SCF Tennis Open Season with Win

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF tennis team pulled a hard fought matchup at the SCF Tennis Complex as they defeated NAIA Southeastern University by a score of 5-4 to open the season. With the win, the Manatees are 2-1 against the Lady Flames.

“Overall it was a great team performance, especially given the circumstances,” said head coach Chloe Murphy. “For most of these girls, they haven’t had a chance to compete in 10 months and it felt great to be back out there. I’m proud of the ladies for sticking together as a team to get the job done.”

“It feels great to get the first win under our belts and for it to be at home feels even better. Obviously having fans able to attend is what we want. After waiting 10 months we’re just thrilled to be able to compete. We hope we can provide a safe environment for our players, staff and spectators to have our fans come back.”

“As a team, I think this was a good start to the season,” said redshirt freshman Karla Menendez. “This was the first match in almost a year for all the returners; this was the freshmen first college match. The team demonstrated good energy on all courts throughout doubles and singles.”

Starting off with doubles, the Manatees did would open the door with Menendez and freshman Lou Bonet De Freitas winning their match against the sophomore duo of Beatrice Letizia and Priscila Baptista at No. 1 doubles winning by a score of 6-4. The freshman duo of Sarah Forsyth and Kia Caravalho-Landell would fall to fellow freshmen duo of Nadeza Bijelic and Abigail Damon by a score of 4-6 at No. 2 doubles, but freshman Luna Mouton and redshirt freshman Mackenzie Vraspir would keep the Manatees ahead as they won at No. 3 doubles by a score of 7-5 over freshman Kishaundah Romain and junior Gabby Marshall before singles play.

“It was great to watch these ladies compete for the first time as Manatees,” said Murphy on the freshmen debuts.

Heading into singles, with the Manatees ahead 2-1, Menendez would take the first singles match at No. 2 as she defeated Bijelic via retire despite being up 5-1 to extend the lead to 3-1.

“Karla did a great job today where she picked up wins at #1 doubles and #2 singles, said Murphy on Menendez. “She was very composed out there tonight and did the simple things excellently that picked up two wins to start her Spring ‘21 campaign.”

“During singles, it was tough on all courts,” said Menedez on singles play. “Some players had to fight their way back and was able to turn the match around to their favor. Even for those that lost, I was able to see them fight for the match till the very last point.”

The Lady Flames would tie the score at 3-3 after Vraspir would fall to sophomore Mia Duncan 0-6, 2-6 at No. 6 singles before Bonet De Freitas fell to Letizia at No. 2 singles until a determined Forsyth pulled off her first collegiate win over Marshall with a 7-6 (2), 6-2 decision at No. 4 singles to give the Manatees the lead again.

In the end, it was Carvalho-Landell who was the hero of the match as she fought for a three-set win over Baptista by a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to clinch the game-winner. Mouton would fall in the final match at No. 5 singles to Damon by a score of 3-6, 7-5, 2-6.

Notes:

This was the debuts for Bonet De Freitas, Mouton, Forsyth and Carvalho-Landell.

The Manatees were the first team to open the 2021 season.

Up Next:

The Manatees will open Region 8 Conference play as they are on the road facing first Eastern Florida State in Melbourne (2/12) before traveling to Tampa to take on Hillsborough.

“We are expecting a tough match,” said Murphy on EFSC, but are excited to face the challenge.”

Side Note: This was the first postgame interview with Menendez.

SCF Softball Set for JUCO Kickoff

Bradenton, FL - The SCF softball team is looking forward to the 2021 season as they open their season on neutral grounds with the traditional two-day JUCO Kickoff Classic at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater (1/29-30). The Manatees will face Louisburg College Friday morning at 10 am for the first game before playing against Eastern Florida State Saturday at 11 am and Georgia Military College at 1:30 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees finished last season 20-12 before the pandemic officially ended their season. They did not play any games for Suncoast Conference play.

Meet the Team:

The Manatees are led by head coach Mandy Schuerman. Schuerman enters her seventh season as head coach for the team.

A former Gator that won the SEC Co-Freshman of the Year (2002), she comes in looking for her 200th career win as head softball coach for the Manatees.

Schuerman is joined by longtime assistant coach Michelle Puls (10th season) and associate head coach Tony Cummins.

Key Losses and Gains:

The team will be without six players: Madi LoCastro, Ashlee Zientek, Makayla Benavidez and Madelyn Graham. Zientek (Ursuline: NCAA DII) and Graham (Barry: NCAA DII) have decided to continue playing their final two years of softball at the next collegiate level.

As far as returners, the Manatees bring back nine returners from both at the plate and on the mound: Maddie Koczersut, Kristin Kopp, Emily Hughes, Lilly Salazar, Lauren Hutcherson, Carly Bogart, Madi Schaefer, Ally Hulme and Samantha Hampton.

Primarily one of two powerhouses batters, Koczersut lead the team offensively batting .373 with  four home runs, 23 RBI and 16 walks last season. 

Kopp finished her freshman campaign batting .270 with three home runs and 22 RBI. She also pitched in one game where she went 1-0 with a 10.50 ERA and three strikeouts.

A predominant contact hitter, Hughes finished her first season batting .271 with three home runs and 15 RBI.

Mainly the speedster, Salazar finished her first season batting .341 with five RBI and 11 stolen bases.

Hutcherson enters her redshirt freshman year after completing her first season where she batted .371 with a home run and 17 RBI.

Bogart, catcher/infielder, finished her freshman campaign batting .238 with five hits and a stolen base.

Schaefer, a primary catcher, finished her freshman campaign batting .257 with seven RBI and a .990 fielding percentage.

Hulme, who is the primary ace for the team, finished her freshman campaign going 7-3 with a 3.97 ERA and 45 strikeouts.

Hampton, a hybrid player, finished her first season going 4-3 with a 4.65 ERA, one save and 17 strikeouts while batting .209 with 10 RBI.

New Bloods:

Schumerman was able to land nine newcomers to the team, which includes two transfers.

Ava Coticchio:

Coticchio, an infielder, joins the Manatees after graduating from East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs.

As a member of the Eagles, Coticchio helped lead them to two straight appearances in the FHSAA 8A State Tournament. Her junior year lead them to as the regional finals of the tournament before being eliminated.

In her career, she finished with a .306 batting average with 18 RBI and a .815 fielding percentage.

Her senior year was on target of her most productive year, batting .400 with 12 hits, seven RBI and a .781 fielding percentage before the Covid-19 pandemic hit and ended her senior season.

Marissa Addison:

A local product from Lakewood Ranch HS, Addison, an outfielder, joins the Manatees and reunites with her former high school teammates in Koczersut, Hughes and Schaefer.

Playing two seasons of varsity (sophomore and senior season) and one season at the junior varsity level for the Mustangs, Addison was a strong part of the 2018 season with Hughes, Koczersut and Schaefer as well as former Manatees Kailey Christian and Madi LoCastro where the team went as far as the state semifinals in the FHSAA 8A State Tournament where they produced a 24-5 overall record with a 5-1 record in 8A District 8 League Standings. Primarily, she was used as a pinch runner and a fielding substitute.

Addison played the 2019 season on junior varsity where she batted .357 with seven RBI in 11 games before returning to varsity for her senior year where the Mustangs finished 8-0 and were ranked No. in the state and No. 3 in the nation before the pandemic occurred.

Gracie Mullett:

Mullett, an outfielder/pitcher, is another local product that joins the Manatees after graduating from Sarasota Christian High School.

Mullett was a three-sport athlete for the Blazers where she played volleyball, soccer and softball.

As a member of the varsity soccer team, she played as a goalkeeper and a striker. Mullett had 276 career saves and scored three career goals with her freshman year being her most productive stat wise with 176 saves.

