Three Manatees Make MLB Debuts

Bradenton, Fla -  Three former Manatees made their official Major League Baseball debut for their teams during the 2024 season: CJ Alexander, Justin Wrobleski and Ryan Miller.

"I think it speak to how great this program is and the great tradition that we have here for our baseball players making their debuts in the MLB," said athletic director Nick Cichielo. "It's been a great summer for that and a positive for SCF baseball. Just to see players like CJ (Alexander), (Justin) Wrobleski and Ryan Miller make their debuts within three months of each other is outstanding and it really sets the stage for the upcoming year and I expect the program to have a great year and another one or two in the following years that will make their debut, so I'm really excited to see that happen."

A third baseman from Merrillville, Indiana, who played for the Manatees during the 2018 season, Alexander made his debut with the Kansas City Royals on June 24 against the Miami Marlins. The 2018 Suncoast Conference Player of the Year played in four games where he secured his first MLB hit against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 2. 

He returned to the Omaha Storm Chasers (AAA) where he finished batting .303 with 98 hits, 16 home runs and 54 RBI before being released. Following his release, Alexander was picked up by the Oakland Athletics where he is currently assigned to the Las Vegas Aviators (AAA).

Wrobleski, a left-handed pitcher who played during the 2020 season before transferring to the University of Oklahoma, made his debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 7 against the Milwaukee Brewers where he threw five innings with four strikeouts before earning his first MLB win against the St. Louis Cardinals on August 16 before returning to the Oklahoma Cty Baseball Club.

Miller, a right-handed pitcher and local product from Sarasota who played during the 2017 season, made his debut for Los Angeles Angels on August 27 against the Detroit Tigers where he threw one inning with two strikeouts. He is currently still with the Angels as part of the September call-ups.

Congratulations to Alexander, Wrobleski and Miller on making their much awaited debuts in the MLB.

SCF Softball Welcomes New Coaching Staff

Bradenton, Fla -  The SCF softball team have made changes in their coaching staff as they welcome Brett Sauerwein as the new head coach. Sauerwein joins the Manatees after spending the previous season as the assistant at McKendree University (NCAA DII) in O'Fallon, Illinois and will be the second male head coach in SCF softball program history (Jeffery Roberts, 1999-2007). Additionally, former local softball product Auria Mounts will join the Manatees as Sauerwein's assistant coach and the athletics specialist after previously serving as the assistant softball coach at Palmetto High School.

"I'm excited to bring in someone of Brett's caliber," said athletic director Nick Cichielo. "He's a phenomenal person and really connected to Florida. I feel very confident that he'll take this program to the next level...I'm excited to bring him on and can't wait for him to get started."

A native of Troy, Illinois, Sauerwein graduated from McKendree University where he graduated with his bachelor's in leadership in sports and exercise science and became a graduate assistant (2015) before receiving his master's degree in sports management at Missouri Baptist University (NAIA) where he became an assistant coach for the varsity squad as well as the head coach for the junior varsity squad for the Spartans while piling on 80+ wins, which included a school record 31 wins in 2017.

Sauerwein would then make the move to southwest Florida as he became assistant coach for Ave Maria University (NAIA) for the next three seasons (2019-21) before taking a position as assistant coach for Florida Southwestern (FSW) where he helped the Buccaneers to win back-to-back NJCAA JUCO Softball World Series Championships.

After two seasons with the Buccaneers, Sauerwein would return to his alma mater McKendree where he would help the Bearcats to the semifinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournamant (GLVC) this past season.

"First off, I want to thank Nick (Cichielo) for believing in me to usher this program into a new era," said Sauerwein. "Florida JUCO softball holds a very special place in my heart and I'm very excited to lead this program to national prominence. The goal for the program is to play a fast paced and fundementally sound brand of softball and I'm excited to get on campus and get to work."

