Coming off of a 9-7 overall record and 1-1 in the Sun Lakes Conference, North Division last season, FSCJ volleyball is ready to compete. With the hiring of Chelsea Hinck to lead the volleyball program, the roster has undergone a transformation with 12 newcomers and only one returning sophomore.
The diverse 2023 roster includes seven local area athletes, two of which transferred back to the Jacksonville area. Haley Wojnaroski returns after a year at Pasco Hernando while Elaina Reynolds transfers from Gulf Coast State College. Laine Tohal from Creekside High School, Abigail Bucci from Clay, Moya Allen from Terry Parker and Breeana Brown joins the sole returner Marissa Hauser from Fletcher. Rounding out the roster from Florida is Hana Roberts from Boone High School in Orlando and Katie Ashby from Treasure Coast High School in Port St. Lucie. Coming from out of state is Sophia Byrom from Rockport, Texas, Yanielly Nieves from Puerto Rico and out of country is Stefania Del Carmen Caballero Juarez from Mexico and Martina Soler Marti from Spain.
"This team displays an inspiring motive," said first year head coach Chelsea Hinck. "They are hungry, have will and are connecting quickly. We have not had the opportunities that most teams have had in preseason, but we are showcasing that if there is a will, there is a way. We have some fiery athletes that are stepping up to the plate on and off the court. This group is showing us that they are ready to get the season started."
FSCJ was scheduled to open up the season last week in Melbourne to take on Eastern Florida State College in their season opener but hurricane Idalia forced games to be rescheduled including Santa Fe College. The BlueWave will now open their season tomorrow on the road to face Lake Sumter State College (LSSC) who are ranked #3 in DII Sun Lakes -North Division. The following weekend FSCJ travels to Tampa for the Hillsborough Community College (HCC) Invitational. There they face off against four NJCAA DI programs to include Florida Southwestern who is currently ranked #1 in DI-Citrus Conference.
"Next weekend will be a great way to really start off our season," said Hinck. "It will get the ball rolling and show us the moving parts we have to work with during competitive games."
FSCJ volleyball will return home to play their first home match on Wednesday, September 13th at 6:00pm.
To view the complete FSCJ Volleyball scheduled and roster please follow the link below:
https://www.gobluewave.com/sports/wvball/index