Girls Cross country

2025 Coach of the Year: Josh Michael, Philip Simmons. Michael led both the boys and girls team to state championships in Class AA this season. It was the fourth consecutive championship for the girls team and the second for the boys team.

2025 Runner of the Year: Morgan Howell, Porter-Gaud. Howell, a freshman, won her second straight SCISA Class AAAA state championship and recorded the fastest time in the area among all classifications with a time of 17:47. Earlier during the season her time of 17:16 was the fastest in the state in 2025.

All-Lowcountry Team

Morgan Howell, Porter Gaud: SCISA AAAA State Champion, 17:47

Taylor Blackwelder, Summerville: AAAAA Div. I, State Runner-up, 18:17

Anna Cavallon, Wando: AAAAA Div. I, 4th place, 18:34

Avah Mallek, Philip Simmons: AA State Champion (3rd straight), 18:37

Nora Brahim, Bishop England: AAAA, 3rd place, 18:38

Corrie Reinhardt, North Charleston: AAA, State Runner-up, 18:40

Evelyn Mercer, Palmetto Christian: SCISA AAAA, 5th place, 19:01

Lydia Scanlon, Lucy Beckham: AAAAA Div. II, 3rd place, 19:10

Sophia Lee, Wando: AAAAA Div. I, 12th place, 19:18

Laura Perry, Philip Simmons: AA, 4th place, 19:23

Colby DeLamielleure, Hanahan: AAA, 6th place, 19:24

Boys Cross Country

2025 Runner of the Year: Brayden Bunt, Academic Magnet. Bunt was the highest-finishing runner among all Lowcountry runners in state meet competition, finishing as the state runner-up in Class AA with a time of 15 minutes, 47 seconds, which was two seconds faster than Summerville’s David Greer.

All-Lowcountry Team

Brayden Bunt, Academic Magnet: AA State, Runner-up, 15:47

David Greer, Summerville: AAAAA Div. I, 4th place, 15:49

Wilson Scapellato, Charleston Collegiate: SCISA AA State Champion, 15:56

Ari Laurient, Wando: AAAAA Div. I, 8th place, 15:59

Connor Good, Bishop England: AAAA, 3rd place, 16:08

A year after winning a sectional title in 2023, Greencastle’s volleyball team had high expectations of going a step further in 2024.

Instead, a small late season wobble saw an experienced Tiger Cub team finish third in the WIC after being swept by Indian Creek and fail to win a set in its sectional title defense against Parke Heritage.

For a roster full of underclassmen, the loss stung but in the long run, might have been the catalyst needed for Greencastle to embark on an epic 2025 campaign.

The Tiger Cubs finished 30-5, sweeping the Monon Athletic Conference title with a 7-0 mark, claiming the Putnam County Volleyball Tournament after letting it slip the prior year, and winning not only a sectional title, but the school’s first volleyball regional title since 1998.

Seven seniors led the squad in various capacities, including 2024 Putnam County Volleyball Player of the Year Makenzie Creviston, Keely and Roan Amis and Haley Owens along the front line, Meilani York and Ellie Knuth in the back row. Sophomore back row Janae Greenlee and freshman all-rounder Sophia Gooch made a critical impact all over the floor.

With so many potent attackers up front and defenders sweeping up behind, Allie Landry was given the task of pulling the strings to make everything work.

Landry had been the Tiger Cubs’ sole setter as a sophomore in 2023 but split duties as a junior with Kaitlin Welker in 2024.

Back in charge of the operation in 2025, Landry orchestrated an offense with four hitters that claimed over 100 kills and a fifth on 94 kills, the senior setter adding 88 kills of her own while recording 949 assists, 236 digs, 108 aces and 37 blocks.

Landry’s mastery of the offense and decision-making on the floor led her to be named the Putnam County Volleyball Player of the Year for the 2025 season.

The disappointment of the finish to her junior season was a rallying cry for the seniors heading into the 2025 season.