For her junior year, Mullett joined the volleyball team where they went 18-9 overall with a 5-0 league record in the FHSAA 3A District 5 standings, while reaching the regional semifinals of the FHSAA 3A State Tournament. She finished with 16 digs and nine aces.

As a softball player, Mullett played all four years at the varsity level where she finished her career with a .591 career batting average, 75 hits, five home runs, 38 RBI and 20 stolen bases at the plate while on the mound she had a 25-8 overall record with a 1.71 ERA and 370 career strikeouts. Additionally, she helped the Blazers to three straight playoff appearances before the pandemic ended her high school career.

As a pitcher, her sophomore year was the most productive as she had a 10-6 record with a 1.77 ERA and 147 strikeouts while also batting .542 with four home runs and 13 RBI. 

Remi Herbert:

Herbert, an outfielder, joins the Manatees after graduating from John Curtis Christian High School in River Ridge, Louisiana and is the first softball player from Louisiana to join the Manatees and one of the first softball players from another state to join the since Paige Aldred from Iowa (2018).

A two-sport athlete playing both volleyball and softball, Herbert played all four years of helped lead the Patriots to two straight playoff appearances in the LHSAA 5A State Tournament, which included winning the Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Softball State Tournament in 2018.

As a volleyball player, Herbert played three years at the varsity level as an outsider hitter/setter where she had 438 kills, 720 digs and 130 aces in her three season with the Patriots and even lead them to two straight quarterfinals appearances in the LHSAA Division Four State Tournament.

Mya Achenbach:

Achenbach, an outfielder and the second out of state player to join, joins the Manatees after graduating from Williams’s Valley High School in Tower City, Pennsylvania. Achenbach is the first player from Pennsylvania to join the team. Additionally, she is also an active member of the United States Air Force.

A two-sport athlete playing both basketball and softball for the Vikings, she played for one season with the basketball team before focusing on softball for the next two years.

As a member of the softball team, Achenbach played her previous two seasons on varsity where she finished her career with 10 home runs, 67 RBI, 80 runs scored and 39 stolen bases.

In the wake of the previous seasons, Achenbach helped lead the Vikings to the PIAA 1A State Tournament twice, getting a runner-up finish in the first one before winning the second time.

Alli Bloski:

Another local product, Bloski, an outfielder/third baseman, joins after graduating from Braden River High School.

During the 2019 season, Bloski helped the Pirates to a 15-11 overall record with a 8-0 record in the FHSAA 7A District 9 League Standings where they would make it to the regional semifinals of the FHSAA 7A State Tournament. During her campaign, she finished with a .182 batting average and four runs scored.

Hannah Murray:

Murray, an infielder/catcher, joins the team from Lafayette High School in Mayo, Fla.

Playing all four years at the varsity level, Murray put together 88 career games played for the Hornets where she batted .240 with two home runs, 43 RBI and 33 runs scored.

During her junior year, Murray helped the Hornets reach the state semifinals of the FHSAA 1A State Tournament before falling and the pandemic ended her high school softball career.

^Kiersten Adams:

Adams, an infielder/catcher, joins the Manatees as a transfer from Palm Beach State College. She will have one year of eligibility remaining with a possible second year due to the pandemic.

As a member of the Panthers, Adams finished her lone freshman campaign batting .375 with a home run, 15 RBI and two stolen bases before the pandemic ended the season.

Prior to PBSC, Adams played for Winter Springs High School in Winter Springs, Fla.

As a member of the Bears for the last two seasons, Adams putting together batting average of .290 with two home runs, 17 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 22 runs scored.

While her junior proved to be her best year stat-wise, batting .348 with two home runs, eight RBI, nine stolen bases and 11 runs scored, her senior year was actually her best overall year as she helped lead the bears to a perfect, unblemished 31-0 record with a 9-0 league

record in the FHSAA 8A State Tournament where they defeated Lakewood Ranch in the Championship game, the same team that her current teammates, Koczersut, Hughes, Schaefer and Addison played for.

^Ciarra Morales:

Joining her fellow teammate Adams, Morales, a outfielder/pitcher, joins as a transfer from Palm Beach Statewith one year of eligibility remaining and a possible second year due to the pandemic.

For her lone freshman season, Morales finished with a .277 batting average with a home run, 19 RBI and two stolen bases before the pandemic ended the season.

Prior to PBSC, Morales played for Winter Haven High School in Winter Haven, Fla where she was two-sport athlete playing volleyball and softball.

As a member of the Blue Devils volleyball team, Morales played as a defensive specialist where she finished with 109 digs and five aces.

In the last two seasons with the Blue Devils softball season, Morales finished with a.284 career batting average, 20 RBI, 23 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.

^side note: Both Adams and Morales transferred after Palm Beach State dropped their softball program after 43 years and being replaced with women’s soccer due to it’s popularity in the Palm Beach area.

The Panthers finished their final season 5-24 overall with a 3-6 record in the Southern Conference.

Scouting Louisburg:

Louisburg College is a private college located in Louisburg, NC and are a part of NJCAA DII Region 10 (Carolina Junior College Conference).

The Hurricanes are lead by head coach Eric Lee, who enters his fourth season as head coach for the team.

Last season, the Hurricanes finished 16-1 overall with a 5-0 in the CJCC before the pandemic hit.

They will be without one of their two top bats in Sammi-Jo Loney and their leader in stolen bases in Alexis Howard, who had 11 stolen bases.

Redshirt sophomore Haleigh Joyner returns to the team as the returning powerhouse batter. Joyner finished her previous season batting .640 with three home runs and 16 RBI.

Meanwhile, Lee was also able to bring back two of his best pitchers in Hailey Tomlinson and Ina Womack as they both combined for 15 of their 16 wins.

Scouting EFSC: 
The Titans are coming off of finishing last season 22-10 overall with an 8-1 record in the Southern Conference. They are led by head coach Jim Beitia, who enters his fourth season as head coach. Beitia lead the Titans to two 30-win seasons in his first two season as head coach.

The team lost a majority of their team as 13 sophomores have graduated and/or transferred to other schools.

Key returners for the Titans include Madison Neuhaus, one of two powerhouse batters that returned. Neuhaus batted .333 with eight home runs and 35 RBI.

Gabriella Garcia is the other returning powerhouse batter who batted .337 with six home runs and 29 RBI.

The Titans were able to pick up a few transfers, including former Manatee Lauren Lightbody.

Scouting Georgia Military:
Georgia Military College is located in Milledgeville, Georgia and represent NJCAA Region 17 (Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association).

The Bulldogs are led by head coach Ashley Bunn, who enters her 11th season as head coach with a 302-207 record as head coach.

Last season, the Bulldogs finished 11-14 overall with a 2-0 record in their conference before their season ended.

They will be without their two strong bats in Kennedy Coffey and Kelley Bagarose, who both lead the team with eight home runs and 20-plus RBI.

Jessica Owens will be one of the returning offensive players. Owens batted .357 with home runs and 22 RBI.

On the mound, Beth Eddins will return after finishing last season 5-5 with a 4.54 ERA, one save and 40 strikeouts.

Fun Facts (2012-present):
SCF is 24-12 in the JUCO Kickoff Classic (15-7 under Schuerman), 47-7 against teams not from Florida and 7-2 in their season opener.

Series History:
While it is the first time they will play Louisburg and Georgia Military, the Manatees are not shy with EFSC as they are 9-3 overall. Last season, the Manatees split with the Titans at home losing 7-4 in game one in 10 innings before winning game two 11-8.

How to Keep Up:
Livestats will be available on GameChanger and fans can keep up with all three teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFSoftball
EFSC: @efsctitans
Louisburg: @LouisburgCanes
Georgia Military: @GMCJCSB

Livestats Link: gc.com/t/spring-2021/state-College-of-florida-softball

SCF Tennis Set for Season Opener

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF tennis team is set to put 2020 in the past and look forward to the 2021 season. The Manatees will open their season at home as they welcome back NAIA Southeastern University to the SCF Tennis Complex Wednesday afternoon, January 27 at 4:30 pm.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off finishing last season 2-7 overall with a 0-5 in the NJCAA Region 4 standings.

