason player of the year in August. The Vega Baja, Puerto Rico native also picked up First Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors. She leads the nation is kills per set (5.27) and has been a big part of FIU’s conference winning season.

“I don’t think there is anybody more deserving of this award,” said Tomic. “She has been dominant all season long and I’m so happy that other coaches recognize that. There are so many good players in our conference, but in my opinion, Yari is the most complete player, and she is well deserving of this honor."

Rangel, a transfer from Kansas, joined Rosa as an offensive threat this season. She is a 6-1 outside hitter and is second on the team with 2.95 kills per set.

“I think it’s a big honor for her. She has been a big difference maker on our team. I don’t think without her that we would be where we are. I don’t think we would have accomplished what we did this year without her on the team.”

Valentin, a 5-7 setter, is leading the team in assists with 10.92. She also has 46 aces to lead the team as well as averaging 2.66 digs per set.

“I’m so thrilled that they (SBC coaches) recognized her worth, and how much she brings to our team. She doesn’t let our team quit. She has improved so much from last year as a setter, and she has also embraced a role of our emotional leader on and off the court.”

The awards were voted on by the leagues 13 coaches. No coach was allowed for vote for their own player.

Five Golden Panthers received academic awards. Senior Mariana Drumeva and sophomore Ines Medved made the Commissioners’ Honor Roll with a GPA of 3.50 or better. Rosa, Valentin and senior Vanessa Romano earned honors on the Academic Honor Roll with a GPA of 3.00 to 3.49.

ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM

Amila Barakovic, UALR

Emmy Davidsmeyer, Denver

Yarimar Rosa, FIU

Ashley Asberry, Middle Tennessee

Leslie Clark, Middle Tennessee

Dobrilla Kovacevic, New Orleans

Lindsey Loyd, New Orleans

Megan Argabright, WKU

SECOND TEAM

Anita Bucur, UALR

Cayla Fielder, Arkansas State

Holly Benson, Denver

Natalia Valentin, FIU

Isadora Rangel, FIU

Izabela Kozon, Middle Tennessee

Brittany Bowen, WKU

Julia Noe, WKU

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - Isadora Rangel, FIU

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR - Cayla Fielder, Arkansas State

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Amy Hafner, UALR

PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Yarimar Rosa, FIU

COACH OF THE YEAR - Danijela Tomic, FIU

Special Thank to FIU.Com - Click on our FIU link to get more info on the Sun-Belt Conference Tournament Starting today, Nov. 20th - 22nd.

Today - Miami Dade Community College Starts it's Quest for a NJCAA Championship

The No. 3-seeded Sharks, (24-6, 8-0 Southern Conference), will play in the National Junior College Athletic Association Championships starting Thursday in Council Bluffs, Iowa, against qualifier North Idaho College.

Since taking over the reins in 2005 after serving as an assistant under legendary coach Ilida Medero for 12 years, Benoit has, by all accounts, done a bang-up job. Benoit, a native of the Dominican Republic, has taken the Sharks to four state titles and qualified for four national tournaments while maintaining the global recruiting edge that has made his teams as diverse as Miami-Dade County.

But 2008 has been a quixotic season for a team accustomed to being atop the National Junior College rankings. After finishing as the national runner-up in 2007 and starting 2008 with a preseason No. 1 ranking, Benoit's team battled chemistry issues that spilled onto the court, turning into losses to inferior competition.

A loss to No. 1 Iowa Western on Oct. 8 was followed by two more losses to Hillsborough Community College and Missouri West Plains at the MDC Shark Tournament -- an annual event usually dominated by the host.

Adding to the drama was the midseason exodus of three players who left the team for personal reasons. The Sharks' season teetered on the brink of disaster. Since then, the Sharks have won eight matches in a row. The team points to a 3-1 win over Hillsborough -- a Nov. 1 rematch -- as the defining moment of the season.

''That was the win that put us over,'' said sophomore outside hitter Rosa Medrano.