“In the first round of sectionals, we got smoked last year,” Landry said. “That was not what we were expecting. We had way more goals than that.

“Coming off that season, all of us, especially having so many seniors, we wanted to come out stronger this year, knowing we were going to get everyone back, it made it easier for us to get together in the offseason and set goals for ourselves that we could attain as we were very excited for the upcoming season.

“It was really nice having Makenzie and Keely as they are super driven and both of them had the highest amount of kills on the team coming into this year,” Landry added. “Getting to play with them for so long and knowing we had one season left, it really motivated us to do all we could in the offseason and make the most out of the time we had left.

“We wanted to make our last season our best season.”

Landry’s athletic prowess is not limited to volleyball, having qualified for the IHSAA Girls’ Tennis Individual Regional for a second time in three years, as well as helping Greencastle win a fifth-straight sectional title.

A focus on tennis led to Landry relinquishing club volleyball, initially seen as ideal in her pursuit of the sport, but the draw of volleyball was strong enough to cause her to reconsider her plans before her senior year began.

“I wasn’t going to play club volleyball last year, having decided to focus on tennis,” Landry said. “I had played from fourth grade all the way until freshman year, stopped as a sophomore and had planned not to play again until I randomly got offered a spot on another club team as they needed another setter.

“That really helped. I really didn’t want to take another year off as I missed playing when I did. That spot felt like a sign that I needed to keep playing volleyball.

“Initially, I thought I was just going to be playing tennis in college and felt it was a waste of time if I did play volleyball,” Landry added. “I used the offseason to get really good at tennis and was going to do the same, having thrown all my club stuff out, but I ran back to get it and have since committed to playing both tennis and volleyball at DePauw.”

The club, Rev Volleyball Academy, came about thanks to a local connection to Greencastle in Suzanne Masten, offering a chance to get more time on the court as well as different perspective by working with a new set of teammates.

“This was an entirely new team,” Landry noted. “I had played for (Crossroads of America) in previous years, so I went in knowing only coach Masten, who got me on the team.

“It was so different playing on a team with nobody that I knew as I had only played with my same group of friends and a few others. It was a really great experience as it helped me connect with new hitters and learn from them.

“Going back and forth between two different sets of hitters, especially different middles as everyone has different timings that they like, was hard,” Landry added. “It was easier to shift from club to my school teammates than the other way because of muscle memory but it was definitely helpful to have the extra training.”

On top of getting back into club ball, Landry said the Tiger Cubs opted for a different plan in the summer, going for more time on the court as a team rather than individual work.

“We did something different by going to the Dunes Camp,” Landry said. “Usually, we go to a college like Ball State or Indiana University.

“Instead of focusing on drilling, we wanted to get a lot of playing experience, feel out a bunch of different lineups and throw people into different spots. We played 10 games over two days and were so tired after that.

“We stayed in a house together and all the togetherness was so fun,” Landry added.

The time at the camp was also a chance to work in Greenlee and Gooch into the fold, forming the bases of the team that would explode into life in a few months’ time.

“The Dunes Camp was the first time we had all played together as a group,” Landry noted. “We played with Janae the previous year, though she had a smaller role on the varsity last year but she was a great personality and was a great addition to the team this summer.

“We’ve known about Sophia for a few years so we were so excited to have her join. People asked if she would take away some of the spotlight from players in our senior year but we wanted her and all of the success that comes with having her on the team. We absolutely love her.”

Once the 2025 season arrived, Landry said the team was dialed in far more than the previous year, going in with the mindset of not leaving anything on the table every night on the court.

“Losing county and sectionals really lit a fire under us for this year,” Landry said. “We knew with the talent and the experience we had, we told ourselves we were going to county and not losing a set. We were going to sectionals and not losing a set.

“We had a don’t let up mindset against any team we faced. We didn’t want there to be any teams where we thought we could have played better against or we shouldn’t have lost to them.

