Bradenton, Fla - The SCF volleyball team is set for the 2021 fall season. The Manatees will welcome St. John's River State to Hal Chasey Gymnasium Saturday morning, August 21 at 11 am. This will be the first time since 2016 that the Manatees open the season at home.
Originally, the Manatees were scheduled to welcome the Webber International University JV team for a doubleheader exhibition, but that matchup was cancelled.
Additionally, the Manatees were originally scheduled to open the season on the road in a doubleheader against St. John's River State and Pasco-Hernando State in New Port Richey, but PHSC had to cancel their match.
Last Time Out:
The Manatees are coming off of playing the shortened 2021 spring season due to COVID-19 where they went 4-20 with 2-6 record in the Suncoast Conference (fourth place finish). They have not had a winning season since 2014 (28-7) and have not reached double digit wins on their record since 2017 (12-22 overall).
Meet the Coaches:
The Manatees are lead by head coach Lynn Burnett. Burnett enters her third season as head coach (second as full-time) after joining the Manatees in 2019 as interim head coach prior. An alum of the University of Central Florida, she is known for leading Bradenton Christian School beach volleyball team to a top four finish in the 2019 SSAC State Championship.
Joining Burnett on the coaching staff as her assistant coaches are Jorge Garbey, Emily Kalmink, and James Nai.
Garbey, a native of Havana, Cuba, rejoined the team at the end of the 2021 spring season. He brings a wealth of experience for the Manatees as a player and coach.
Garbey was a former member of the Cuban National men's volleyball team (1973-81), where he has competed and participated in 11 world championships, which also includes participating in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. After finishing playing, Garbey became the head coach for the Dominican Republic women's national team, where he lead them to several championships that included the 2004 Athens Olympics and the NORCECA Championship where they won two bronze medals. He joined the Manatees during the 2019 season.
Kalmink is the second assistant coach also entering her first season with the Manatees. A native of Byron Center, Michigan, Kalmink was a middle blocker for NCAA DIII Johnson and Wales (R.I.) and NAIA Southeastern University. As a member of the Wildcats, she was the GNAC Rookie of the Year and ECAC New England Region Rookie of the Year while ranking fourth in the nation in hitting percentage before transferring to Southeastern as a member of the Sun Conference First Team (2019) and Second Team (2018).
Nai enters his second season with the Manatees as an assistant coach. A native of Erie, Pa, Nai graduated from Pittsburgh Tech before being a coach in high school districts in Pittsburgh and for the USA Youth Volleyball Team. He joined the Manatees during the 2021 spring season.
New Bloods:
Burnett was able to land 10 newcomers to the team, which includes three transfers and five international: Lison Stoffel, Taryn Wright, Shelby McGee, Anllelvis Caballero-Fernandez, Makayhla Lowe, Lana Sandanom, Essence Brundage, Anna Chechelyntska, Haylie Poole, Kaleigh Schaeffer and Victoria Hood. Stoffel, Caballero-Fernandez, Sandanom and Chechelyntska are international players with Stoffel, Hood and Chechelyntska being the lone transfers.
Lison Stoffel:
A setter from Alsace, France, Stoffel joins the Manatees as a transfer from Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas. As a member of the Pirates, she finished her freshman campaign with 310 assists, 172 digs and 12 aces. Additionally, Stoffel had five double-double matches of assists and digs. She will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Taryn Wright:
A 5-7 outside hitter from Winter Haven, Wright joins the team after graduating from Winter Haven High School. As a two-year member on varsity, she has helped the Blue Devils to two playoff appearances in the FHSAA 6A State Tournament. She finished her career with 17 kills and 67 digs.
Shelby McGee:
McGee, a setter/outside hitter, joins the Manatees after graduating from Hudson High School in Hudson, Florida. McGee played all four years at the varsity for the Cobras and finished her career with 394 kills and 483 digs. Additionally, she helped the team to two playoff appearances in the FHSAA 6A State Tournament. She was unable to play with the Cobras for her senior year due to injury.
Anllelvis Caballero Fernandez:
Considered the tallest player on the team, Caballero Fernandez, a 6-7 right side hitter, joins the team from Soria, Spain and graduated from Antonio Machado High School. She is also a member of the U19 Spanish National Team where she recently competed in the CEV U19 European Championship before it being shutdown due to COVID-19.
Makayhla Rowe:
Rowe, a middle blocker and one of four local players on the team, joins the Manatees after graduating from Southeast High School in Bradenton. She was a two-sport athlete playing both volleyball and basketball for the Seminoles.
As a member of the volleyball team, Rowe played three years of varsity and one year of JV where she finished her career with the Seminoles with 142 kills, 63 blocks (59 solo) and 19 aces.
