Finding places to play wasn’t always easy, but high school beach volleyball has arrived

Here’s a first: There’s such a lack of beach volleyball facilities that the Riviera Prep team practices on the backyard sand court of one of their players.

Welcome to “Beach Volleyball 2022”, the first year this Olympic sport is officially sanctioned for Florida high schools by the FHSAA.

There will be just one class this year, and there are 146 teams who have entered the battle for the state championship. Of those 146, 11 are in Miami-Dade and seven in Broward.

Most high schools, however, don’t have sand courts on campus, which is where Riviera Prep’s 5-3 sophomore libero Ariana Aguirre – with her family’s blessing – comes in as she offered her home as a base for Bulldogs practices.

“We built it not only for training,” said Aguirre, who made second-team All-Dade this past fall in indoor volleyball. “We also use it for fun for the family, especially when my cousins come over.”

Fun is a big part of the beach volleyball experience. Just ask Cardinal Gibbons coach Tammy Pelski, whose daughter, Nieya, plays on Florida Atlantic University’s beach volleyball team.

Tammy Pelski has college coaching experience as an FAU assistant in 2015, and she prefers the beach version - which consists of teams playing in a 2-on-2 format - as opposed to indoor volleyball.

“My love has always been the beach,” she said. “You and your partner decide your destiny in the beach game. You don’t have to depend on five other girls like indoor volleyball. Plus, you are outdoors, looking at the waves.”

Westminster Christian, which won the 2021 Sunshine State Athletic Conference beach volleyball championship, is considered among the favorites to win state this year.

Former Westminster and University of Miami star Sylvia Hernandez is back at her alma mater as the head coach. Julie Doan, who was her high school coach, is among her assistants.

“It’s funny,” Hernandez said of the arrangement that also includes Sandra Mora as an assistant. “But Julie is like my sister. We are all equal parts. We all brainstorm together.”

Hernandez said it will be tougher for Westminster to win the big prize this year now that her little sister, Saskia, is a true freshman playing for North Carolina State.

Then again, Carrollton coach Marco Paglialunga said nobody knows for sure what to expect this season.

“As a new sport, it’s hard to forecast the season,” he said. “Everything will depend on how many and which club players decide to play beach at each school.

“At Carrollton, 50 percent of our indoor volleyball players have come out for beach. The other half are focusing on club indoor volleyball or other spring sports.”

As for the merits of beach volleyball, Hernandez said shorter girls have more of a chance here than in the indoor game.

“Indoors, it’s tough unless you are touching (10 feet, two inches), especially when you have to go up against girls who are 6-5,” Hernandez said. “On the beach, they can use their athleticism, although there are girls who are 6-2 who move like beasts.

“I also think beach is less vicious than indoor volleyball. The beach game is very competitive but friendly. It’s hard to be in a bad mood playing on the beach.”

THIS AND THAT

▪ Westminster, which trains at Coral Reef Park – about one mile from campus – will be led by Emily Matias, Zoey Matias, Alyah Cadavid, Alyssa Cadavid, Paige Anderson and Lamaya Fuller.

▪ South Plantation has three top players with beach volleyball experience: freshman Elena Lam and juniors Maria Ustick and Jessica Rodriguez. Lam and Ustick qualified to compete in the 2021 beach Junior Olympics in Santa Monica, California. Rodriguez has won several beach tournaments.

▪ Cardinal Gibbons’ top players include seniors Ema Restrepo, Bailey Gilman, Chloe Fandinao and Aine Kane. The Gibbons team practices on two courts they reserve at Pompano Community Park, which is two miles from campus.

▪ Riviera Beach’s top players include juniors Alexandra Ragan and Rayna Anders. Sophomores Hailey Brenner and Aguirre are also strong players.

▪ Carrollton is led by Sofia Ibarra, a 6-foot sophomore.

This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 10:24 AM.