“Every single game we played, we played with the intention of not losing any sets we didn’t need to,” Landry added. “We tried to fight in every match, even in losses like to Northview.

“We only lost two matches in which we didn’t win a set, which was different from past years where we’d gotten swept 3-0.”

Landry also set high goals for herself, wanting to better one of her own records and reach another major milestone as a setter.

“For settlers, reaching 1,000 assists is a big goal and one I had reached the previous year,” Landry said. “This year, my biggest personal goal was to reach 2,000 assists. That’s a huge goal.

“I also wanted to beat my ace record from sophomore year, which I didn’t quite get, but I was fifth in the state in aces. As a competitive person, I was tracking that leaderboard all season.”

A season-opening loss to Danville was followed up by a 13-match winning streak, cementing the start the team was looking for as well as showcasing the level of play the team had at its disposal.

“Our longest streak before this season was freshman year,” Landry said. “We started out 0-7 then won our next seven games. That was the longest streak I could think of.

“That stretch of the season was so fun. It’s very easy to let up in the middle of the season but I’m not sure we lost more than a set or two in that stretch.

“It was a case where we put our heads down, did the work and looked up to realize we were 13-0 over the past couple of weeks,” Landry added. “It was so fun to do that with my best friends.”

During the run, Greencastle won six of its seven Monon Athletic Conference games, all-but wrapping up the conference title a week into September, though Landry said the team almost didn’t notice their success at the time.

“We had talked about it last year when we played teams that were going to be in the new conference,” Landry said about winning the new conference. “Again, we put our heads down, put in the work, beat the teams we needed to beat and looked up to see we had won the conference.

“We hadn’t won conference before and it was exciting to be the first team to win the new conference title.”

The streak was broken when Greencastle hosted Northview, the only five-set match played by the Tiger Cubs on the season.

“Even though we lost to Northview, it was my favorite match of the year,” Landry said. “Just the name Northview, even if they’re in the middle of nowhere, they’ve been good at everything; there’s always some underlying tension thanks to club ball but they have smoked us year in and year out.

“This year, we thought if there was a year to beat them, this was it, so we went into that game so excited. It was a five-set match and so long and while we were sad afterward, we all realized how well we played and said we should be proud of ourselves, not sad. It was a fun game.”

The Tiger Cubs dusted themselves off, winning 10-straight matches to end the regular season and heading into postseason play with momentum at its back, though Landry said the team was reminded not to assume anything once sectional play began.

“We tried to have the mindset of not being too comfortable entering the postseason,” Landry said. “Everyone’s record is 0-0 at that point, something our coaches said to us a lot.

“In past years, we’ve had good seasons and gotten to the postseason thinking, it’s Parke Heritage, we’ve never played them before but thought we had it. They came out swinging and we weren’t ready for it at all.

“This year, we didn’t care about stats, records or if we played anyone in the sectional already, we wanted to clean it off as no one wants to be done and everyone is going to play as hard as they can,” Landry added. “We did our best to take care of business.”

Against the same Parke Heritage team that knocked them out of the tournament the year prior, Greencastle swept the Wolves to advance, eventually sweeping South Putnam and South Vermillion for a second sectional title in three years.

“We wanted to build on what we did sophomore year,” Landry said. “We won the sectional but we weren’t ready for the regional then.

“We wanted to give ourselves the opportunity to prove ourselves, that we weren’t just a team that won a sectional but could go beyond that. We were locked in during sectional week and the week after that getting ready for the regional.”

While sweeping through the sectional, Landry said the team was constantly being pushed in practice as head coach Denise Meyer put the squad through intense practices, utilizing Maggie York and Sarah Sprangler, former Marian University players and current Tiger Cub assistant coaches opposite the starting lineup.

“It really helps having a really good coaching staff like we had,” Landry pointed out. “They’re all so focused and wanted our success sometimes more than we did, so they were willing to do whatever it took and called whoever they needed to call to help us.