The team is lead by head coach Chloe Murphy. Murphy, a former SCF tennis player, enters her fourth season as head coach for the Manatees. She is joined by assistant coach Erin Bryce.

Murphy brings back five returners, which include redshirt sophomore Britain “Brie” Botsford and redshirt freshman Karla Menedez.

Additionally, Murphy brings in four newcomers to join the squad.

Scouting Southeastern:

The Lady Flames Finished last season 10-3-1 overall with a 3-2 record in the Sun Conference. They are lead by head coach Drew Dickens, who also is the head coach for the men’s team.

Dickens will bring back five big returners, which include sophomores Priscila Baptistia and Beatrice Letizia and lone senior Angelique Myrtil.

How to Keep Up:

Fans can keep up with both teams on Twitter:

SCF: @TennisSCF

Southeastern: @SEUFireTennis

3rd Herd Welcome Former Foe SPC

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF basketball team (2-1) are remaining at home as part of their four-game homestead at Hal Chasey Gymnasium. The Manatees will welcome former conference foe St. Petersburg College (0-0) Tuesday night, January 26 at 7 pm. Tuesday also marks the remembrance of the late legendary NBA player Kobe Bryant, who passed away last year on the date of the game.

Once again, spectators will not be allowed entry to the game in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from occurring.

Last Time Out:

After falling in their season opener to Chipola, the Manatees come off of two straight wins at home winning the home opener against Eastern Florida State 77-75 before claiming a rematch win over Chipola 69-67.

Freshman James “Pop” Weathers is the leading the Manatees offensively as he is averaging 18.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and three steals per game. In the first two home games, Weather had a combined 34 points, eight rebounds 12 assists and seven steals. He was named the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Player of the Week for his performance.

Classmate Decorrian “DK” Kelly is following along averaging 12.7 points, two rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Kelly had a combined 20 points and four rebounds, five assists and three steals in the first two home games.

Freshman Kwo Agwa is averaging 10 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game, while classmate Javon Bell averages 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Agwa had combined 18 points, 16 rebounds and seven steals, while Bell pulled off 36 points and 16 rebounds in the first two home games, which included his first collegiate double-double of 27 points and 11 rebounds in the rematch win over Chipola.

Meanwhile from the sophomore class, Marshall Kearing is paving the way primarily defensively as he is also averaging 10 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game. Kearing had 21 points, 15 rebounds and eight blocks in the first two home games this season.

Debuts:

Alongside Weathers, Kelly, Agwa, and Bell making their debuts, redshirt freshman Rae Miller and freshmen Joe Stubbs, Michael Hatcher and Darik Tannis-Harriet also made their debuts.

Scouting SPC:

This will be the season opener for the Titans after COVID-19 cancellations halted their first two games of the season. They were originally scheduled to face Indian River State and Gulf Coast State for their first two game before the cancellation.

Lead by head coach Earnest Crumbley, who enters his 22nd season as head coach, the Titans come off finishing last season 14-17 overall with a 4-8 record in the now defunct Suncoast Conference.

Crumbley brings back two of his leading scorers in Bryan Williams and Damon Davis.

Williams Averaged 15 points, 4.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Additionally, he was named a member of the All-Suncoast First Team.

Davis averaged 11.2 points, four rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game. He was named a member of the All-Suncoast Second Team last season.

Additionally, Teddy Bayi Ba Mandeng returns to the Titans as the lead rebounder. Bayi Ba Mandeng averaged 7.3 rebounds, while averaging seven points per game. He joined Davis on the All-Suncoast Second Team last season.

Series History (2012-present):

Overall, the Manatees are 13-18 against the Titans. Last season, the Manatees claimed the season series winning game one 79-72 (1/8/20) and game two 79-73 (1/25/20) before losing the season finale 71-68 (2/12/20) and eliminating the Titans in the semifinals of the final Suncoast Conference Tournament 90-75..

How to Keep Up:
The game will be livestream on the SCF Sports Network and fans can keep up with both teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCF_Basketball
SPC: @SPCMBasketball
Link:
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/SCF/

3rd Herd Claims Home Openers

Bradenton, Fla - Despite no fans being in attendance at Hal Chasey Gymnasium, the SCF basketball team (2-1) pulled off two close wins as they defeated Eastern Florida State (1-1) 77-75 Friday night before defeating Chipola (2-1) 69-67. With the wins, the Manatees are now 1-2 against the Titans and 1-2 against the Indians. No fans were allowed to attend due to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

“It felt great to be at home,” said head coach Tom Parks. “Whether there are fans or not, Hal Chasey Gymnasium is something special. There’s so much character, history and tradition here. Anytime we have a chance to wear white uniforms at home and get a win is a phenomenal feeling.”

SCF vs EFSC:

To open the home season, it was almost dejavu all over again for the Manatees as they opened the scoring gates first as sophomore Marshall Kearing scored the first five points of the game, similar to the opening game against Chipola. The game was much more consistent for the Manatees with very few turnovers.

In the end, the Manatees pulled away thanks to strong defense that helped seals the deal against the Titans.

Four Manatees scored in double figures and it was yet again freshman James “Pop” Weathers that lead the Manatees offense as he finished with 20 points (7-for-20 FG, 1-for-5 3PT, 5-for-7 FT), six rebounds, six assists and six steals. Classmate Decorrian “DK” Kelly followed with 17 points (7-for-16 FG, 3-for-10 3PT), two rebounds, four assists and three steals, while sophomore Marshall Kearing had 13 points (6-for-13 FG, 1-for-4 3PT), five rebounds, two assists, a steal and two blocks. Freshman Kwo Agwa rounded out the order with 11 points (5-for-12 FG, 1-for-1 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Freshmen Javon Bell (nine points, five rebounds, three assists, two steal and a block) and Michael Hatcher (three points, one rebound and one steal) and sophomores Jordan Clark (four points, one rebound, one assist and one steal) and Sam Grayson (two points and four rebounds) also contributed in the game, while redshirt freshman Raequan Miller made his SCF debut after sitting out last season.

For the Titans, sophomore Christyon Eugene lead the offense with a double-double of 21 points and 14 rebounds while freshman Lovre Zaja added 14 points and five assists off the bench.

SCF vs Chipola:

In the rematch between SCF and Chipola, it remained in the Manatees favor as they continued to counter the Indians press and zone defense in success despite the Indians hard-fought effort cutting down the Manatees deficit lead.

In the end, it was Bell that lead the way against the Indians with his best offensive game this season as he finished with his first collegiate double-double of 27 points (8-for-18 FG, 3-for-8 3PT, 8-for-8 FT) and 11 rebounds to go along with one assist, one steal and three blocks. Weathers followed with 14 points (3-for-9 FG, 1-for-1 3PT, 7-for-9 FT), two rebounds, six assists and one steal.

Kearing was two points shy of a double-double as he finished with eight points (3-for-7 FG), 10 rebounds, three assists and six blocks, while Agwa finished with seven points, nine rebounds, three steals and a block.

Kelly had six points, one rebound, one assist and one block, while Hatcher (four points, five rebounds and one assist) and Clark (there points, one rebound and one assist) were the lone two players that scored off the bench.

Grayson (one steal) and freshman Darik Tannis-Harriet (one assist) also contributed in the game.

Notes:
Tannis-Harriett and classmate Joe Stubbs made their on-court debuts for the team. For Tannis-Harriett, he follows the footsteps of his older brother and SCF alum Dominik.

Other Southern Conference Scores:
Indian River State (2-0) defeated Pensacola State (0-2) 61-58 Friday and 78-69 on Saturday in Tallahassee. The Pioneers will face Daytona State (0-1) on the road Tuesday night, January 26 at 6 pm before their home opener Saturday afternoon, January 30 at 3:30 pm.