A local native from Bradenton, Florida, Mounts graduated from Palmetto High School in 2015 where she was named on the Manatee/Sarasota County All-Area Team. Following two years on varsity for the Tigers, Mounts would enroll at Indian River State to start her collegiate softball career where she played as a pitcher and utility player for the Pioneers. There, she went 17-6 overall with a 3.92 ERA, 37 walks and 116 strikeouts in 131 innings, while at the plated she batted .301 with 89 hits, 82 runs, 14 home runs, 92 RBI, 42 walks and 31 stolen bases while being named to the then All-Southern Conference First Team and the FCSAA All-State Team (2016 first team, 2017 second team) twice. 

Following her graduation from Indian River State, Mounts enrolled at Saint Leo University (NCAA DII) with her last two years of eligibility where she played primarily as a pitcher for the Lions. There she finished her career at 29-15 with a 2.46 ERA, five saves, 91 walks and 187 strikeouts in 293 innings while helping them to the 2018 NCAA DII Softball Championship Semifinals.

Following the end of her softball playing career, Mounts would become the assistant coach at her alma mater, Palmetto High School, in 2023 where she helped the Tigers to an appearance in the FHSAA 6A State Tournament.

Sauerwein and Mounts will look to guide the Manatees to the postseason for 2025 under their new leadership.

SCF VB Ready for Next Two Matches

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF volleyball team (1-4, 1-4 Sun Lakes) will look to get on the positive side and bounce back in their next two games as they travel to St. Pete to take on St. Pete College (4-5, 2-3 Sun Lakes) at the Gibbs Campus Gymnasium Thursday night, September 19 at 6 pm before returning home at Hal Chasey to take on Pasco-Hernando State (3-10, 2-3 Sun Lakes) Friday night, September 20 at 6 pm.

Sun Lakes Conference Standings:

1.#8 Gulf Coast State (12-2, 6-0)

2. RV Palm Beach State (10-2, 5-1)

3. #9 Pensacola State (11-3, 5-1)

4. St. John's River State (11-7, 3-2)

5. Indian River State (7-5, 3-3)

6. St. Pete (4-5, 2-3)

7. Pasco-Hernando State (3-10 2-3)

8. Lake Sumter State (5-5, 1-4)

9. Florida State College at Jacksonville (4-9, 1-4)

10. SCF (1-4, 1-4)

11. South Florida State (1-5, 1-5)

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off of a tough match up this past weekend in the panhandle after falling to #8 Gulf Coast State (then #9) and #9 Pensacola State (then #10) both by a score of 3-0.

Freshman Aryanna Spainhower continues to lead the way offensively and in the back row as she has 49 kills and 73 digs so far. Sophomore Jaycie Sheean follows with 26 kills, two aces, 15 digs and 10 blocks, while freshman Sabrina Calhoun has 22 kills, 19 digs and four blocks.

On the setting side of things, sophomore Morgan McGuire leads the way with 73 assists and 40 digs while freshman Adasyn Konopka follows with 30 assists and 28 digs.

Defensively, aside from Spainhower, freshmen Johaliz Colon (five assists, two aces and 55 digs), Sarah Stouky (seven assists, one ace and 57 digs) and Natalie Schwenk (two aces and 36 digs) play strong in the back row, while sophomore Kat Tallo (nine kills, one aces, 22 digs and 10 blocks) and freshman Immani Brown (six kills, six digs and 11 blocks) run the front row defense.

Scouting St. Pete College:

The Titans are entering the matchup on a three-game losing streak after losing to Palm Beach State (3-2), Gulf Coast State (3-0) and Pensacola State (3-1). They are currently in sixth in the standings.

Redshirt sophomore Rayna Mehta leads the way for the Titans offensively as she has 104 kills, 17 digs and 10 blocks, while freshman Lucy Raines follows with 82 kills and 84 digs. Defensively, sophomore Larianys Serrano Santiago leads with 126 digs and 33 assists, while classmate Ahnika Johnston has 19 blocks and 47 kills.

Prior to playing SCF, the Titans will play Pasco-Hernando State Wednesday night, September 18 at 6 pm.

