Broward girls’ volleyball preview: St. Thomas Aquinas boasts impressive depth
St. Thomas Aquinas is taking the Noah’s Ark approach to girls’ volleyball: They’ve got two quality setters, two top middle blockers, two great liberos …
Lisa Zielinski, who is in her 36th year coaching Aquinas, compares her current squad to the one in 2018 that won a state title.
“Both teams had a lot of experience,” said Zielinski, who has won six state titles at Aquinas, including four in the past decade. “But our current team is deeper at every position.”
Since that championship in 2018, the Raiders lost in the 2019 state final; had the 2020 playoffs wiped out by COVID; and fallen in the 2021 regional finals.
Then, last year, the Raiders finished 18-13, losing in the Class 6A state semifinals.
From that 2022 squad, the Raiders lost Broward County Player of the Year Zy’aire Barr, an outside hitter who is now playing for Northern Kentucky.
However, the Raiders have added two new players: 6-0 junior middle blocker Kendall Evans, who transferred in from Chaminade; and 6-2 sophomore opposite hitter Sydney Guerrier, who moved in from University School.
The leading returner is Sydney Van Cott, a 5-11 senior outside hitter who has signed with Mercer University.
Zoe Taylor, a 6-0 senior outside hitter and the daughter of NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, sat out last year’s indoor season to focus on beach volleyball.
“She will make an impact,” Zielinski said of Taylor, who has committed to LSU to play beach volleyball.
There are two other Raiders players who have already committed to colleges: 5-11 junior setter and opposite hitter Mikayla Porter (North Florida); and 5-7 senior libero Halley Tang (Western Carolina).
Other Raiders players to watch are 6-0 junior outside hitter Zori Brown; 5-9 junior setter Malia Brooks; 6-0 senior middle blocker Kyleigh Shelton; 5-11 junior middle blocker Riley Gulla; and 5-9 junior libero Tameary Wardlaw.
“We are physical and athletic at every spot,” Zielinski said. “My kids don’t look super tall, but they are hitting the ball at a very high point.”
TEAM OUTLOOKS
▪ Archbishop McCarthy, which finished 18-11 and advanced to the regional semifinals last year, has a new coach in Robert Perez. The Mavericks return several starters, including 5-7 junior middle blocker Emma Pierce; 5-8 senior outside hitter Isabella Garcia; 5-7 senior outside hitter Isabell Rios; and 5-0 junior libero Alejandra Mejia. The Mavericks graduated Celimar Hoyos, who is now playing Division I volleyball at the University of Illinois Chicago. However, Perez added Mater Lakes transfer Melanie Vazquez, a 6-1 junior opposite hitter who should help immediately. “I think we should get over the hump this year and reach state,” Perez said. “This is our moment.”
▪ Cardinal Gibbons, which went 15-11 and reached the regional semifinals last year, will be led by a pair of senior 6-footers: outside hitter Fabiana Capone and middle blocker Teyhlor Thomas. Capone, a fourth-year starter, led the team with 211 kills. Thomas, who can be dominant, led the team with 71 blocks. Sophomore Ava Flores led the team with 688 assists. Sophomore Avery Paton led the team with 290 digs and with 46 aces.
▪ Westminster Academy, which went 12-10 last season in its first season under coach Hannah Brenner, returns five starters. The squad is led by 6-4 senior middle blocker Adrianna Bridges, who has committed to the University of Arizona. Kayla Troutman, a 5-7 senior, is a dominant setter. Nicole Dos Santos, a 5-7 junior outside hitter, is a consistent all-around player. Junior Lea Miller is the libero, and 5-11 sophomore outside hitter Jada Constanza spent the summer playing on a national-level club team.
▪ Pine Crest went 13-12 last season, reaching the regional semifinals. This season, the team leader is sophomore outside hitter Mia Gold, who should be Pine Crest’s leading scorer every game. Isabella Medeiros, a junior setter, could pile up more than 400 assists this season after getting 254 last year. Junior libero Ali Natt averaged 4.1 digs per set last year, and she will again lead the defense.
▪ Fort Lauderdale went 9-6 last season and will be led by a quartet of juniors - Eva Luis, a 5-2 libero, Mallory Black, a 5-10 middle blocker, Alexa Norwood, a 5-5 setter and Krisztina Tolotti, a 5-8 outside hitter.
▪ University School, which went 7-20 last year, will be young this season, led by eighth-grader Valentina Santamaria, who is a 5-9 outside hitter. Tali Greene, a 5-7 freshman outside hitter, is another scrappy player on a team that features good ball control.
▪ Nova, which went 3-14 last year, will be led by a pair of seniors: 5-10 outside hitter Hannah Adderly and 5-1 libero Ava De La Osa. Adderly is a fourth-year starter. De La Osa makes some spectacular digs.
KEY DATES
Sept. 1-2: Tournament of Champions in Tampa; Sept. 22-23: Chaminade Invitational; Sept. 29-30: Florida Christian Invitational; Oct. 6-7: Venice Invitational; Oct. 11-12: BCAA Big 8 championship; Oct. 13-14: Warrior Invitational at Westminster Christian; Oct. 16-20: Districts; Oct. 24-25: Regional quarterfinals; Oct. 27-28: Regional semifinals; Oct. 31-Nov. 1: Regional finals; Nov. 6-11: State tournament at Polk State College in Winter Haven.
This story was originally published August 23, 2023 at 7:00 AM.