Palm Beach State (0-3) dropped their home opener to Chipola by a score of 69-51 Friday night before losing 76-56 to Santa Fe College (2-0). The Panthers will be back in action Tuesday night at 7 pm as they welcome Potter’s House Prep.

Florida Southwestern (2-0) defeated Polk State (0-1) 75-62 on the road. The Buccaneers will be back in action Wednesday night at 7 pm as they travel to Melbourne to take on EFSC.

Miami-Dade (1-1) had to cancel their game against Florida State College at Jacksonville Saturday after before falling to Northwest Florida State (2-0) 71-56. The Sharks will welcome the Florida National University JV team Wednesday night, January 27 at 7 pm.

Up Next:
The Manatees remain at home for the next two games as they welcome former conference foe St. Pete College to Hal Chasey. This will be the Titans first game of the season after cancelling the first two due to a COVID-19 cancellation. 

SCF VB Falls in Season Opener

Ft. Myers, FL - The SCF volleyball team (0-2) dropped two tough matches as they fell to Palm Beach State (1-1) 3-2 (25-19, 26-24, 22-25, 19-25, 7-15) before being shutout by #2 Miami Dade (2-0) 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 26-24) at the FSW Tournament in Fort Myers, hosted by Florida Sourhwestern (FSW). With the losses, the Manatees are 8-9 against the Panthers and 2-16 against the Sharks.

Originally, the Manatees were scheduled to face Indian River State and Florida State College at Jacksonville, but both teams decided to pull out of facing them.

SCF vs PBSC:

The Manatees were able to take the first two sets with ease, but countless mistakes continued to haunt them as the Panthers pulled away for the win.

“What I saw today were elite athletes that let a few mistakes get in the way from being able to close out the match against Palm Beach,” said head coach Lynn Burnette on the teams performance against PBSC. “We beat ourselves and helped them beat us in five sets, even though I do believe we are the better team.”

It was sophomore Lisa Jaunet that lead the Manatees offense two digs shy of double-double as she finished with 13 kills and eight digs. Freshman Adelelne Jideofor followed with 10 kills and two blocks.

Sophomore Gracee Carpino lead the way with 27 assists to go along with five digs, two aces and a kill, while her freshman counterpart Kaylee Forman followed with 14 assists, one ace and five digs.

Sophomores Jazmin Spencer and Leilani Wilcox-Nanai finished with nine and eight kills respectively. Spencer added four digs and two blocks, while Wilcox-Nanai added six digs and an ace.

Freshman Giulia Rodrigues lead the way with 15 digs to go along with four aces and two assists.

Other players that contributed for the Manatees included sophomore Kaysha Kahai-Enos (five kills and one block) and freshman Jaydn Wallen (six kills and one block).

For the Panthers, sophomore Madison Barton lead the way offensive as she finished one dig shy of a double-double. Barton had 25 kills and nine digs.

Redshirt freshman Lucy Kraljevic followed with 14 kills, six digs and an ace, while classmate Madison Young rounded out the lineup with 12 kills and four digs.

Freshman Laura Fiabane finished with a double-double of 45 assists and 11 digs, while sophomore Kaitlyn Auger followed with 20 assists to go along with three digs.

Sophomore transfer Darlenis Medina lead the way defensively with 25 digs.

SCF vs MDC:
“I tried to make some big lineup changes going into Miami Dade,” said Burnette on facing MDC. “It was risky, but needed to happen. I put my two tiniest freshman middles in against them. And they played so well.  We were point for point in the third set and they beat us 26-24. The difference is that we made them beat us. We didn’t help them do it and the growth and progress were made as a team today was huge.”

For the match against MDC, it was Wilcox-Nanai that lead the way offensively as she finished with seven kills and nine digs, while sophomore Bailey Sikkema followed with six kills, two digs and two blocks. Wallen rounded out the order with five kills and five digs.

Carpino finished with 12 assists, while Forman followed with six assists and six digs.

Rodrigues finished defensively with seven digs and an assist.

Additionally, Kahai-Enos (one dig), Spencer (one kill and two digs) and freshmen Abby Hutchinson (two kills and one block), Briana Sweitzer (two kills and five digs) and Kayla David (two kills and two blocks) also contributed towards the match.

For the Sharks, Wilma Calmfors lead the way with nine kills, three digs and one ace, while Kaylon Cruikshank followed with eight kills and four digs. Jazmin Vergara finished with seven kills, 13 digs, three aces and a block.

Carolina Takahashi lead the Sharks with 12 assists to go along with two blocks and three digs.

Notes:
This was the debuts for Kahai-Enos, Rodrigues, Forman, Jideofor, Hutchinson, David, Wallen and Sweitzer. Kahai-Enos joins the Manatees as a transfer from Lee College in Baytown, TX. She will have one year of eligibility remaining with the Manatees.

Up Next:
The Manatees return to Hal Chasey Gymnasium for their home opener as they welcome DII Pasco-Hernando State (0-1) Saturday morning, January 23 at 11 am.

3rd Herd reclama los abridor de casas

Bradenton, Fla - A pesar de que ningún fanático asistió al Hal Chasey Gymnasium, el equipo de baloncesto de SCF (2-1) logró dos victorias cerradas al derrotar a Eastern Florida State (1-1) 77-75 el viernes por la noche antes de derrotar a Chipola (2-1) 69-67. Con las victorias, los manatíes están ahora 1-2 contra los Titans y 1-2 contra los Indios.

No se permitió la asistencia de fanáticos para evitar la propagación de COVID-19.

“Se sintió genial estar en casa,”  dijo el entrenador en jefe Tom Parks. “Ya sea que haya fans o no, Hal Chasey Gymnasium es algo especial.  Hay mucho carácter, historia y tradición aquí. Cada vez que tenemos la oportunidad de usar uniformes blancos en casa y obtener una victoria es una sensación fenomenal.”

SCF frente a EFSC:

Para abrir la temporada en casa, fue casi un dejavu nuevamente para los manatíes cuando abrieron las puertas de anotación primero cuando el estudiante de segundo año Marshall Kearing anotó los primeros cinco puntos del juego, similar al juego de apertura contra Chipola. El juego fue mucho más consistente para los Manatíes con muchas pérdidas de balón.

Al final, los Manatíes se separaron gracias a una fuerte defensa que ayudó a sellar el trato contra los Titanes.

Cuatro manatíes anotaron en cifras dobles y fue nuevamente el estudiante de primer año James "Pop" Weathers quien lideró la ofensiva de los manatíes cuando terminó con 20 puntos (7 de 20 tiros de campo, 1 de 5 3PT, 5 de 7 pies)  , seis rebotes, seis asistencias y seis robos. Su compañero de clase Decorrian "DK" Kelly lo siguió con 17 puntos (7 de 16 tiros de campo, 3 de 10 tiros de tres puntos), dos rebotes, cuatro asistencias y tres robos, mientras que el estudiante de segundo año Marshall Kearing tuvo 13 puntos (6 de 13 tiros de campo,  1-de-4 3PT), cinco rebotes, dos asistencias, un robo y dos tapones. El estudiante de primer año Kwo Agwa completó el orden con 11 puntos (5 de 12 tiros de campo, 1 de 1 tiros libres), siete rebotes, tres asistencias y dos robos.

Los estudiantes de primer año Javon Bell terminaron (nueve puntos, cinco rebotes, tres asistencias, dos robos y un bloqueo) y Michael Hatcher (tres puntos, un rebote y un robo) y los de segundo año Jordan Clark (cuatro puntos, un rebote, una asistencia y un robo) y Sam Grayson (dos puntos y cuatro rebotes) también contribuyeron en el juego, mientras que el estudiante de primer año de camiseta roja Raequan Miller hizo su debut en SCF después de quedarse fuera la temporada pasada.