Scouting Pasco Hernando State:

Like St. Pete, the Bobcats are also entering their match with SCF on a three-game losing skid after falling to Santa Fe (3-2), Gulf Coast State (3-0) and Pensacola State (3-2). They are currently seventh in the standings.

Sophomore Elizabeth McDonald leads the Bobcats with 195 kills, 77 digs and 16 blocks, while Kendyl Okin follows with 103 kills, 15 aces, 33 digs and 38 blocks (12 solo). Defensively, sophmore Mallori Grey leads with 214 digs and 17 assists.

How to Keep Up:

Both matches will air livestream and fans can keep up with both teams on all social media platforms.

Livestream Links:

@ St. Pete - https://athletics.spcollege.edu/broadcast/watch

vs Pasco-Hernando State - https://team1sports.com/scfmanatees/

Social Media:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SCFvolleyball

X - https://X.com/SCFVolleyball?s=09

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/volleyball_scf/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

SCF VB Set for Weekend Challenge

Bradenton, Fla. - After securing their first win of the season, the SCF court volleyball team (1-2, 1-2 Sun Lakes) will look to keep their momentum going for their first road trip of the season. The Manatees will travel six hours to the panhandle as they face #9 Gulf Coast State (10-2, 3-0 Sun Lakes) at the Billy Harrison Fieldhouse in Panama City Friday night, September 13 at 7 pm (6 pm central) before traveling to Pensacola to take on #10 Pensacola State (8-3, 2-1 Sun Lakes) at the Hartsell Arena Saturday afternoon, September 14 at 2 pm (1 pm central).

Sun Lakes Conference Standings:

1. Palm Beach State (9-1, 4-0)

2. #9 Gulf Coast State (10-2, 4-0)

3. #10 Pensacola State (8-3, 2-1)

4. Pasco-Hernando State (3-7, 2-1)

5. Indian River State (6-4, 2-2)

6.St. Pete (4-4, 2-2)

7. #25 St. John's River State (9-7, 1-2)

8. SCF (1-2, 1-2)

9. South Florida State (1-3, 1-3)

10. Lake Sumter State (4-3, 0-3)

11. Florida State College at Jacksonville (3-8, 0-2)

Last Time Out:

After falling in their first two matches to Indian River State (3-0) and Palm Beach State (3-0), the Manatees are coming off securing their first win of the season and in conference play at home after defeating South Florida State 3-2 in a come from behind victory.

They are currently tied for seventh in conference with Indian River State, but are eighth in the standings overall.

Super Saiyan Built Juggernauts:

The trio of sophomore Jaycie Sheean and freshmen Aryanna Spainhower and Sabrina Calhoun have been leading the offense for the Manatees on attacking.

Since making her debut with the Manatees this year from Purdue University - Northwest, Sheean has became a key part of the their offense. The native of Rockford, Illinois currently has 21 kills, eight digs, seven blocks and one ace. In the match against South Florida State, Sheean had a career-high 10 kills.

Spainhower had one of her best offensive and defensive games in her match with South Florida State as she secured her first collegiate double-double of 16 kills and 25 digs. The local product from Braden River currently has 30 kills, 49 digs, three aces and five blocks. Additionally, Spainhower's 25 digs put her in the FCSAA 25 Dig Club.

Calhoun currently has 18 kills, three aces and 10 digs in her name so far. Against South Florida State, she had 14 kills and three digs in the match.

Libero  Domination:

The freshmen duo of defensive specialists Johaliz Colon and Sarah Stouky have played strongly in the back row. Colon currently has 33 digs and three assists this season, while Stouky currently has 29 digs, five assists. In the match against South Florida State, Colon had 14 digs in her name, while Stouky had 15 digs and three assists.

Mighty Assist:

Sophomore Morgan McGuire plays a strong role at the setter position. McGuire currently has 43 assists, 16 digs and four blocks. She secured her eight career double-double against South Florida State as she had 34 assists and 11 digs.

Freshman Adasyn Konopka also plays a key part in assists as she has 30 assists and 26 digs. Konopka had four assists and seven digs against South Florida State.

