Columbus’ Lucas Riva is the Miami-Dade Boys’ Volleyball Player of the Year
Recording artist Drake’s song, “Started from the bottom, now we here,” could easily apply to the past year of Columbus senior Lucas Riva’s journey.
Rock bottom was last season in the boys’ volleyball regional finals when Riva was writhing in pain on the Columbus court after tearing two ligaments in his ankle. He later watched his team’s state championship hopes dashed by rival Southwest Miami.
The highest of highs came a year later when a healthy Riva led the Explorers on a redemption tour, which included a regional championship win over Southwest, and ultimately their first state championship.
Riva’s journey of resilience has earned him this year’s Miami Herald Boys’ Volleyball Player of the Year award for Miami-Dade County.
“It comes down to the fact that injuries happen, and so, if I had been caught up on it, I wouldn’t have made it,” Riva said. “I had to move on and keep getting better every single day.”
Riva did just that this past spring.
After extensive rehab in the offseason, and a process in which he had to recover his confidence in his own abilities post-injury, Riva returned to the court as explosive as ever.
Riva, a 6-4 outside hitter, finished with 265 kills, 169 digs and 38 aces to lead an experienced and talented Explorers’ squad to a 27-5 record.
Riva led Columbus to a four-set win over Southwest in the regional final rematch before back-to-back sweeps at the Class 3A state finals over Loxahatchee Seminole Ridge and Winter Garden Horizon.
“You go into the match with no fear,” Riva said. “Deep down you’re a little scared to jump as high as you did before, but you get through that. I had a great support system at home and my parents just told me to put my faith in God through it all. Maybe my path here was just meant to be that way.”
Riva, who is headed to New York University this fall to major in liberal studies with a goal to pursue a career in finance, formed part of a core of seniors, who set this year’s accomplishment as a goal since their freshman seasons.
“From the start, we talked about if we could do it our senior year,” Riva said. “This was going to be our moment and we were going to win it.”