Para los Titans, la estudiante de segundo año Christyon Eugene lideró la ofensiva con un doble-doble de 21 puntos y 14 rebotes, mientras que la estudiante de primer año Lovre Zaja agregó 14 puntos y cinco asistencias desde el banco.

SCF vs Chipola:

En la revancha entre SCF y Chipola, se mantuvo a favor de los manatíes, ya que continuaron contraatacando a la prensa de los Indios y a la defensa de la zona con éxito a pesar de los esfuerzos de los Indios para reducir el déficit de los manatíes.

Al final, fue Bell quien abrió el camino contra los Indios con su mejor juego ofensivo esta temporada, ya que terminó con su primer doble-doble colegiado de 27 puntos (8-de-18 tiros de campo, 3-de-8 3PT, 8-por-8 FT) y 11 rebotes para acompañar una asistencia, un robo y tres tapones.  Weathers le siguió con 14 puntos (3 de 9 tiros de campo, 1 de 1 3PT, 7 de 9 tiros libres), dos rebotes, seis asistencias y un robo.

Kearing estuvo a dos puntos de un doble-doble ya que terminó con ocho puntos (3 de 7 FG), 10 rebotes, tres asistencias y seis bloqueos, mientras que Agwa terminó con siete puntos, nueve rebotes, tres robos y un bloqueo.

Hatcher (cuatro puntos, cinco rebotes y una asistencia) y Clark (hay puntos, un rebote y una asistencia) fueron los dos únicos jugadores que anotaron desde el banco.

Grayson (un robo) y el novato Darik Tannis-Harriet (una asistencia) también contribuyeron en el juego.

 Notas:

Tannis-Harriett y su compañero de clase Joe Stubbs hicieron su debut en la cancha para el equipo. Para Tannis-Harriett, sigue los pasos de su hermano mayor y alumno de SCF, Dominik.

Otras puntuaciones de la Conferencia Sur:

Indian River State (2-0) derrotó a Pensacola State (0-2) 61-58 el viernes y 78-69 el sábado en Tallahassee. Los Pioneers se enfrentarán a Daytona State (0-1) en la carretera el martes 26 de enero a las 6 pm antes de su primer partido en casa el sábado 30 de enero a las 3:30 pm.

Palm Beach State (0-3) perdió su primer partido en casa ante Chipola por un marcador de 69-51 el viernes por la noche antes de perder 76-56 ante Santa Fe College (2-0). Los Panthers volverán a estar en acción el martes por la noche a las 7 pm para dar la bienvenida a Potter's House Prep.

Florida Southwestern (2-0) derrotó a Polk State (0-1) 75-62 en la carretera. Los Buccaneers volverán a la acción el miércoles por la noche a las 7 pm mientras viajan a Melbourne para enfrentarse al EFSC.

Miami-Dade (1-1) tuvo que cancelar su juego contra Florida State College en Jacksonville el sábado después de caer ante Northwest Florida State (2-0) 71-56. Los Sharks darán la bienvenida al equipo JV de la Universidad Nacional de Florida el miércoles 27 de enero a las 7 pm.

 Hasta la próxima:

Los Manatíes permanecen en casa durante los próximos dos juegos, ya que dan la bienvenida al ex enemigo de la conferencia St. Pete College en Hal Chasey. Este será el primer juego de la temporada de los Titans después de cancelar los dos primeros debido a una cancelación de COVID-19.

3rd Herd Fall in Season Opener

Marianna, FL - Turnovers played as a disadvantage for the SCF basketball team (0-1) as they dropped their season opener to Chipola (1-0) 81-71 at the Milton H. Johnson Center in Marianna. With  the win, the Manatees are 0-2 against the Indians (2011-present).

“Even though we lost the game, I think the biggest thing we can learn from today is we got a lot of growing to do,” said head coach Tom Parks. “To lose by 10 to really good team on the road with 24 turnovers and going 0-12 at the 3-point line in the second half, it says that if we had a few more shots go down and cleaned up the unforced turnovers, then I think we could have put ourselves in a better position to beat teams on the road.”

“Obviously I’m disappointed with the loss, but we have a lot of areas we can improve on and the exciting is we’ll get a rematch with them on Sunday four days from now, so we got a learning to do once we look things over and clean up the unforced turnovers.”

The Manatees opened the scored on the opening drive with back-to-back back baskets by freshman James “Pops” Weathers and classmate Kwo Agwa and soon the Manatees took a 13-5 lead before the Indians called timeout.

With 12 minutes left in the first half, the Manatees started getting sloppy on their offensive possessions and began to turn the ball over constantly thanks to the Indians’ press and zone defense, which lead to 14 first half turnovers.

“Turnovers played a big role against us in both halves,” said Parks on the turnover count. “The one thing we can take from it is we haven’t played a game in 10 months. Chipola has been practicing their press and zone defense all fall and the beginning of the spring semester, which coach Tyndall is known for and is good at leading it. So when we take a look at the film, we can automatically clean up the turnovers we made for the rematch against them.”

Eventually the Indians took the lead and led by as much as eight points, but the Manatees were able to finish the first half after a final 3-pointer by Weathers kept the Manatees up 45-41 at the end of the first half.

At the start of the second half, the Manatees were able to hold on to the lead for the first seven minutes, but soon the cloud of turnovers and rushed 3-point attempts started to hurt their offense and the Indians would regain the lead and went up by as much as 16 points.

The Manatees tried to cut the deficit to single digits, but unfortunately it was not enough as the Indians kept the lead up by 10 and secured their victory.

Three Manatees scored in double figures and it was Weathers that lead the Manatees offensively as he finished with 22 points (8-for-17 FG, 2-for-5 3PT, 4-for-4 FT), five assists and two steals. Kelly followed with 15 points (5-for-16 FG, 3-for-11 3PT, 2-for-2 FT), three rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Agwa rounded out the lineup in double figures as he finished with 12 points (5-for-12 FG, 2-for-4 FT), four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Sophomore Marshall Kearing, who recently committed to South Alabama after this season, finished with nine points (4-for-8 FG, 1-for-3 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, one steal and six blocks, while classmate Jordan Clark finished with four points, eight rebounds and one steal.

Hatcher contributed with one assist, while freshman Javon bell finished with seven points, four rebounds, one assist and two steals and sophomore Sam Grayson added two points, two rebounds and a block.

For the Indians, three players also scored in double figures. It was freshman Achor Achor lead the way offense as he finished with 14 points and five rebounds off the bench. Sophomore transfer Carlos Lemus, who also played off the bench, followed with 11 points and four rebounds, while freshman Jaeden Zackery, who was in the starting lineup, rounded out the order with 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Notes:

This was the debuts of Weathers, Kelly, Agwa, Bell and Hatcher.

This was also the debut for Chipola head coach Donnie Tyndall, who was the former head coach for the Grand Rapids Drive, the NBA G-League affiliated team for the Detroit Pistons.

Other Southern Conference Games:

Palm Beach State (0-1) would fall to Eastern Florida State 60-58 in their season opener. The Panthers will return to action Saturday afternoon against Santa Fe College.

Indian River State was originally scheduled to face St. Pete College, but it was stopped due to a COVID-19 cancellation. The Pioneers will officially open their season tomorrow night against Pensacola State

#8 Florida Southwestern (FSW) (1-0) defeated Hillsborough (0-1) 76-71 at home. The Buccaneers will return to action Saturday afternoon on the road against Polk State.

Miami Dade (1-0) won their season opener at home to NAIA St. Thomas University JV by a score 97-76. The Sharks will return to action Saturday on the road against Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Up Next:

The Manatees prepare for their home opener as they welcome Eastern Florida State (1-0) to Hal Chasey Gymnasium Friday night at 8 pm before facing Chipola in a rematch Sunday afternoon at 2 pm as part of their four-game homestead.