Medrano, an All-State and All-Region team selection who also won the FCCAA Tournament MVP, is a high-flying, front-line force from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, coveted by Division I programs across the United States.

HOT BREAKING SCORES FROM LAKELAND

In the 2A state semifinals Palmer Trinity d. Tampa Prep. in five closely contested matches: 25-21, 25-18, 21-25, 23-25, 15-8. Palmer Trinity captured the first two sets and looked to be in control of the match. Tampa Prep had other ideas as they scratched two victories of their own only to fall in the fifth and deciding set.

Palmer Trinity was lead by Paula Prieto 21 Kills, Laura Posada 16 Kills and Sarah Alfonso dished out 47 Assists.

Tampa Prep was lead by an all around strong effort by Alena Ransom with 15 Kills, 18 Digs and 3 Sets.

Palmer Trinity next plays vs. First Academy from Orlando who easily won their state semifinal tomorrow on Nov. 20th at 2:00PM. The SFVR will post the final results shortly after the game is over.

In Class 4A in a five set thriller Desoto County High d. Cardinal Gibbons 32-30,25-18, 19-25, 14-25, 15-12. Talk about a roller coaster ride, from the very start the first set was a thriller to the end. Desoto County High won the first two sets and after intermission the Cardinal Gibbons team came out highly motivated and won the next two matches handily. Seting up the final set of the match which was closely contested.

Desoto was lead by Brittany Muse which had an excellent performance with 29 Kills, 15Assists and 13 Digs. Chloe Boehm had 31 Assists and 14 Digs. The entire Cardinal Gibbons Team put in a gutsy effort.

Desoto County High next plays in the 4A State Championship vs. Nease from Ponte Verde Beach at 4:30PM on Thursday the 20th.

In Class 6A State Semifinal Action Royal Palm Beach d. Miami Palmetto in four (4) sets: 21-25, 24-14, 25-20, 25-21. The Top performers for Royal Palm Beach were Shaina Abdell with 9 kills and 22 Assists as well as Cassady Cook that had 23 Kills and 13 Assists. Latoya Harvin also had an impressive game with 10 kills.

Miami Palmettos top performers were Amanda Marquez with 18 kills and Lindsay Lewis with 42 Assists.

Royal Palm Beach will compete tomorrow for the State Championship @ 7:00PM. The opponent is yet to be determined.


More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Florida International and The University of Miami programs are NCAA Tournament Bound

In what has been a great season for Volleyball in the South Florida Area, FIU and UM have treated the community with an extremely high level of Volleyball. Chances are if you missed FIU's match versus Western Kentucky and UM's match vs. Wake Forest you NEVER saw your home team loose.

The stage is now being set Nationally as the SFVR is projecting that both FIU and UM receive invitations to the NCAA Tournament. The FIU decision is more obvious in that they are the regular season champion and No. 1 seed of the Sun Belt Conference. The team is lead by All-American Yarimar Rosa (pictured), Isadora Rangel and Natalia Valentin.

Despite the Golden Panther’s 14th sweep of the season, Coach Tomic knows next weekend’s conference tournament will be a test for her squad. “We’ll have to step up for the tournament,” said Tomic. “We are peaking at the right time. Our goal every year is to play our best volleyball in November and that’s what is happening. I think we’ll play better on Thursday and Friday and hopefully on Saturday in the finals.”


Just as impressive is the Play of the University of Miami with a 24-5 overall record, who earlier started the year with a 12 game win streak and was only beaten at home by Wake Forest. The `Canes have now eclipsed their best ACC win total with 12, and have produced the most wins in a season since their Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Tournament back in 2002 (27). Three key players to watch: Genny Mayhew (pictured), Lane Carico and Katie Gallagher.

Miami now has a chance to stake claim as a leader in the ACC standings next weekend with a huge showdown with the University of North Carolina on the road in Chapel Hill on Thursday, Nov. 20. After that, they travel to N.C. State on Nov. 21.

