Divine Savior’s Martinez, Gables’ Macau are Dade Volleyball Players of the Year
It was a year of breakthroughs among Miami-Dade County volleyball teams.
And two of the players at the heart of their respective teams’ memorable seasons were Divine Savior’s Ruth Martinez and Coral Gables’ Natasha Macau.
Each led their teams to heights their programs had not seen in years.
And so, Macau and Martinez are the Miami Herald’s Miami-Dade Girls’ Volleyball Players of the Year.
Macau earned the honor for Classes 7A-5A after leading Coral Gables to the regional semifinals in Class 7A before losing a five-set thriller to Weston Cypress Bay.
Macau, a 5-10 junior, made an impact for the Cavaliers as both an outside hitter and setter. She finished the season with 460 kills, 43 aces and 246 digs.
Her efforts helped Gables win its first regional playoff game since 2002 and only its second such win since 1982. Macau, a Lehigh University commit, has been part of a major improvement for Gables volleyball in recent years.
“This season was super fun. The whole team had a great bond,” Macau said. “We won our district. This offseason, I’m going in as a captain so hoping to be able to lead by example and show the girls that what we did this year worked but we’re going to have to work even harder to get further.”
Martinez, the 4A-1A Player of the Year, has been one of the county’s top players in recent years.
Martinez, an athletic and versatile 6-1 outside hitter who is committed to the University of Miami, took things up a notch and became one of the most dominant players in the state.
Martinez totaled 327 kills, 55 aces and 201 digs, and led Divine Savior to an impressive 30-2 season, which culminated with the Sharks’ first trip to the state final four since 2018.
“We worked hard every day, and we learned to work together as a team and always tried to improve,” Martinez said. “Even though we didn’t reach the state final, we gave it our best effort. It taught me the importance of teamwork and responsibility.”
Martinez will next try to make a splash in college at UM for a program, which has become an NCAA Tournament regular in recent years.
“It’s a great school with a strong volleyball program,” said Martinez, who wants to study Sports Management. “I’m really excited about the opportunity to train and compete at a high level.”
This story was originally published January 23, 2026 at 9:30 AM.