Wildcard Status:

Sophomore Katrina Tallo and freshman Natalie Schwenk play as the wildcards of the team.

Tallo currently has five kills, 18 digs and eight blocks. She had a career-high 11 digs in the win over South Florida State.

Schwenk, the lone walk-on on the team, currently has 21 digs and two aces so far. The Pennsylvanian had nine digs and two aces against South Florida State.

Scouting Gulf Coast State:

The Lady Commodores are coming off of 3-0 win over St. Pete College. They are currently second in conference and are ranked #9 in the NJCAA Top 25 National Polls.

Freshman Danna Aguilera leads the offense as she has 146 kills, 11 aces and 119 digs while sophomore Morgan Langley leads the defense with 233 digs and nine aces.

Scouting Pensacola State:

The Lady Pirates are coming off of a 3-0 win over Florida State College at Jacksonville. They are currently ranked #10 in the NJCAA Top 25 National Poll.

Freshman Catie Woolf leads the offense with 110 kills, 12 aces, 79 digs and 12 blocks, while sophomore Maddie Mire leads the defense with 163 digs and 12 aces.

How to Keep Up:

Both games will air livestream and fans can keep up the Manatees on all social media platforms.

Livestream Links:

@ Gulf Coast State - https://www.commodoreproductions.com/live/

@ Pensacola State - https://piratenetwork.live/broadcastevents/

Social Media - 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SCFvolleyball

X - https://X.com/SCFVolleyball?s=09

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/volleyball_scf/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

SCF VB Secures Come From Behind Win vs South Florida State

Bradenton, Fla - The SCF volleyball Team (1-2, 1-2 Sun Lakes) secured their first win of the season and in Sun Lakes Conference play under a new era as they came from behind to defeat South Florida State (0-3, 0-3 Sun Lakes) 3-2 (19-25, 24-26, 25-18, 25-19, 15-12).

"Overall, today's game was great," said head coach Courtney Bobo-McKenzie. "We were a little nervous when we first started off, but I'm glad we finally found something that worked. The last two games, we were going through a lot of rotations to see what works for our team and I'm glad we found it and through that we were able to fight and finish. Even though we were down two to three points the last two games, we clicked with the setter/hitter connection and we ended up with the victory in the last three sets."

"I thought the setter/hitter connection was so much better and we meshed together a lot more," said freshman Sabrina Calhoun. "We really worked together and the energy on the court and on the bench was amazing. It was a really great team win overall."

"The first two sets, we did start off too slow to get back into the match for momentum," said freshman Aryanna Spainhower. "From the end of those games, we came back and fought hard to secure the win."

The first set saw the Manatees get into a little bit of trouble as the Panthers took advantage of hitting in the middle. By the second set, the Manatees started mounting some strong defense in the front row thanks to sophomores Katrina Tallo and Jaycie Sheean, but it would be to no avail with the Panthers taking the set.

At the start of the third set, the Manatees would gain their momentum thanks to kills by Calhoun and Spainhower. As the score went 15-13 SCF, Tallo would get the Manatees' rally going behind the line. With her serving and strong attacks by Calhoun and Spainhower, the Manatees would pull off with the third set after a Panther attack error.

In the fourth set, the Manatees got off to a slow start, but Tallo's defense and offense by Calhoun, Spainhower and Sheean kept the Manatees' spark going. When the Manatees tied the score at 16 all, Sheean would put together a 6-0 run before a Calhoun and a Panther attack error gave the Manatees the fourth set and force a fifth.

In the final set, the Manatees struggled briefly as the Panthers tied the set at 11 apiece, but after a timeout by Bobo-McKenzie the Manatees found their momentum as sophomore Morgan McGuire would seal the victory with a final kill in the back right corner for the win.

Three Manatees lead the way offensively. It was Spainhower that would lead the way overall as she secured her first collegiate double-double of 16 kills and 25 digs while also adding one assist and one ace.

"I felt like I played an amazing game," said Spainhower. "Me and my setters did very well, especially when we're running a fast ball down the middle. For getting a double-double, it's obviously really impressive for a game and hope to beat my record now and surpass it."