“When it comes to Easten Florida, I think the biggest thing is they are going to be very disciplined and well-coached and make constant adjustments throughout the game,” said Parks on facing EFSC. “We’re going to have to be one step ahead in order to beat a team regardless if its at home or on the road. I’m definitely excited against the team I coached for back then.”

Parks was the associate head coach for EFSC prior to taking the head coach role for the Manatees. The last time Parks faced head coach Jeremy Shulman, who he coached with in the past, was in the first round of 2018-19 FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament where the Titans were victorious.

“Coach Shulman is a friend and a mentor to me and is someone I look up to from the business both on and off the court,” said Parks on Shulman. 

3rd Herd Otoño en la apertura de la temporada

Marianna, FL - Las pérdidas de balón jugaron como una desventaja para el equipo de baloncesto de la SCF (0-1), ya que dejaron caer su primer partido de temporada ante Chipola (1-0) 81-71 en el Milton H. Johnson Center en Marianna.  Con la victoria, los manatíes están 0-2 contra los indios (2011-presente).

"Aunque perdimos el juego, creo que lo más importante que podemos aprender hoy es que tenemos mucho que crecer,” dijo el entrenador en jefe Tom Parks. “Perder por 10 contra un equipo realmente bueno en la carretera con 24 pérdidas de balón y estar 0-12 en la línea de 3 puntos en la segunda mitad, dice que si tuviéramos algunos tiros más, bajamos y limpiamos las pérdidas de balón no forzadas,  entonces creo que podríamos habernos puesto en una mejor posición para vencer a los equipos en la carretera.”

“Obviamente estoy decepcionado con la derrota, pero tenemos muchas áreas en las que podemos mejorar y lo emocionante es que tendremos una revancha con ellos el domingo dentro de cuatro días, así que tenemos un aprendizaje que hacer una vez que miramos  todo y limpiar las pérdidas de balón no forzadas.”

Los Manatíes abrieron el marcador en la serie inicial con canastas consecutivas del estudiante de primer año James "Pops" Weathers y su compañero de clase Kwo Agwa y pronto los Manatíes tomaron una ventaja de 13-5 antes de que los Indios pidieran un tiempo muerto.

Con 12 minutos para el final de la primera mitad, los manatíes empezaron a descuidarse en sus posesiones ofensivas y empezaron a perder el balón constantemente gracias a la presión y la defensa de zona de los Indios, que llevaron a 14 pérdidas de balón en la primera mitad.

"Las pérdidas de balón jugaron un papel importante en nuestra contra en ambas mitades,” dijo Parks sobre el recuento de pérdidas. "Lo único que podemos sacar es que no hemos jugado un partido en 10 meses.  Chipola ha estado practicando su defensa de zona y prensa durante todo el otoño y el comienzo del semestre de primavera, por lo que el entrenador Tyndall es conocido y es bueno para liderarlo. Entonces, cuando echamos un vistazo a la película, podemos limpiar automáticamente las pérdidas de balón que hicimos para la revancha contra ellos.”

Finalmente, los Indios tomaron la delantera y lideraron por hasta ocho puntos, pero los Manatíes pudieron terminar la primera mitad después de que un triple final de Weathers mantuvo a los Manatíes arriba 45-41 al final de la primera mitad.

Al comienzo de la segunda mitad, los manatíes pudieron mantener la ventaja durante los primeros siete minutos, pero pronto la nube de pérdidas de balón y los intentos de triples apresurados comenzaron a dañar su ofensiva y los Indios recuperaron la ventaja y se fueron.  hasta en 16 puntos.

Los manatíes intentaron reducir el déficit a un solo dígito, pero desafortunadamente no fue suficiente ya que los indios mantuvieron la ventaja por 10 y aseguraron su victoria.

Tres manatíes anotaron en dígitos dobles y fue Weathers quien lideró a los manatíes ofensivamente cuando terminó con 22 puntos (8 de 18 tiros de campo, 2 de 5 3PT, 4 de 4 FT), cuatro asistencias y un robo. Kelly siguió con 15 puntos (5 de 13 tiros de campo, 3 de 9 3PT, 2 de 2 FT), cuatro rebotes, tres asistencias y dos robos, mientras que Agwa completó la alineación en cifras dobles cuando terminó con  12 puntos (5 de 13 tiros de campo, 2 de 4 tiros libres), dos rebotes, dos asistencias y dos robos.

El estudiante de segundo año Marshall Kearing, quien recientemente se comprometió con el sur de Alabama después de esta temporada, terminó con nueve puntos (4 de 8 tiros de campo, 1 de 3 tiros libres), siete rebotes, dos asistencias, dos robos y cinco bloqueos, mientras que su compañero de clase Jordan Clark  terminó con cuatro puntos, siete rebotes y un robo.

Hatcher contribuyó con una asistencia, mientras que el estudiante de segundo año Sam Grayson agregó dos puntos, dos rebotes y dos bloqueos.

Para los indios, tres jugadores también anotaron en cifras dobles. El novato Achor Achor lideró la ofensiva al terminar con 14 puntos y cinco rebotes desde el banco.  El traspaso de segundo año Carlos Lemus, quien también jugó desde el banco, siguió con 11 puntos y cuatro rebotes, mientras que el novato Jaeden Zackery, quien estaba en la alineación titular, completó el orden con 10 puntos, tres rebotes, tres asistencias y dos robos.

 Notas:

Este fue el debut de Weathers, Kelly, Agwa, Bell, Hatcher y el estudiante de primer año Joe Stubbs.

Este también fue el debut del entrenador en jefe de Chipola, Donnie Tyndall, quien fue el ex entrenador en jefe de Grand Rapids Drive, el equipo afiliado de la NBA G-League para los Detroit Pistons.

Otros Juegos de la Conferencia del Sur:

Palm Beach State (0-1) caería ante Eastern Florida State 60-58 en su primer partido de temporada.  Los Panthers volverán a la acción el sábado por la tarde contra Santa Fe College.

Originalmente, Indian River State estaba programado para enfrentar a St. Pete College, pero se detuvo debido a una cancelación de COVID-19.  Los Pioneers abrirán oficialmente su temporada mañana por la noche contra Pensacola State

#8 Florida Southwestern (FSW) (1-0) derrotó a Hillsborough (0-1) 76-71 en casa.  Los Buccaneers volverán a la acción el sábado por la tarde en la carretera contra Polk State.

Miami Dade (0-1) perdió su primer partido de temporada en casa ante NAIA St. Thomas University JV por un marcador 97-76.  Los Sharks volverán a la acción el sábado en la carretera contra Florida State College en Jacksonville.

 Hasta la próxima:

Los manatíes se preparan para su primer partido en casa cuando dan la bienvenida a Eastern Florida State (1-0) al Hal Chasey Gymnasium el viernes por la noche a las 8 pm antes de enfrentar a Chipola en una revancha el domingo por la tarde a las 2 pm como parte de su casa de cuatro juegos.

"Cuando se trata de Easten Florida, creo que lo más importante es que serán muy disciplinados y bien entrenados y harán ajustes constantes durante todo el juego,” dijo Parks al enfrentarse a EFSC. “Tendremos que estar un paso por delante para vencer a un equipo sin importar si está en casa o fuera. Definitivamente estoy emocionado contra el equipo para el que entrené en ese entonces.”

Parks fue el entrenador en jefe asociado de EFSC antes de asumir el papel de entrenador en jefe de los Manatíes. La última vez que Parks se enfrentó al entrenador en jefe Jeremy Shulman, con quien entrenó en el pasado, fue en la primera ronda del Torneo Estatal FCSAA / NJCAA Región 8 2018-19, donde los Titanes obtuvieron la victoria.

“El entrenador Shulman es un amigo y un mentor para mí y es alguien a quien admiro del negocio tanto dentro como fuera de la cancha,” dijo Parks sobre Shulman.