“They watched so many games of film and scouted teams. We spent so much time watching Covenant Christian and Barr-Reeve matches. The focus leading up to sectionals, the regional and semi-state, doing frustrating drills and other things that would get our minds working was with the goal of making things mentally easier during the match than during practices.”

Going into the match against Covenant Christian in the regional, Landry admitted nerves were getting to the team beforehand but a 9-1 start in the opening set eventually led to a sweep of the Warriors.

“We were really nervous, especially with how the regional went sophomore year,” Landry said. “We said we were not letting that happen again. That could not be us.

“We knew it could be our last game and said we had to leave it all out there. Even though we had scouted them all week, we also knew they were going out to avoid playing their last game, too, so we had to go out expecting everything.

“It was so fun,” Landry added. “The start set the tone for the rest of the match as we were so hyped to be there and showed we came ready to play.”

The win saw Greencastle paired with 2A No. 1 Barr-Reeve in the opening round of the Bedford Semi-State and though the season would come to an end against the Vikings, Landry said the squad battled gamely and enjoyed the experience.

“Even though we lost 3-0, the scores were a little closer than they showed,” Landry said. “We played really hard with (Barr-Reeve) most of the time.

“It came down to a couple of errors here and there that we could have cleaned up that really would have made a difference. The opening set was 22-22 and if we had won that, it really would have made a difference.

“Going in, they were the favorite and we were the underdogs, but the thought was, why can’t it be us to beat them?” Landry added. “Even though it was likely going to be our last game, we were so excited to play and had so much energy going into it.”

Just a few weeks later, Landry and Creviston would find themselves sharing the same court as several of the newly-crowned state champions as part of the Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association All-Star Games.

“Makenzie and I both initially didn’t want to see them but it was so hard to be like that because they were so nice,” Landry said. “We told them we were rooting for them because if you lose to someone, it might as well be the state champions.

“Even if we were a little salty about losing to them, they were super sweet, so it was easy to cheer for them to win state and play with them at the All-Star game.”

Greencastle finished the 2025 season with a 30-5 record, a 7-0 mark in MAC play, the school’s 21st volleyball sectional title and fifth regional title.

“I could not have asked for a better way to end my senior season,” Landry said. “It could not have been any better or any more fun.

“I have no regrets from this season, no games where I felt like we should have won or played better. We played to our full potential, even nearly winning a couple of games 25-0.

“The dominance we had was so fun,” Landry added. “That came from all the work we put in together since we’ve been in fourth grade, driving to club practices, seeing all of that time and effort pay off.”

Landry credited getting back into the swing of club ball for helping her have a fitting final season for Greencastle and for performing as well as she did over the course of the campaign.

“I’m really glad that I joined the club team because last year, I felt I was rusty going into the season and I didn’t want that at all,” Landry said. “I was able to hit the ground running and work toward my 2,000-assist goal as well as all my team-oriented goals with my friends.”

Also helping was a change in system that featured Landry as the sole setter in the rotation, a formation Landry was happy to take back up after splitting setting duties a season ago.

“Being the competitive person that I am, I wanted to run a 5-1 system like we had run my sophomore season,” Landry said. “Switching from that system into a 6-2 system as a junior was kind of hard for me but I loved playing with Kaitlin and I do like hitting, so I was happy to get an extra season of swinging in.

“I was definitely very happy to get my 5-1 permission back. Even if we ran that system last year, I don’t think all of us had the same fire or urgency of last year playing together. It might not have changed as much as we think because we had a very different mindset going into this season.”

Though there’s more volleyball to come for Landry, doing it without the teammates she has had the past four seasons was going to be tough, though she added she hoped the returning players picked up the mantle and carried the program forward.

“I’m so grateful to have been a part of a program and the friendships I’ve gained from playing with these girls my whole life,” Landry said. “I would not have traded it for anything else.

“Rowan coming in, Greta (Szabo) coming in, it’s so welcoming and such a fun program to be a part of. I’m so sad to have to leave and a little jealous of all the underclassmen that have years left to play for Denise.