As we have had the pleasure of seeing both FIU and UM play incredible volleyball in South Florida. It is now time for the rest of the country to get aquainted with these teams seeing that their stars are young and they plan on being on the national stage for some time.

Palmetto and Florida Christian Volleyball Advance in their Quest to be Champions

Regional Final, 4-6A Palmetto d. Krop in four (4) sets. As Coach Latshaw held her four-week old son, Carlos, in her arms, she stood like a proud mother in more ways than one Saturday afternoon.

Latshaw watched the program she helped develop into a Miami-Dade County girls' volleyball powerhouse over the past four seasons secure its biggest victory of the season against Krop, 25-18, 25-21, 21-25, 25-22 in a hard-fought Region 4-6A final at the Lightning's gym.

After the win, one of the Palmetto parents handed out T-shirts to the players that read ``C U at states.''

That signified the date the Panthers have Wednesday at The Lakeland Center with Royal Palm Beach in a Class 6A state semifinal at noon.

Palmetto (28-2) will make its first appearance at the Class 6A state final four since 1977, when longtime athletic director Yvette McKinney was the coach.

''This victory isn't about this year, it's a culmination of four seasons of hard work by these seniors,'' said Latshaw, who returned to the Palmetto bench recently after taking a month off for maternity leave. ``When I got here back then, they made a commitment to make this the team it is now.''

During Latshaw's absence, assistant coach Jeff Schneider, who played for Southwest High's 2003 state championship boys' volleyball team, coached several key matches, including Palmetto's first GMAC championship.

The Panthers finished with their best regular-season record in school history, but it wasn't easy as Krop (25-4) nearly rallied from a two-game deficit.

The Lightning made its second consecutive appearance in the regional final.

Behind a tenacious effort by hitters Brittany Dubins and Stephanie Toledo, Krop took the third game of the match and raced to a 6-0 lead in the fourth.

But the collective blocking by the Panthers swung the momentum back in their favor.

Carrie Comendiero had a block and two kills to cut the deficit to 9-8. Later, Devin Billbrough posted a pair of aces that helped tie the game at 14. Palmetto took an 20-17 edge on senior Amanda Marquez's three consecutive kills. Marquez would seal the match with two more kills after Krop had drawn to within two points.

Marquez, who signed a letter of intent to play softball for Villanova earlier this week, finished with a team-high 13 kills, 10 digs and two aces.

Marquez said jokingly that she would be the team's tour guide next week since she is the only player on the team that has played in a state tournament of some kind.

Marquez was the starting catcher on the Palmetto softball team that won a state championship in Plant City last spring.

''I'm glad all of us will get the chance to experience what it's like to go to state,'' Marquez said. ``After losing these past few years, this feels great.''

Palmetto took control of the first two games behind solid defense from the back row, led by Renata Comparini's 13 digs and four aces. Palmetto's serving broke Krop's momentum at several key moments during the match.

Billbrough finished with a team-high 10 aces, and Lewis had seven. Comendiero played strong at the net as well, totaling nine blocks. ''At this point, the girls have played together so long that they each complement each other's role on the team perfectly,'' Latshaw said.

Regional Final 3A - Florida Christian d. North Broward Prep in four (4) sets. For the past couple of years, one of the goals that the Florida Christian girls' volleyball team had was to reach the state tournament. This year, the Patriots can cross that goal off their mental checklist.

Behind strong frontcourt play, very few mistakes and good passing, the Patriots were able to defeat North Broward Prep 25-12, 25-21, 27-29, 25-17 to advance to the Final Four in 3A State Volleyball Tournament.

Cristina Abreu had 15 kills, eight service points and five digs for Florida Christian, and Megan Doyle tallied 13 kills, five blocks and four digs.

Christine Lozano had 39 assists and seven digs, Stephanie Rodriguez finished with nine kills, six digs and 10 service points.