SCF VB Opens 2021 Season

Bradenton, Fla. - After seven months of not being able to compete, the SCF volleyball team is set to return to action as they open the 2021season on neutral grounds Friday, January 22. The Manatees will compete in a tripleheader against Palm Beach State at 9 am, Miami Dade College at 3 pm and Indian River State at 6 pm in the FSW Kickoff Classic at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Ft. Myers, hosted by Suncoast Conference Runner-up Florida Southwestern State. Host FSW, Florida State College at Jacksonville and Daytona State will also be participating in the classic, but neither team will be competing against the Manatees until the following dates (1/30 @ Daytona State, 2/13 vs DSC, 2/24 @ DSC, 2/16 vs FSW and 3/4 @ FSW).

After the tournament, the Manatees will return for their home opener against Paavo-Hernando State.

Last Time Out:
The Manatees finished last season 5-19 overall with a 2-4 record in the Suncoast Conference for a third place finish. Originally, the Manatees were 3-23 overall with an 0-6 record in conference for a last place finish but due to St. Pete College (SPC) having an ineligible player compete and furthermore had to forfeit their spot in the FCSAA State Tournament with Florida Southwestern State (FSW) taking their place.


The Manatees will be led by Lynn Burnette. Burnette enters her second season as full-time head coach after being named as interim head coach last season. Burnette is joined by assistant coach Karen Byrd. Burnette and Byrd also coach the SCF beach volleyball team.

Last Season's Standings with Conference Standings:
1. Hillsborough (24-6, 6-0)
2. FSW (16-8, 4-2)
3. SCF (5-19, 2-4)
4. SPC (0-16, 0-6)

Welcome Back Polk State:
In regards of Polk State, their volleyball team will be rejoining the Suncoast Conference after spending the last three seasons in the Mid-Florida Conference winning back-to-back Mid-Florida Regular Season Championships and qualifying for the state and national tournaments for six straight seasons. The Eagles left the Suncoast to join Mid-Florida in 2017 before finishing last season 24-6 overall with a 6-0 record in the Mid-Florida Conference and a seventh place finish in the national tournament in Casper, Wyoming.

Polk State will also be playing in the Suncoast Conference for baseball and softball, but will be in the Mid-Florida Conference for men’s basketball.

Big Losses/Key Returners/New Gains:
The Manatees will be without six players: Sydney Jaco, Barbora Tichackova, Emily Sauceda, Hannah Strickland, Lakeesha Esseboom and Daviya Bernanrd. Jaco and Tichackova have chosen to continue their collegiate volleyball careers at the NCAA DI level. Jaco will be attending Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, while Tichackova will attend Hampton University in Hampton, VA.

On November 12, it was announced via Twitter that rising sophomore Brooke Henry has committed to continue her collegiate volleyball at Southeastern University (NAIA) in Lakeland, FL with 3 years of eligibility remaining. Henry finished third on the team with 142 digs, while adding seven aces.

The Manatees will have five returners back in the rotation: Leilani Wilcox-Nanai, Lisa Jaunet, Bailey Sikkema, Gracee Carpino and Jazmin Spencer.

Wilcox-Nanai led the Manatees offensively with 151 kills, while defensively had 197 digs (second on the team).

Jaunet finished third on the team in kills (117), while adding 31 blocks (eight solo) on the defensive end.

Sikkema, a local product from Bradenton Christian School, finished her freshman campaign with 51 kills and 19 blocks (four solo).

Carpino led the Manatees last season with 586 assists and 25 aces.

Spencer finished her freshman campaign with 70 kills and 21 blocks (eight solo).

As far as newcomers, Burnett was able to land 12 newcomers to join the team: Kaylee Forman, Jennifer Rivera, Abby Hutchinson, Brianna Sweitzer, Kaysha Kahai-Enos, Giulia Rodrigues, Adlene Jideofor, Laugene Arnsby, Kayla David, Jadyn Wallen, Faith Blaise and Carolina Moffatt.

Rivera, Hutchinson, Arnsby and Sweitzer are all local products

Kaylee Forman:
Forman, a setter from Cary, NC, joins the Manatees after graduating from Colonial Crowns Homeschool in Cary, NC. She finished her senior year with 755 assists (9.9 assists per game), 208 digs and 119 aces. 

As a member of the Crowns, Forman helped them to a 19-7 overall record with a 2-4 in league play (NCISAA Independent) and lead them to the NCISAA Independent volleyball playoffs.

Jennifer Rivera:

A local product from Palmetto High School, Rivera plays as a defensive specialist/libero.
As a senior, Rivera helped lead the Tigers to a 16-10 record where they made it to the quarterfinals of the FHSAA 6A District 7 Tournament. She finished her senior year with 183 digs and 32 aces, which included a season-high 26 against Booker (10/3/19).

Abby Hutchinson:

Another local product from North Port High School, Hutchinson plays as a middle blocker.

As a senior, she finished her campaign with 176 kills and 20 solo blocks while leading the Bobcats to the semifinals of the FHSAA 7A District 8 Tournament.

Brianna Sweitzer:

Sweitzer is another local outside hitter that joins the Manatees from Braden River High School. As a senior for the Pirates, she helped them to a 13-9 record before falling in the first round of the FHSAA 6A District Tournament.

Kaysha Kahai-Enos:

Joining the Manatees off the coast of Puna, Hi, Kahai-Enos joins the Manatees as a sophomore transfer from Lee College in Baytown, TX (NJCAA Region 14/SWJCC). She will have one year of eligibility remaining.

As a member of the Runnin’ Rebels, she played in five matches, tallying one kill, one block and two digs while helping them to a 20-13 overall record with a 5-4 record in the Region 14 Standings (5th place).

Prior to Lee College, Kahai-Enos played at Kamehameha Hawai’i High School in Kea’au, HI.  As a member of the Warriors, she led them to a 27-11 overall record with a 17-2 league play record while earning a fifth place finish in the HHSAA State Tournament.

Giulia Rodrigues:

Hailing from West Boca Raton via Brazil, Rodrigues joins SCF as a defensive specialist after graduating from West Boca Raton High School in Boca Raton.
As a senior for the Bulls, Rodrigues help lead them to the FHSAA 6A State Tournament where she finished her senior year with six aces and one assist.

Adlene Jideofor:

A middle blocker from North Miami via Nigeria, Jideofor joins the Manatees after graduating from North Miami Senior High School in Miami.

Jideofor’s junior year was promising as she finished with 149 kills, 31 aces, 22 blocks (19 solo) and 320 digs. Despite the Pioneers going 9-12 overall with a 5-7 in the 9A District, she earned an honorable mention on the All-Dade Team.

Her senior year was the most effective as she helped the Pioneers to a 16-6 overall record with a unblemished 7-0 record in the 6A District 15 standings while finishing her senior campaign with 154 kills, 83 aces, 33 blocks (26 solo) and 370 digs.

Laugene Arnsby: 
Another local product, Arnsby is a setter from Riverview High School in Sarasota. She comes in as a two-sport athlete playing both volleyball and basketball for the Rams.

Arnsby helped the Rams to a 22-7 overall record with a 3-0 record in the FHSAA 7A District where they made it as far as the regional semifinals of the 7A state tournament.

Kayla David:
At only 5’7”, David, a middle blocker from Spring Hill, Florida, joins the Manatees after graduating from Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High.

David was a three-sport athlete where she played volleyball (indoor and sand) and basketball. In volleyball, she played all fours years at the varsity level and finished her career with 160 kills and 85 blocks (49 solo). She helped lead the Hurricanes to four straight FHSAA State Tournament appearances.

Her junior year was her best showing as she helped lead the team to an almost unblemished 30-1 overall record with a 6-0 league record before becoming runner-up in the FHSAA 3A State Tournament.

As a member of the basketball team, David averaged six points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in two seasons (16-17, 18-19) with the 2018-19 season being her most productive year where she averaged eight points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game.