“The records I set are one thing but the culture that myself and the other seniors have created is important,” Landry added. “I hope our leadership and the bond we created with one another is something that others are inspired to carry on.”

FIRST TEAM

Sofia Concepcion, MH, Dr. Joaquin Garcia senior: Led the Bulldogs to a district championship and to a 5A regional quarterfinal; recorded 151 total blocks, 98 kills and .370 hitting percentage; had 15 blocks in a match; Athlete of the Week recipient.

Hailey Ferwerda, OH, West Boca senior: Led the Bulls to a district championship and to a 6A regional final; recorded 21 kills in regional semifinal win; registered a team-high 228 kills, 171 digs and 47 aces.

Abi Chin Lee, OH, Seminole Ridge junior: Team captain; recorded 296 kills, 287 digs, 281 service points, 241 receptions and 51 aces; Team Offensive MVP recipient; FACA All-State selection.

Bella Levitt, MB/OH, Dwyer junior: Recorded 291 kills, 49 blocks and 25 aces; team captain; had 21 kills in regional quarterfinal and 18 kills in regional semifinal; JVA Watchlist Class of 2027; Prep Dig No. 7 ranked middle blocker in Florida for Class of 2027.

Alexia Marchese, OH, Dwyer junior: Led the Panthers to a 7A regional final; team captain; registered 275 kills, 262 digs and 45 aces; had 28 kills in a match; Dwyer Athlete of the Week; Team Offensive MVP recipient.

Kaija Fullerton, OH, Jupiter junior: Led the Warriors to a district title and 7A regional final appearance; registered 27 kills in regional semifinal win; recorded 328 kills and 141 digs; Jupiter High School Athlete of the Week selection.

SECOND TEAM

Victoria Addazio, setter, Dwyer freshman

Hadley Clark, libero, Boca Raton senior

Daniela Garrido, libero, Dr. Joaquin Garcia senior

Payton Lotz, libero, Dwyer sophomore

Elise Sergent, OH, Jupiter senior

Lillie Voss, setter, Jupiter junior

HONORABLE MENTION

Boca Raton: Meya Cooper, Lia Ray, Kiara Rose

Dr. Joaquin Garcia: Sophia Bui

Dwyer: Teaghan Greenman, Addison Inge

Jupiter: Ainslee Aden, Grace Lovell

Lake Worth: Illeysha Rodriguez

Palm Beach Central: Zoe Pikula

Park Vista: Madelyn Moye, Elsa Yonko

Royal Palm Beach: Camila Echeverry, Leslie Mentor

Seminole Ridge: Capri Corey, Emma Ginther, Kyla Wallace

Spanish River: Amelie Fortinho

Wellington: Nicole Koch

West Boca Raton: Hendrix Goodwin, Chloe Khoury, Sofia Maldonado

COACH OF THE YEAR

Blane Betz, Jupiter: The Warriors finished 23-5, won a district championship and reached a 7A regional final. “I feel like this year’s team and their success was really about learning how to bring a family of players together. We had players from all four grade levels. We had players from out-of-state and seeing them work together as a family to figure out how to be their best I think was most impressive about this team. Their patience throughout the season as we figured out the best scenarios for our team success was pretty great as well. And of course, I have the best coaching staff around. I could not do what I do without them.”

For many years, Aaliyah Green’s family has been synonymous with basketball in both Frederick County and the DMV area.

Her mother, Tami, played Division I basketball at Howard University and has coached a national championship-winning AAU team. Her father, Erick Sr., is the current Millbrook boys’ basketball coach, and previously coached the girls’ team, leading them to a Class 4 state championship in 2018.

Her siblings all played for Millbrook. Her brother, Erick Jr., played at Virginia Tech from 2009-2013 and has carved out a professional career, playing in the NBA and other leagues. Her sister, Courtni, played at Delaware from 2012-2016, while her sister Madison played for James Madison from 2018-2022.

