The 2025 Palm Beach Post All-County teams are here!

The Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards is proud to announce the Player of the Year nominees for small school volleyball.

Player of the Year winners will be announced at the South Florida Fair in a live ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 24. Nominees will be able to register to attend for free, thanks to sponsors. For more information about the show, please reach out to deputy sports editor Eric J. Wallace (ejwallace@pbpost.com).

The 2025 Palm Beach Post All-County teams are here!

The Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards is proud to announce the Player of the Year nominees for large school volleyball.

Player of the Year winners will be announced at the South Florida Fair in a live ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 24. Nominees will be able to register to attend for free, thanks to sponsors. For more information about the show, please reach out to deputy sports editor Eric J. Wallace (ejwallace@pbpost.com).

MADISON, Wis. — On this day, December 28, 2012, Kelly Sheffield was hired as Wisconsin’s head volleyball coach, instantly propelling the program into one of the best in the country.

The Badgers had been coached by Pete Waite for the previous 13 years, and the program had been struggling since 2008. Sheffield turned things around immediately in his first season, making it all the way to the national championship in 2013, falling just short to Penn State.

Since then, the Badgers have made the NCAA tournament each season and have not lost more than 10 games in any season since he was hired.

He led the program to the top of the mountain in 2021, when they defeated Nebraska for the first championship in program history.

Since then, they have made the Final Four twice, most recently this past season, where they fell just short to the Kentucky Wildcats in five sets.

Sheffield has also coached 20 different Badgers to 45 All-American nominations, headlined by Dana Rettke and Sarah Franklin who won AVCA Player of the Year honors in 2021 and 2023.

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POTSDAM – A student athlete from Potsdam was one of three SUNY Potsdam women’s volleyball players to be named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. The teams are selected by CSC member directors of athletic communications to recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
Senior captain and setter Sophia Layer played in all 27 matches with 25 starts this Fall. She recorded 604 assists, 212 digs, 70 kills, 26 aces and 19 blocks. She ranked fourth in the SUNYAC in assists. In her career, she totaled 2087 assists, 723 digs, 101 kills and 35 blocks. Layer is the just the fourth Bear in the last 20 years to reach the 2000-assist mark.

To be eligible for the honor, athletes need to be at least a sophomore, maintain at least a 3.5 GPA, compete in 90 percent of their teams’ contests or start in 66 percent.

The Cook Islands men’s and women’s volleyball teams received recognition at the recent Matariki Cup competition held in Tauranga, New Zealand.

Jackie Rongo, Cook Islands Volleyball Federation (CIVF) development coordinator and women’s coach, received the Coach of the Tournament Award.

“I was blown away and humbled receiving the Coach of the Tournament Award! Even more so, I was very proud of our athletes that achieved individual recognition for their efforts,” Rongo said.

“Each athlete has trained or currently trains under ‘Ātui’anga ki te Tango (AKTT) Volleyball – the team I coach alongside Liam Clegg, who I am extremely thankful to for being on this journey with me.

“Seeing these athletes shine in an international tournament and receive recognition as Cook Islands National Volleyball team players was the cherry on top.”

Rongo said Cook Islands women’s captain Tuaana Mitchell and men’s captain Ryan Nicholson led their respective teams well. 

The men’s and women’s teams finished as runners-up, losing to AMP Tipua and AMP Waiariki in their respective finals.

“A special mention to men’s MVP Jacques Koteka and men’s vice-captain, who was part of the very first team I ever coached and is still with AKTT today. He is one of the hardest working athletes I know and it was awesome to see him playing high level volleyball in this tournament.”

Rongo said the 4^th Matariki Cup Volleyball Challenge was a true embodiment of the spirit of why this competition was created – “to strengthen our cultural connection and bond across Te Moananui-a-Kiva through our shared love of volleyball.”

With Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau as major sponsor, the tournament was held in Rarotonga in 2022 and 2023, hosted by the Cook Islands Volleyball Federation. Last year, it was hosted by Volleyball Tahiti and this year it was held in Tauranga, New Zealand, hosted by Aotearoa Maori Poirewa.

Rongo said the Aotearoa Maori Poirewa (AMP) under the direction of Ngākohu and Tui Papunui were incredible hosts in Tauranga, housing them at the beautiful Hungahungatōroa Marae and organising their competition playing at the new flash courts at Haumaru Sport and Recreation Centre.

“We are so grateful! Our men’s and women’s teams truly enjoyed their experience. It was so awesome to see our home-grown local athletes from Rarotonga and Aitutaki play at the next level.”

Rongo acknowledged everyone – parents and guardians, volleyball community here and in Aotearoa, sponsors, her husband Dr Teina Rongo and children – who supported them in every shape or form to build indoor volleyball opportunities for the national team athletes in the Cook Islands.

“Atawai Wolo to our Pukapuka community in Auckland and Minister Tingika Elikana who accommodated us on our way to Tauranga, and to our Cook Islands families based in Tauranga for caring for us throughout,” she said.

“One last special thanks to the Cook Islands Volleyball logistics and management team along with the travelling aunties and players for doing what they do to keep us as one. We started together and finished together!

“There is more work to do for sure. We look forward to hosting AMP on Rarotonga in 2026.”

Awards

Womens: Best Spiker – Tuaana Mitchell, Best Blocker – Twina Tangirere, Best Defender – Elizabeth Akaruru; Mens: Most Valuable Player – Jacques Koteka, Best Server – Jacques Koteka, Best Blocker – Jacques Koteka, Best Defender – Ryan Nicholson.