Jaydn Wallen:
An outside hitter out of Fort Myers, Wallen joins the team after graduating from Evangelical Christian High School.

After playing three years of varsity for the Sentinels, Wallen finished her career with 665 kills, 580 digs, 133 aces and 78 blocks (38 solo). During her career, she led the Sentinels to the playoffs for three straight seasons (two as a member of the FHSAA 3A district, one as a member of the FHSAA 2A district).

In her junior campaign, Wallen was named a member of the 2018 News-Press All-Area Second Team while finishing with 195 kills, 200 digs, 43 aces and 19 blocks (12 solo).

Her most productive year was her senior year as she finished with 251 kills, 208 digs, 52 aces and 23 blocks (six solo).

Faith Blaise:
Joining her fellow teammate Jideofor, Blaise, a right side hitter, joins the Manatees after graduating from North Miami Senior High School.

Blaise played her last two seasons on varsity finishing with 122 kills, 143 aces, 637 digs and 25 blocks (16 solo). 

Her senior year was the most productive as she finished with 60 kills, 74 aces, 327 digs and 11 blocks (eight solo).

Carolina Moffatt:
Moffatt, a middle blocker from Gainesville, joins the Manatees after graduating from Cornerstone Academy.

Playing the last two seasons on varsity for the Cougars, Moffatt finished with 71 career kills, 31 solo blocks, 45 aces and 262 digs. While her senior was her most productive in stats (57 kills, 28 solo blocks, 23 aces and 119 digs), her junior year helped the Cougars to a 16-6 overall record with a 5-2 league record in the FHSAA 2A District and a spot in the regional semifinals of FHSAA 2A State Tournament while she added 14 kills, three blocks, 22 aces and 143 digs).

Scouting Indian River State:
The Pioneers finished last season 14-9 overall with a 3-3 record in the Southern Conference. They did not make it to the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament. 

Side Note: Not to be confused with the NCAA Southern Conference.


The Pioneers will lose seven players: Jacki Schmitz, Jada Bivins, Ayanna Henry, Caitlyn Leadabrand, Erin Ergle and Valentina Beltran.

Schmitz (Niagara) and Bivins (Morgan State) are currently continuing their collegiate volleyball careers at the D1 level.

Key returners for the Pioneers include Tessa Raadsheer, Mallory Roney, Kaitlyn Chavarria and Jasmine Sayre.

Raadsheer and Roney both lead the Pioneers offense with 229 kills and 153 digs each. Raadsheer 25 aces and 24 blocks, while Roney added 23 aces and 26 blocks. Both were also named on the All-Southern Conferece First Team. 

Sayre is one of the two returning anchors for the Pioneers’ defense as she finished last season with 298 digs and 22 aces. She was named as a member of the All-Southern Conference Second Team.

Chavarria lead the team with 54 blocks (13 solo) to go along with 76 kills.

Scouting Palm Beach State:
The Panthers are coming off of a 7-14 overall record with a 1-5 record in the Southern Conference.

The Panthers will be without six players: Aleksandra Hamuda, Sydney Asher, Bella Magrino, Natalie Kordt, Madison Monahan and Martha Torres.

Hamuda (Emmanuel College: NCAA DII), Kordt (North Alabama) and Monahan (St. Francis Brooklyn) have decided to continue playing for their collegiate careers with Kordt playing on the beach volleyball team with North Alabama.

Madison Barton is the leading offensive returner. Barton finished her freshman campaign with 161 kills (third on the team), 203 digs (fourth on the team) 14 aces (tied second on the team) and 69 blocks (13 solo, third on the team). She was named as one of four players on the All-Southern Conference Second Team.

Scouting FSCJ:
The Sharks are coming off of finishing last season 29-3 overall with a perfect 6-0 record in the Southern Conference, while being ranked No. 4 in the nation. Additionally, they not only won the Southern Conference Regular Season Championship, but they won the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament to qualify for the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas where they went 3-1and finished in third place. 

Currently, the Sharks are set to be ranked No. 2 in the nation.
They will be without seven players, which include their lead offensive players in Scherine Dahouse, Yaniris Miller-Green, Vanda Zimoa and Kimberlie Apolinario-Correa. Zimoa, Miller-Green and Apolinario-Correa were also key defensive players for blocks with Zimoa (122) and Miller-Green (117) each had over 100 total blocks. Additionally, Miller-Green was named Southern Conference Player of the Year.
Key returners for the Sharks include Erika Asencio, Ana Araujo, Camila De La Rosa and Paola Pimentel.

Asencio finished third highest offensively as she had 318 kills (third on the team), 19 aces and 367 digs. She was named a member of the All-Southern Conference Second Team.
The Sharks will primarily play a double setter rotation as both Araujo and De La Rosa combined for 1,426 assists with De La Rosa leading with 1,200 of them. De La Rosa was named on the All-Southern Conference First Team.
Pimentel will be the lead defensive anchors as she finished with 579 digs.

Scouting PHSC:

The Lady Bobcats finished last season 11-14 overall with a 4-6 record in the DII Sun Lakes Conference (fifth place finish).

The Lady Bobcats are led by head coach Deann Newton, who enters her fourth season with the Lady Bobcats and third season as head coach. Newton was named the Sun Lakes Conference Coach of the Year during the 2018 season.

The Lady Bobcats will lose six sophomores with four continuing to play collegiate volleyball, including their lead offensive player Arianna Colon, lead defensive players in Linsey Christianson and Alyssa Lake and setter Morgan Bullinger.

Colon, who led the team with 253 kills and 22 blocks (13 solo) while being named a member of the Sun Lakes All-Tournament Team, will be continuing to play collegiate volleyball at NCAA DII Catawba College in Salisbury, NC. 

The Indians finished last season 7-19 overall with a 5-17 record in the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) for a ninth-place finish.

Christianson lead the Bobcats with 494 digs while adding 75 assists and nine aces. She will be attending NAIA Bethel University in McKenzie, TN.

The Wildcats finished last season 22-13 overall with an 11-2 record in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) for second place overall. They would qualify for the SSAC Tournament before falling in the semifinals. As of 2020, the Wildcats have left the SSAC and will now be competing in the Mid-South Conference (MSC).

Lake finished second on the team with 41 blocks (24 solo) and 65 kills and will finishing her collegiate volleyball career at NCAA DII Coker College in Hartsville, SC.

The Cobras finished last season 7-20 overall with a 4-18 record in the SAC for a 10th-place finish.

Bullinger will continue playing volleyball at NCAA DII Northwest Oklahoma State University in Alva, OK. She finished her sophomore campaign with 14 kills and 22 assists.

The Rangers finished last season 23-11 overall with a 12-4 record in the Great American Conference (GAC) for a second place finish before falling in the semifinals of the GAC Tournament.

The Lady Bobcats will have one returning offensive player in Brooke Sereda. Sereda finished her freshman campaign with 211 kills (second on the team), 264 digs (third on the team) and 26 blocks (13 solo). Sereda was named a member of the All-Sun Lakes Second Team.

Setter Mary Lowe will also be making her return with the Bobcats. Lowe led the team in assists (630) and was second on the team in digs (324).

Mariella Haimes will be returning likely as the starting libero after finishing her freshman campaign with 202 digs (third on the team) and 13 aces (second on the team).

Defensively, the Bobcats will bring back middle blocker Seytia Hill. Hill led the team with 63 blocks (42 solo) to go along with 89 kills (fourth on the team).
Series History:

The Manatees are 8-8 against the Panthers, 2-15 against the Sharks, 4-8 against the Panthers and 3-5 against the Pioneers.

How to Keep Up:
Fans can keep up with all four teams on Twitter:

SCF: @SCFVolleyball
IRS: @IRSVB
PBSC: @PBSCPanthers
MDC: @MDCSHARKS
PHSC: @PHSCVolleyball