"I always believed that Aryanna would make a big impact as a local player," said Bobo-McKenzie on Spainhower. "She's a strong player with a lot of energy."

Calhoun would follow with 14 kills, three digs and one ace while Sheean rounded out the order with 10 kills, one ace, four digs and one block.

"I played great," said Calhoun. "While I just came back from an injury, it was great to play and come back out not worrying about getting hurt while playing and being able to execute on the court."

McGuire would secure her eighth career double-double as she finished with 34 assists, 17 digs, two kills, one ace and four blocks (one solo).

"I'm proud that Morgan came in as our sophomore setter for the match," said Bobo-McKenzie on McGuire. "She really showed some leadership and took control of her game."

Defensively, apart from Spainhower and McGuire, Tallo and freshmen Johaliz Colon and Sarah Stouky had 11, 14 and 15 digs respectively with Tallo adding two kills and two blocks, while Colon adding two assists and Stouky adding three assists.

Freshmen Adasyn Konopka (two kills, four assists and seven digs), Natalie Schwenk (two aces and nine digs) and Immani Brown (three kills, two assists, two digs and one block) also contributed in the match.

Notes:

1. This was Bobo-McKenzie's first win as the head coach for the Manatees.

2. With her 25 digs, Spainhower was named on the FCSAA 25 Dig Club.

3. With her 34 assists, McGuire now has 534 career assists and needs 63 more to surpass Sanja Vojnovic (596, 2015) for 17th all-time

Sun Lakes Conference Standings:

1. Palm Beach State (8-1, 3-0)

2. #9 Gulf Coast State (9-2, 3-0)

3. #10 Pensacola State (8-3, 2-1)

4. St. Pete (4-3, 2-1)

5. Pasco-Hernando State (3-7, 2-1)

6. #25 St. John's River State (9-6, 1-1)

7. Indian River State (5-4, 1-2)

8. SCF (1-2, 1-2)

9. Lake Sumter (4-2, 0-2)

10. Florida State College at Jacksonville (3-7, 0-2)

11. South Florida State (0-3, 0-3)

Up Next:

The Manatees will head to the panhandle for their next two games as they travel to Panama City to face #9 Gulf Coast State Friday night, September 13 at 7 pm eastern (6 pm central) before heading to Pensacola to take on #10 Pensacola State Saturday afternoon, September 14 at 2 pm eastern (1 pm central).

SCF VB Opens Season at Home

Bradenton, Fla. - With the 2023 season faded away in the distance, the SCF volleyball team will look to open the 2024 season at home at Hal Chasey Gymnasium as the Manatees welcome Indian River State (4-2) Friday night, September 6 at 5 pm, Palm Beach State (5-1) Saturday afternoon, September 7 at 1 pm and South Florida State Tuesday night, September 10 at 6 pm.  It will be the first time since the 2021 fall season that the Manatees open their season at home.

Last Time Out:

The Manatees are coming off off one of their best seasons since 2014 as they went 14-9 overall with a 6-7 record in the Sun Lakes Conference (5-3 in the south division). They would finish second in their division behind Pasco-Hernando State and qualify for the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 State Tournament where they would shutout Lake Sumter State in the quarterfinals before falling to runner-up Gulf Coast State in the semifinals.

Following the end of their season, then head coach Lynn Burnett would take on a new role as the head coach for court volleyball and beach volleyball at New College of Florida (NAIA) in Sarasota.

Conference/Rule Changes:

The Sun Lakes Conference will go amongst another change this year as Indian River State will move their volleyball program to division two after dropping their women's basketball program this upcoming year. Additionally, because the number of teams expanded, the Sun Lakes will now be one full conference instead of being separated into two divisions. Additionally, all teams will be allowed to have up to two liberos per team.