Despite this extensive family history, Aaliyah was determined to carve out her own athletic path. She started playing volleyball in sixth grade and eventually “fell in love” with the sport. Now a junior at Millbrook, Green’s hard work has resulted in her being named The Winchester Star Volleyball Player of the Year.

Green said some initial encouragement from her mom helped her begin playing volleyball.

“Ever since I was little, I always just said I would never play basketball. I was surrounded by it forever. I was just like, ‘I can’t touch a basketball, I can’t be like them,’” Green said. “My mom said, ‘Your siblings are D1, you’ve got to find a sport that’s going to send you D1. If it’s not going to be basketball, then it’s got to be something else. So I was like, ‘I guess it’s time to go hunting for a sport.’ And I found volleyball.”

Back in June, Green made good on her longtime goal, announcing her verbal commitment to the University of Connecticut. She certainly did the Huskies proud this past fall, putting together her strongest season to date while helping guide Millbrook to a 19-4 record.

Green averaged an area-best 5.40 kills per set, frequently causing chaos for defenses trying to keep her thunderous attacks off the floor. Green had 405 total kills this year after ranking seventh in the area with 233 kills in 2024. No one else on the team had more than 153 kills this year. 

She also averaged 2.95 digs per set (sixth-best in area) and 0.68 aces per set (eighth-best) en route to winning the Northwestern District Class 4 Player of the Year award and also being named to the Class 4 All-State First Team. 

Millbrook head coach Dave White, who made his Pioneers’ debut this past season, said Green’s “biggest asset” is her ability to attack the ball.

“Her attacking is definitely the most impressive part of her game,” White said. “Her ability to hit with a lot of range and different angles, and the power with which she hits … a lot of that is coming from the great athleticism that she has in terms of her vertical and getting up and being above a lot of the blockers.”

Although White only recently began coaching at Millbrook, he’s coached several of his current players, including Green, on Blue Ridge Volleyball Association’s indoor and beach volleyball teams. Green — who currently plays for Paramount Volleyball Club based in Leesburg — said playing for White again this season helped make her “very comfortable” on the court, further aiding her performance.

Blue Ridge was the first volleyball team Green played for, so White has been there for a large portion of her journey with the sport. He said her offensive abilities have come a long way over the years.

“I think over the past couple seasons with her travel and previous high school season, I think [her attacking] has become more natural,” White said. “I knew Aaliyah when she was in the seventh grade, and it was not natural. I think she’s put a lot of work into really making an effort to get her feet to the ball and just being more consistent as a hitter. When she was younger, she might have been a little wild, but I think now she’s much more consistent.”

White added that, coming into this past season, Millbrook made it a point of emphasis to make Green “a pivotal part” of its offense. With a strong group of teammates, including setters Paisley Cook and McKenna Homans, complementing her offense, Green left a large impact and helped the Pioneers reach the postseason.

There, they defeated Handley in dramatic fashion in the Region 4D quarterfinals. Against the Judges, the Pioneers trailed 2-1 before rallying to win the fourth set 25-19 and the final set 15-10. Green finished that night with 27 kills and said the comeback win was her favorite moment of the season.

“The quarterfinal game against Handley, when we won against them in the fifth set, I think that definitely boosted our confidence,” Green said. “It was just a great game. The comeback and the energy and how the team gathered together in the fifth set [was memorable].”

Although the Pioneers went on to lose 3-1 to eventual state champion James Wood in the Region 4D semifinals, they set a strong precedent for 2026. With only two members of the team graduating at the end of the school year, Millbrook could return 12 players from this year’s team during Green’s senior season.

With Green already having achieved a lot, she said her goal is for the Pioneers to find further postseason success and to do “more of what I did this year” individually.

White said he’s excited to coach Green for one final go-around and anticipates her stepping up as a senior leader for the team going forward. He also said he’d like to see her continue sustaining her offensive prowess.

