It's only been three years since beach volleyball became an FHSAA sanctioned sport.
But in that short amount of time, one thing became clear. That means Vero Beach has money to spare come district tournament time.
The Indians beat Jupiter 3-0 against Vero Beach High School on Thursday to win their third consecutive District 25-1A title. They entered the bracket as the No. 1 seed and did not drop a set in three matches in the district tournament.
“It's a great feeling. I'm really proud of the way our team has developed and maintained its play and competition over the last few years,” Vero Beach head coach Wes Hawkins said.
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Last year, the two teams played for the district championship, with the Indians winning 3-2. They battled it out in the regular season as well, with the scoreline 4-1 in favor of the team that would become the eventual district champions on April 2nd.
“Velo is a really tough team. They have a great program,” Warriors head coach Lilly Fink said. “They've been doing it for a long time and have a lot of full-time beach players. It's a tough team.”
The day began on the sand with No. 2 and No. 4 pairing, with Jupiter (11-3) taking the first set of each match before Vero Beach (15-1) fought back. The Indians' No. 2 duo of senior Ella Minton and junior Ara Sanchez got off to a 9-2, 9-3 start in the final two sets en route to shutouts over Elaina Avila and Kate Guarneri. It started. Just seconds after that game ended, the No. 4 team of seniors Marley Massey and Kaylee Becton completed a comeback against Sophia Chapman and Sophia Rodriguez.
Vero's No. 1 pair at the top of the lineup, sophomore Cora Darling and senior Eva Lilliquist, didn't need three sets as they dominated the duo of Macy McAmis and Isley Lounsbury to take the championship. Ta.
Vero's top unit
Lilliquist, one of six seniors on the team, has been with the Indians since their inception in 2022. She is also a veteran of the sport, having been coached by Hawkins since she was 10 years old. At the end of her year, she plans to take her talents to the other side of her state and compete in college at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Since the beginning of this season, Lirequist has been paired with Darling. Dahlin is a 6-footer who uses his long wingspan to be a deadly blocker at the net. Additionally, this allows the 5-7 senior to play behind, cover ground, and seek digs. What was highlighted recently on Thursday is that the unit has clicked in its first year together.
“It’s really nice to have someone who’s tall and can stand at the net because I’m used to a different style of volleyball,” Lilliquist said of Dahlin. “It feels so much better and she's honestly at ease. She's having so much fun and is fun to play with.”
next player
The top of the lineup is secured, but Minton is playing second and third with a different partner. Although she has only been with Sanchez for two weeks, she believes the players' collective bond on the sand creates a smooth connection with Sanchez and the other players on the sand. I believe.
“Our team, we're all best friends. So we can mix and match and it's very easy,” Minton said. “That's how our coaches coach us. We're good as individuals so we can go with anyone.”
The ability to change and adjust the lineup also speaks to Vero Beach's strength this year: depth. Two of the team's top 10 players were injured: junior Paige Keene (knee) and 6-4 freshman Ella Grabley (hand). However, the Indians are not losing as the rest of the roster steps up.
Hawkins credits assistant coach Matt Heath, who is also the director of the Vero Beach Volleyball Club, with contributing to the depth and player development.
“He coaches a lot of girls in the club as well,” Hawkins said of Heath. “We have a lot of young people in this area. And we have a junior varsity program that helps build the varsity team and we have some girls who have been doing it for a long time and are focused on the beach and don't do indoors. I think that being there is a factor.”
“We want that ring.”
Vero Beach, which enters the district ranked No. 6 overall in the state, is in line to earn the top seed in the Region 7-1A bracket. Regional tournaments begin next week, and the state championship is scheduled to be held May 10th and 11th at the Florida State University beach volleyball courts in Tallahassee.
Hawkins has watched his team qualify for states the past two years. He says the Indians' ultimate goal is simply to qualify for state and “put themselves in a position to be successful.” Meanwhile, players want to get their hands on jewelry at the end of the year.
“I want that ring,” Minton laughed.
“This will be our third time there so we definitely want to get a ring,” Lilliquist added.
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. Contact him at (772) 985-9692, @PatBernadeau at X, or email pbernadeau@gannett.com.