The conference for division one and division two will be as listed:

Citrus Conference -

Florida Southwestern State

Miami Dade

Polk State

Daytona State

Santa Fe

Eastern Florida State

Hillsborough

Sun Lakes -

SCF

St. Pete

South Florida State

Palm Beach State

Gulf Coast State

Pensacola State

Florida State College at Jacksonville

Pasco-Hernando State

Indian River State

St. John's River State

Lake Sumter State

New Leader of the Pack:

After the departure of Burnett, a nationwide search took place to find a new head coach for the Manatees and in a successful move, the new head coach was decided: Courtney Bobo-McKenzie.

Bobo-McKenzie, a native of Tampa, joins the Manatees after four seasons being the head coach for Sumner High School in Tampa.

McKenzie is joined by assistant coach Eunyce Vercosa. Vercosa, a native of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Vercosa, joined the Manatees in September 2023 as an assistant coach for the beach volleyball program before she was promoted to be the head coach where she helped the Manatees to a third-place finish in the NJCAA National Beach Volleyball Championship in May. She is also the current head coach for Premium Beach Volleyball Academy in St. Petersburg, Be Volleyball Academy, INC and Manatee High School. 

Additionally, Vercosa is a current beach volleyball player professionally in the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) where she has participated in numerous beach tournaments in Brazil and the US as well as several FIVB tournaments in Russia, Korea, Mexico and China with her highest finish being ninth on two occasions.

Bring in The Newcomers:

The Manatees will be without 12 players as they have graduated and/or continued playing volleyball collegiately: Bailee Perry, Kloe Pinto, Amee Beedle, Alannah McCaughey, Rachel Carroll, Elise Bakken, Isabella Rebimbas, Teresa Briefeneder, Shelby Pillow, Caelan Cook, Katie Keefe and Emily Lyons.

Despite that, Bobo-McKenzie was able to bring in nine newcomers to join the Manatees for the 2024 season.

Johaliz Colon:

A defensive specialist/setter from Davenport, Florida, Colon joins the Manatees after graduating from Davenport High School where she was a two-sport athlete playing both volleyball and flag football.

As a member of the flag football team, Colon helped the Broncos to a 5-5 record during her junior year. On the volleyball team, she helped the Broncos in the same year to the semifinals of the FHSAA 5A District Tournament while finishing her lone season with 14 kills, 55 aces, 239 digs and 17 assists before continuing to play at the club level for the Orlando Tampa Volleyball Academy.

Prior to Davenport High School, Colon played for Ridge Community High School during her freshman and sophomore years where she had six kills, 45 aces, 350 digs and 37 assists. There she helped the Bolts to appearances in the FHSAA 7A District Tournament.

Sabrina Calhoun:

An outside hitter from Zephyrhills, Florida, Calhoun joins the Manatees after graduating from Zephyrhills High School. As a player for the Bulldogs, Calhoun helped them to three straight appearances in the FHSAA 5A District Tournament.

Adasyn Konopka:

A setter from Riverview, Florida, Konopka joins the Manatees from All-In Volleyball Academy in Brandon, Florida.

Prior to All-In Volleyball Academy, Konopka played at East Bay High School in Gibsonton, Florida where in her lone season (junior year) with the Indians finished with 375 assists, 156 digs, 36 kills, 45 aces and six blocks while leading them to an appearance in the FHSAA 6A District Tournament.

Immani Brown:

A middle blocker from Orlando, Florida, Brown joins the Manatees from Lake Nona Volleyball Academy in Orlando where she helped them to win several tournaments, including a third place finish at club nationals.

During her time with Lake Nona, Brown also graduated from Econ River High School in Orlando, Florida.

Sarah Stouky:

A defensive specialist from Port St. Lucie, Florida, Stouky joins the Manatees after graduating Jensen Beach High School in Jensen Beach, Florida. As a member of the Falcons, Stouky helped them to a 25-6 overall record with a 2-0 record in 5A District 13, which would follow with a trip to the semifinals in the FHSAA 5A Girls Volleyball State Tournament.

Prior to Jensen Beach, Stouky played her first three years at Centennial High School in Port St. Lucie where she was a two-sport athlete playing both indoor volleyball and flag football for the Eagles before transferring.