On the basketball team, Rowe averaged 1.9 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in her career, which included being a part of the 2020 team going 20-9 in the FHSAA 5A District, winning the 5A District 10 Tournament and reaching the semifinals of the FHSAA 5A State Tournament before falling to the eventual winners, American Heritage.
Essence Bundrage:
Bundrage, an outside hitter, joins Rowe from Southeast High School in Bradenton. Like Rowe, she was also a two-sport athlete playing both volleyball and softball.
With the volleyball team, Bundrage played three years at the varsity level with the Seminoles and finished her career with 36 kills, 10 blocks and six aces.
Lana Sandanom:
An outside/right side hitter from Saint Denis, France, Sandanom joins fellow countrywoman Stoffel after graduating from Lycée Polyvalent Bellevue High School. She was a member of the club team Pole France Feminin (IFVB 2) where they have competed in the French Ligue (League) B.
Anna Chechelyntska:
Chechelyntska, an outside hitter, joins the Manatees as a transfer from former conference rival St. Pete College. A native of Ukraine, Chechelyntska was tied for second on the team in kills (75) and third on the team in digs (67). She will have two years of eligibility remaining and will also play for the beach volleyball team in the spring.
Haylie Poole:
Another local product, Poole a middle blocker, joins the Manatees after graduating from Booker High School. She had 11 kills and 24 blocks (all solo) in one season with the Tornadoes.
Kaleigh Schaeffer:
Schaeffer, a defensive specialist, joins Poole after graduating from Booker High School. She joined the team as a student manager after trying out for the Manatees in June. She will redshirt this season for indoor, but will be active for beach volleyball season.
Like Rowe and Bundrage, Schaeffer was also a two-sport athlete as she played volleyball and soccer for the Tornadoes. As a member of the volleyball team, she had three kills and 20 aces for the Tornadoes.
Victoria Hood:
A late addition to the team, Hood, an outside hitter from New Martinsville, West Virginia, joins the Manatees as a transfer from Hocking College in Naperville, Ohio.
Prior to Hocking, Hood graduated from Magnolia High School where she helped lead the Blue Eagles to two successful seasons.
Big Returns:
While the team will be without Leilani Wilcox-Nanai, Lisa Jaunet, Gracee Carpino and Bailey Sikkema, Burnett was able to bring back eight returners to help the newcomers, which include Kaysha Kahai-Enos, Jazmin Spencer, Kaylee Forman, Guilia Rodrigues and Adelene Jideofor. Kahai-Enos and Spencer are the lone redshirt sophomores on the team.
Kahai-Enos, who joined the team last season from NJCAA Lee College in Texas, finished her redshirt freshman campaign with 26 kills and nine blocks in limited action due to an ankle injury. Spencer finished her redshirt freshman year with 96 kills, 67 digs and 20 blocks.
Forman, who rotated with Carpino at the setter position, lead the team with 365 assists and 107 digs, while Rodrigues, the lead libero, finished her freshman campaign with 258 digs and 15 aces.
Jideofor lead the way defensively with 41 blocks (15 solo) while adding 51 kills.
Welcome Back Fans:
During the 2021 spring season. the Manatees did not allow any fans to attend any of the home indoor matches due to preventing the spread of COVID-19. For the fall season, it was announced that fans will be allowed to attend all of the matches for this season.
Conference Changes:
The Suncoast Conference is now one big conference with nine teams. Several other teams in the FCSAA have moved down to NJCAA DII. The following is the list of teams in division one and conference:
DI -
SCF
Santa Fe
Florida Southwestern
Indian River
Eastern Florida State
Polk State
Hillsborough
Daytona State
Miami Dade
DII -
Florida Gateway
Pasco-Hernando State
Lake Sumter
St. John's River
Palm Beach State
St. Pete
Gulf Coast State
Pensacola State
Florida State College at Jacksonville
South Florida State
Scouting St. Johns River State:
The Vikings finished last season 12-7 overall with a 4-6 record in the Sun Lakes Conference (DII).
Key returners for the Vikings include Emily Evans, Kendall Hatchett and Mone Gordon. Evans was third on the team in kills (155) and fifth in digs (154), while Hatchett was second in kills (160) and Gordon lead with 685 assists and added 20 aces.
The Vikings will play St. Pete College on Friday night, August 20 to open their season and Sun-Lakes Conference play.
Series History:
The Manatees are no strangers to the Vikings as they are currently 3-2 overall.
How to Keep Up:
The match against St. John's River State will be livestream on the SCF Sports Network. Fans can also keep up with both teams on Twitter:
SCF: @SCFVolleyball
St. John's River: @sjr_state_vb
Livestream Links: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/scf/ (SCF Sports Network)
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