“Continued success attacking, and even more consistency from her on that pin is going to free up our middle and our opposite hitters. So more of what she’s doing [is the goal],” White said.

“She supports everyone, just as they’re supporting her. I’d love to see next season, going into it, I’d love for her to really take hold of that leadership role. I know she’s capable, and I think that’ll take us to the next level next season.”

One of the hardest accomplishments to secure in sports is to leave while at the mountaintop. Following James Wood volleyball’s championship season, that’s exactly what head coach Adrienne Patrick is doing. 

In her final season before transitioning to her new role as an assistant principal at Millbrook, Patrick led the Colonels to their fourth straight state championship, while also guiding them to a program-record 30 wins. As a result, she is The Winchester Star Volleyball Coach of the Year for the third time in four years.

Patrick ended her six-year tenure as James Wood’s coach with a 128-19 record, guiding the Colonels through the postseason en route to a fourth consecutive region title and another Class 4 state title. 

James Wood bested E.C. Glass 3-0 to take home the Region 4D championship, before later knocking off Loudoun County 3-1 at Virginia State University to win the state championship. The Colonels are the first Frederick County team in any sport to win four straight state titles. 

Patrick also coached standout individuals, as senior outside hitters Kennedy Spaid and Brenna Corbin were named to the Class 4 All-State First Team and the Region 4D First Team. They were also named to the All-Northwestern District First Team with teammates Claire Keefer  (senior middle hitter) and Kyla Wilhelm (junior outside hitter).  

Following her team’s impressive 2025, Patrick reflected on the Colonels’ success.

Q. What qualities made this team special? 

Patrick: We had plenty of returning athletes on our roster; Kennedy Spaid, Reese Justice, Kylee Plumb, Kyla Wilhelm, Bella Middleton, Brenna Corbin and Claire Keefer were all returners from last year’s team. I think that anytime you’re able to keep a solid core group of kids together, that can add to and help your success. And then, I’ve been known to always pull up a freshman. This year, we had two freshmen on the team that were impactful. They were able to benefit the team in two different ways: Macie Hewitt in the back row and then Kennedi Bower in the front row. 

We also talked plenty of times about when you’re at the top, how there’s going to be a target on you. Everybody wants to be the ‘king of the hill’ so to speak, whatever you want to call it, right? So knowing we had been there before, and we currently had the title, we knew that would be something that we would have to fight for, to keep. 

Some differences [from other seasons] is that we definitely ran into more injuries than we ever have before. So much so that we had to start changing when our practice time was to allow all my kids to be able to meet and see and be serviced by the trainer. So that was a little bit different, because you’re then constantly having to pivot and put people into different positions and make it work, which we were able to do. 

Q. What individuals impressed you or surprised you the most?

Patrick: Kyla Wilhelm came out of the offseason really swinging hard and really ready to make an impression on the front row. She was on First Team All-District and Second Team All-Region, she was either third or fourth on our team in a lot of stats. I just feel like that is her stepping it up. Most of the time, she’s playing on the right side, but in a couple instances, I did put her in the middle. 

Claire Keefer, she also went back and forth, right side and middle. She was on First Team All-District as well, and then she was on Second Team All-Region. That was the first time that she was receiving those accolades and that acknowledgement. So that’s a really big deal.

Bella Middleton almost tripled all of her stats from last year because she was just on the court so much more as a sophomore. So that’s really good when you think about where that’s going to take the program moving forward.

Q. What do you consider the most memorable moments of the season? 

Patrick: When we hosted our very first-ever tournament [the Champions Classic] that I worked to create. So hopefully that would continue, because the amount of interest that we got out … all of it was positive. We went on to win straight through the tournament [going 5-0]. 

Two weeks later, we went to Virginia Beach, and our first match of the day … we were going to play Flint Hill. The last time we went to that tournament, two years ago, we played Flint Hill. It was disastrous, it was a struggle for us. And then, beating them 2-0 and then going on the rest of the day, beating other schools like Bishop McNamara and Kellum … was huge for us. I mentioned those teams because they are two huge powerhouse schools.