Evelyn Morgado had eight kills and seven blocks, and Kaley Bueno had eight kills as Florida Christian (28-2) advance to the State 3A tournament for the second time in three years.

''We knew we had to pass, serve well and limit our errors,'' said Florida Christian head coach Beth King. ``When we did, we were able to get them out of their game.

``Our mission since 2006 was to go back to state. It was cut short last season, but we pulled through.''

Victoria McPherson had 19 kills and four blocks for North Broward Prep, and Olivia Mesner added 14 kills and five blocks. Krista Lighter had 32 digs, and Katelyn Hummel had 40 assists.

It was the fourth regional final appearance for the Patriots, who lost to Ft. Lauderdale Pine Crest in the regional finals.

Lozano the Pine Crest loss became a motivational tool as soon as the game finished.

''Even on that same day,'' Lozano said, ''we said we would do whatever we can this whole year,'' to go back and make it to state.''

North Broward Prep finished its season 21-7. The Eagles, who at one point won just two games, before Jimenez took over the program, have made the Regional playoffs the last three years under head coach Terri Jimenez.

Saturday's regional final is the furthest the team has made it in the playoffs.

''It's all about doing your best, and our girls did our best today,'' Jimenez said. ``The girls fought hard. Florida Christian is chock full of seniors that want to get to state. They came prepared, were fast and skillful.''

Best of Luck to all of our South Florida Teams!

South Florida's High School Volleyball Quest to become CHAMPIONS !

We knew this weekend was going to be special in that we would have the chance to witness excellent games in the high school regional finals. Amongst the upsets were Redlands Christian and Jensen Beach but new leaders took hold of their destinies as they travel to Lakeland in their quest for a Championship. South Florida salutes all the teams that competed this weekend and we wish out teams the very best in their quests to be CHAMPIONS.

Regional Final 2A - Palmer Trinity d. Calvary Christian: The Palmer Trinity Falcons are headed to the Class 2A final four -- again. The Falcons(Pictured) downed Calvary Christian Academy on Saturday afternoon on their home court 3-1 to capture the Region 4-2A championship for the second time in four years.

Palmer traded point for point with the Eagles (18-8) in Game 4, but managed to stay a step ahead in the 25-12, 25-11, 22-25, 25-21 win.

''We did a good job of keeping our cool and playing controlled in the last game,'' Palmer Trinity coach William Gonzalez said. ``The girls knew what was at stake and had been working hard for the chance to get back to Lakeland.''

Freshman Paulina Prieto had a team-high 11 kills, while chipping in seven blocks, three aces and three digs. ''I'm so excited,'' Prieto said. ``This is all we ever really wanted. We started talking about it over the summer and would think about it while we ran the track.''

The Falcons (24-7) led 11-5 in Game 1 when they finally opened a lead behind the timely serving of Kristen Titley, whose three-point run gave Palmer a 14-5 lead.
Titley, a junior, added nine kills and eight digs.

''They were pretty tough,'' Titley said of Calvary. ``We got our offense going once they beat us in Game 3. It's so exciting to get back to Lakeland because when we last went, I was in eighth grade.''

Senior Laura Posada, who had four kills and two blocks, was a member of the 2005 team that last made an appearance in Lakeland. Setter Sarah Alfonso had a dominant game with 56 assists, including a few key ones in Game 4 to seal the win.

Regional Final 4-1A Lake Worth Christian d. Redland Christian: For the first time this season, Redland Christian found out what it was like to be on the other side of their matches and get outplayed, overwhelmed and humiliated. And it came at the wrong time.

During a Region 4-1A final match Saturday, visiting Lake Worth Christian came into the Falcons' gymnasium and dominated, handing them a 25-5, 25-14, 25-15 defeat.

The loss snapped Redland Christian's 18-game winning streak and stopped the Falcons from making it to the state tournament for the second straight year.

