Last year, the 2023-2024 Girls’ Varsity Volleyball team won the State Championship against rival team, Viera from Melbourne, who they had lost to the previous year. Now, the girls are back at it again and ready to come home with another trophy!
Last year’s recipient for the Florida Dairy Farmers Coach of the Year award and head coach, Lisa Zielenski, started her volleyball tryouts on July 29, 2024 to get a head start on the season. Returning seniors, juniors, and sophomores showed up ready to play their beloved sport while incoming freshmen nervously entered the gym. Tryouts lasted for a few days until finally the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams were finalized. These two teams will now continue to vigorously make their way and maintain the legacy left by the team before.
The girls have started off their season strong and are headed on a path to continue their success. While there are many returning players, there are also new players joining the world of volleyball. Captain, right-side, and setter Mikayla Porter says, “We are in such a new season right now and we are just trying to figure out what we need to work on, which right now, is consistency.” Every team needs improvement and it is a captain’s job to recognize where, and Mikayla does just that. With her energetic spirit and encouraging words, she describes her team as, “…a powerhouse team. Everyone has a heavy arm in passing, setting, hitting and serving, so we just have it all.” It takes a good leader to recognize a team’s faults while giving credit to its success and the girls team is blessed with exactly that!
In hopes of continuing their legacy, the girls’ volleyball team is strategizing ways to keep their momentum moving forward. Right-side and setter Sydney Guerrier says, “We are definitely putting a lot of work in to stay disciplined in the gym and be mindful of everything we are doing on the court.” With continuous practices, workouts, and efforts, the girls are stronger than ever and ready to reclaim their title. Their intense focus, strong determination, and humble confidence is what is going to help lead this team to victory.
While many athletes use sports as a way to escape the long hours of stress and school that life is filled with, some people use it as more than that. For Tameary Wardlaw, volleyball is more than just a sport. Tameary says, “I love volleyball because it’s a way I give back to my parents because I don’t have to pay for college thanks to volleyball.” While volleyball is an extremely competitive sport that requires an immense amount of physical and mental strength, it can also be a sentimental and accommodating activity.
The girls recently played a home game on September 4th against Cooper City High, who they beat 3-0 in a very competitive match. Statistics and scores on this game and future games are available on MaxPreps. Captain and outside, Zori Brown, helped lead her team to victory with the help of teammates, Riley Gulla and Kendall Evans. After many years of playing volleyball at STA, Zori agrees, “It’s really nice being on a team with people that share the same values as me, and I have met a lot of my best friends through volleyball.” One of her closest friends, Riley Gulla says, “We are going to work hard and learn how to communicate with each other so we can bring each other up and make sure we have the same mindset going through the season.” This supportive outlook will help these girls continue their winning streak which will eventually get them their well-deserved State Championship title!
The girls from STA look to have a bright future ahead of them. Even with this new season and new team, middle Kendall Evans says, “It has been really fun but I think we are all just learning how to play as a team together.” Positive outlooks like these are what will help continue the team’s impressive success. As these girls continue to work hard, the STA student section will continue to support and respect the amazing efforts of this team!