And then, to go on and have a pretty successful rest of the season, we ended up 30-2. That was the most-ever wins in a season for our program, because we hadn’t actually had a program play that many matches in a season. And then, there’s a lot of memories; all of the bus rides and the silly celebrations that we have, the little sayings we have. There’s a bunch of different things that all go into the team bonding aspect and the buy-in and why I feel like we’ve been able to do this for four years in a row. We make it an environment where kids want to be and where the athletes want to give everything that they have. 

FIRST TEAM

Yasmin Dias Tonon, OH, North Broward Prep senior: Recorded 320 kills, 194 digs, 60 aces, 40 blocks and .389 hitting percentage; registered 21 kills in a match; had 18 kills in state championship match; helped lift Eagles to district, regional and state title; Bentley University signee.

Kaylee Foreman, libero, Pine Crest junior: Team captain; recorded 625 service receptions, 393 digs, 115 assists and 43 aces; Palm League All-Tournament Team; NHSCA Academic All-American First Team; Under Armour Next Camp Series Invitee; AVCA Phenom selection; Team Florida 15U member; Yale University commit.

Mia Gold, OH, Pine Crest senior: Led the Panthers to a district and regional title; team captain; recorded 440 kills, 249 digs, 45 aces; recorded 28 kills and 13 digs in state semifinal; school record holder for kills; England National Team selection; Boston College signee.

Melia Howze, MB, Chaminade-Madonna freshman: Led Lions to district championship and 2A regional quarterfinal appearance; recorded 308 kills, 80 blocks and .443 hitting percentage; recorded 25 kills to lift team to district title win.

Samantha McMillan, OH, Coral Springs Charter senior: Led Panthers to 3A regional quarterfinal appearance; recorded 251 kills, 282 receptions and .335 hitting percentage in just 60 sets played; registered 28 kills in a match; American University signee.

Destiny Wiggins, libero, North Broward Prep senior: Recorded 436 digs, 438 service receptions, 91 assists and 36 aces; registered 31 digs in a match; had 22 digs in state championship match; helped lift Eagles to district, regional and state title.

SECOND TEAM

Isabella Collado, setter, Pine Crest eighth-grader

Gabriella Florian, OH, Pine Crest junior

Camryn Kanell, MB, Calvary Christian Academy senior

Emma Luehrs, setter, North Broward Prep eighth-grader

Jayda Palumbo, OH, North Broward Prep junior

Adriana Powers-Hadley, OH, Sagemont junior

HONORABLE MENTION

American Heritage: Lyla Pack

Calvary Christian: Sophia Azevedo, Reese Mittauer, Jada Stephenson

Cardinal Gibbons: Jordan Andrews, Ava Flores, Beatriz Matos

Chaminade-Madonna: Paloma Castellanos, Keylanis Cruz, Amy Wood

Coral Springs Charter: Olivia Greco, Mia Luersen

Franklin Academy: Sofia Hernandez

Highlands Christian: Ali Diaz, Emily Eades

North Broward Prep: Layni Tobias

Pine Crest: Jasmine Florian, Elizabeth Sauby, Elle Schneider

Sagemont: Daniella Seijo

Sheridan Hills: Sophia Broch, Jasmine Cummings, Deborah Point Du Jour

University School: Daniella Lugo

Westminster Academy: Zoe Burton, Amelia Benkendorf

COACH OF THE YEAR

Brian Coughenour, North Broward Prep: The Eagles finished 26-2, earned a district championship and regional title and won the 4A state championship. “I am very proud of this team. They came into the season ready to work hard and with one goal in mind in bringing North Broward Prep their first volleyball state championship. They earned that championship along with a number of individual awards. I held them to a very high standard and they not only met it but exceeded my expectations. I am very excited for the future of this program and blessed to be part of it.”