''My team didn't bring their A game and didn't play their level of volleyball -- that was obvious,'' Redland Christian coach Rhonda Carr said. ``I don't think they were intimidated, I just think that they didn't bring it -- they just didn't bring it. If three or four don't play their game, forget about it.''

Because Redland Christian (18-1) never gets much competition during the regular season, some players pretend to be star players from better teams in practice.

Lake Worth Christian (26-4) started off on a 12-0 run and scored 11 unanswered later to cruise through the rest of Game 1. Game 2 was similar, as Lake Worth Christian started with a 9-0 lead and built its advantage to as many as 12.

The only time the Defenders trailed in the match was when Redland Christian started off Game 3 with three unanswered points. But Lake Worth Christian came back with a 9-0 run and proved to be too much for Redland Christian.

Although her team was on the losing side, Carr -- who started the school's athletic program from scratch eight years ago -- can take some comfort in the fact that all seven of the girls who cruised through yet another regular season will be back next year, with five being seniors.

'I told them before the game, `Whatever happens, I'm proud of you guys,' '' Carr said. ``I have to be proud of them for what they did and how far they made it this year -- top eight in the state [in Class 1A].

Regional Final - Cardinal Gibbons d. Jensen Beach. Now, two years removed from the University of Florida, Farland stood by herself, hugging her kids, embracing the moment and bathing in her team's victory over defending state champ Jensen Beach (25-5) (15-25, 25-20, 25-22, 28-26), which gave Gibbons (28-3) a berth in the state final four.

''This means the world to me,'' said the first-year coach amid an onslaught of hugs and congratulations. ``Everyone knows this is what we work for. It means the world to keep the tradition going.''

Wynn (nine blocks), sophomore Crystal Dedes (eight blocks, 12 kills) and freshman Katie Hillman (seven blocks) combined for 24 of Gibbons' 34 blocks.

Molly Macek, whom Farland calls ''our all-everything player,'' made some incredible saves to keep long volleys alive and finished with 19 digs, two kills and eight service points. Setter Kayley McLaughlin, one of only three seniors, had 22 assists

Regional Final 4-5A - St. Thomas Aquinas d. Martin County: First came the minor setback, then the adjustments, capped by the barrage of timely blocks to propel the St. Thomas Aquinas girls' volleyball team to Lakeland next weekend for its second consecutive state final four appearance.

The Raiders dropped the first game of their Region 4-5A title match to visiting Martin County, but brushed it off to take control the rest of the way with a 3-1 victory (24-26, 25-14, 25-17, 25-20) Saturday at St. Thomas.

''We don't get down after losing our first game, like some teams would,'' St. Thomas' Brittany Linder said after leading her team with 10 blocks, with five of them coming in a 7-2 spurt that closed out the match.

``We were really strong in our blocking game, and we had our energy up after that first game.''

The Raiders, who improved to 24-5, will face Tampa Plant (28-8) in an 8 p.m. Class 5A semifinal match Friday at the Lakeland Center.

Kelly Marble, who led St. Thomas with 14 kills, also provided the presence at the net that was needed to offset the dominating presence of Tigers 6-5 hitter Elise Walch, a junior, and her 6-1 freshman sister, Nicole. Elise finished with 15 kills, and it was Nicole's block that clinched the first game for the Tigers (22-8) in a tight first game.

''In that first game, I think we were just trying to feel out the other team,'' Aquinas coach Lisa Zielinski said. ``I wouldn't say that's how I planned it, but it was a way to see how we matched up and what we had to focus on.

``I hadn't known much about their big hitter [Elise Walch] because she hadn't played for them until now [because of injury]; other than that, there wasn't much information about them.''

Zielinski's daughter, Stephanie, who finished with 27 assists and nine kills, helped turn the tide quickly in the Raiders' favor in the second game while getting help from Martin County with the frequency of unforced errors. The mistakes piled up early for the visitors as St. Thomas jumped out to a 7-2 lead, then closed it out on a 7-2 spurt with Dee Dee Dennis ending the game with a kill off a Stephanie Zielinski set.