On the flag football team during her freshman year, Stouky played in four games while helping the Eagles to an appearance in the FHSAA 2A Flag Football State Tournament. On the volleyball team, Stouky played four years on varsity where she helped the Eagles to four straight appearances in the FHSAA 7A District Tournament. 

Throughout her high school career, Stouky compiled a combined 901 digs, 125 aces, 254 assists, 1,293 receptions and 25 kills in her high school career.

Aryanna Spainhower:

A local product and outside hitter/setter from Bradenton, Spainhower joins the Manatees after graduating from Braden River High School where she was a three-sport athlete playing court volleyball, beach volleyball and flag football for the Pirates.

On the flag football team, Spainhower played her senior year where she was a wide receiver, linebacker and defensive end. Offensively, she had 68 catches for 851 yards (50.1 yards per game) and 15 touchdowns (12 receiving touchdowns), while defensively she had 44 tackles, one sack and eight interceptions. She would help the Pirates to an 18-2 record (3-0 in districts) and win the FHSAA 1A District Championship before helping them to the FHSAA 1A State Final Four. Additionally, she was named a member of the Herald-Tribune All-Area First Team.

On the beach volleyball team during her sophomore year, she helped the Pirates to an 8-4 overall record (5-3 in districts) while making an appearance in the FHSAA 1A District Tournament.

On the indoor volleyball team, Spainhower would play her junior and senior year on varsity for the Pirates where she finished with 339 kills, 49 aces, 29 blocks (16 solo) and 695 digs while being named a member of Herald-Tribune All-Area First Team. Additionally, she helped the team to two straight regional semifinal appearances in the FHSAA 5A State Volleyball Tournament.

Nora Leonard:

A outside hitter/defensive specialist from Inverness, Florida, Leonard joins the Manatees from Seven Rivers Christian School in Lecanto, Florida where she was a four-sport athlete playing court volleyball, basketball, tennis and softball.

Leonard first volleyball played at Osceola High School in Seminole, Florida for the junior varsity team where she helped the Warriors to a 5-3 overall record before transferring to Seven Rivers Christian School.

On the basketball team in her sophomore year at Seven Rivers Christian, Leonard played in 22 games for the Warriors where she averaged 0.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 0.6 steals per game while helping them to an appearance in the FHSAA 2A State Tournament.

On the softball team in her sophomore year, Leonard played in 11 games where she batted .143 with two hits, three runs and two RBI while helping them to an appearance in the FHSAA 2A State Softball Tournament.

On the tennis team for her junior and senior year, Leonard helped them to an appearance in the FHSAA 1A Districit Tournament her senior year.

For the volleyball team at Seven Rivers Christian, Leonard played three years on varsity where she finished with 122 kills, 74 aces, 11 blocks (four solo) and 428 digs while leading the Warriors to three straight appearances in the FHSAA 2A District 9 Tournament. Her junior year was her most productive as she finished with 73 kills, 42 aces and 195 digs.

Lily Shoemaker:

A middle blocker/right side hitter from Valrico, Florida, Shoemaker joins the Manatees from Bloomingdale High School in Valrico. As a member of the Warhawks, she played her senior where she finished with 102 kills, 40 blocks (22 solo), 31 digs and two assists while leading them to the final in the FHSAA 5A District 10 Tournament.

Natalie Schwenk:

A libero/defensive specialist from Reading, Pennsylvania, Schwenk joins the Manatees as a walk-on after graduating from Exeter Township High School in Reading, Pennsylvania. As a member of the Eagles, Schwenk helped them to the semifinals of the Berks County Interscholastic Athletic Association (BCIAA) girls volleyball tournament.

Key Returners:

Bobo-McKenzie was able to also bring back three returners to help the newcomers out: Katrina Tallo, Morgan McGuire and Jaycie Sheean.

Tallo, a middle blocker/right side hitter and local product from Sarasota, finished her freshman year with 42 kills, 17 assists, eight aces, 46 digs and 29 blocks (eight solo).