Note: Attached Picture was teken by Phillip "FLIP" Littke

So Many Important Volleyball Games . . . So Little Time.

In a crescendo of volleyball events this weekend South Florida will have the treat of seeing the last local 2008 high school regional action with many finals culminating this saturday. This weekend will also be the final home stand for the University of Miami and FIU where we'll have the opportunity to bid farewell to several seniors who graduate this year.

This Weakends Action:

Friday NOV. 14th - UM vs. Georgia Tech @ 7:00PM - Important ACC match-up as the season winds down.

Saturday NOV. 15th - FIU vs. FAU @ 7:00PM - This is FIU's final homestand and seniors day in which they will say good-bye to Vanessa Romano #13 and Mariana Drumeva #10. This game is a must see in that FIU Plays our friends from Palm Beach and Sunbelt Conference member Florida Atlantic.















Saturday also has four (4) Regional Finals through-out South Florida. The team that advances moves on to the State Final Four:

6A - Regional Final has Krop vs. Palmetto @ 2:00 hosted at Krop

3A - Regional Final has North Broward Prep vs. Florida Christian

2A - Regional Finals has Palmer Trinity vs. Ft. Lauderdale Calvery Christian @ 2:00 hosted at Palmer.

1A - Regional Finals has undefeated Redland Christian vs. Lake Worth Christian

Best of Luck to all our Teams!

Sunday NOV. 16th UM vs. Clemson @ 1:00PM. This will be UM's senior day. Miami will be bidding farewell to three seniors: (pictured left - right)Bridget Bomhack, Asley Woods and Angelica Ellis.



Note: Miami is seeking their second NCAA Tournament appearance all-time and their first since 2002 where they advanced to the sweet 16 before falling to Nebraska.

Palmer Trinity Advances in 2A Volleyball Semifinal

Palmer Trinity withstood a near comeback, but hung on to beat the visiting Warriors 25-23, 25-20, 26-28, 25-20 in a Region 4-2A semifinal at the Falcons' gym.

Palmer Trinity (23-7) will make its second consecutive regional final appearance Saturday when it hosts Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian at 2 p.m. A Falcons' win would send them to state for the second time in four seasons.

''I expected us to play our best volleyball at this time of the season,'' Gonzalez said. ``That's what we train so hard for. This team hasn't lost its mental toughness and is playing at an intensity that's better than most right now.''

Palmer Trinity, which dropped its first regular season encounter with Westminster Christian earlier this season, rebounded two weeks ago with a victory to capture the District 16-2A championship.

After taking a two-game lead Tuesday, the Warriors won a hard-fought third game behind outside hitter Taylor Chao's timely hitting. Chao and Palmer freshman Paulina Prieto (Pictured) dueled point for point until Westminster prevailed 28-26.

But in the fourth game, Prieto helped the Falcons take control and clinched the match with her 11th kill after Chao blocked an attack on the previous point. Prieto, 6' tall, finished with five blocks as well.

''I knew we weren't going to lose,'' Preito said. ``After we lost to them this year, we felt like hurt tigers, we knew it was a matter of time before we woke up.''

Palmer senior middle hitter Laura Posada, one of the few remaining players from the school's 2005 squad that made it to the state final four, made big contributions Tuesday as well. She posted eight kills and three blocks, while junior outside hitter Kristen Titley had nine kills, two aces and two blocks. Junior setter Sarah Alfonso, who played nearly the entire match that lasted two hours, finished with a season-high 82 assists and five kills.

''As the season has gone on, we've strengthened as a team,'' Titley said. ``We've all been really dedicated and we have a lot of confidence in each other.''

Go and support Palmer Trinity at 2:00PM and root them onto the State Final four.

NOTE: Attached Picture was taken by Phillip "FLIP" Littke