McGuire, a setter from Brandon, Florida finished her first year with 491 assists, 11 kills, 28 aces and 199 digs. Additionally, she put up seven double-doubles in assists and digs.

Sheean, a middle blocker/right side hitter from Rockford, Illinois, joined the Manatees after transferring from the University of Purdue - Northwest (NCAA II) last season where she sat out and utilized a medical redshirt.

Scouting Indian River State:

Indian River State is coming off of finishing last season 7-16 overall with a 1-13 record in the Citrus Conference before they dropped down to the Sun Lakes Conference this year. They are lead by first-year head coach Erin Ergle, who was the assistant coach for Indian River State last season.

The Pioneers are coming off of opening their first six matches of the 2024 season.  At the Viking Invitational in Leesburg, they would sweep Bishop State Community College (3-1), USC Lancaster (3-0), #16 Cape Fear Community College (3-0) and College of Southern Maryland (3-0) before falling in their home opener to Hillsborough (3-2) and Santa Fe (3-2). Prior to facing SCF, they will face Pasco-Hernando State Wednesday night, September 4.

Sophomore Katejion Robinson leads the way in offense and front row defense as she has 78 kills, nine aces, 59 digs and 13 blocks. Freshmen Amelia Langelier (48 kills, 12 digs and eight blocks) and Camryn Childers (47 kills, 13 aces and 60 digs) follow Robinson's offense, while classmate Maya Rhamy (18 assists and 95 digs) and rising sophomores Hannah St. Croix (29 kills, eight aces, 12 digs and 13 blocks) lead the defense.

Overall, the Manatees are 14-4 against the Indian River State. Last time both teams met was during the 2021 season where they split with the Manatees winning the first match 3-0 (forfeit) and losing the second match 3-0.

Scouting Palm Beach State:

Palm Beach State is coming off of finishing last season 6-16 overall with a 6-7 record in the Sun Lakes Conference. They would finish third behind SCF and fail to make the NJCAA Region 8/FCSAA DII State Volleyball Tournament, despite being the host of the tournament. The team is lead by head coach Drew Colvin, who enters his 18th season with the program and ninth as the head coach.

The Panthers are coming off off opening their season at the Viking Invitational in Palatka where they would sweep Monroe College (3-1), College of Southern Maryland (3-0), Bishop State Community College (3-2) and USC Lancaster (3-2) before splitting a doubleheader in Fort Pierce after defeating Santa Fe (3-2) before being swept by Hillsborough (3-0). They will play Pasco-Hernando State Wednesday night, September 4 prior to facing SCF.

Sophomore Patrycja Kabala leads the way offensively with 85 kills, 13 aces and 49 digs, while freshman Sophia Soderbeg leads the defense with 105 digs

Overall, the Manatees are 15-21 against the Panthers. In their last series, the Manatees swept Palm Beach State at home and on the road both by a score of 3-1.

Scouting South Florida State:

The Panthers are coming off of finishing last season 5-11 overall with a 3-10 record in the Sun Lakes Conference. They would finish fourth overall in the standings and would not qualify for the state tournament. 

The team is lead by head coach Kim Crawford, who enters her 22nd season as head coach. Key returners for the Panthers include Kelsey Dodd (39 assists, 12 aces and 282 digs; All-Sun Lakes First Team), Ce'Mone Jose (62 kills, 17 digs and 41 blocks) and Danielle Worthy (68 kills, 27 digs and 53 blocks).

Prior to playing SCF, the Panthers will take on St. Pete College Wednesday night, Sept 4.

Overall, the Manatees are 32-12 against the Panthers. Last time, both teams split their series with the Manatees winning 3-0 at home before losing 3-0 in Avon Park.

How to Keep Up:

All three matches will will air on the SCF Sports Network and fans can keep up with the Manatees on all forms of social media.

Livestream Link - https://team1sports.com/scfmanatees/?B=1014290

Social Media - 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SCFvolleyball

Twitter - https://twitter.com/SCFVolleyball?s=09

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/volleyball_scf/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D