By Roy Allen, Florida SouthWestern State College
FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 4, 2021) - The top 12 NJCAA Division I Volleyball players in the state of Florida were honored by the FCSAA on Thursday as the association released its 2021 FCSAA All-State Team.
A first- and second-team of 12 players each comprised the All-Suncoast Conference teams, which were also announced Thursday evening, while the first-team honorees also received FCSAA All-State honors.
The Suncoast Conference Champion Florida SouthWestern State College Buccaneers placed a state high four players on the All-State Team. Leading the way for the Bucs was outside hitter Maria Petkova who finished the season 5th in the state in kills per set with 3.29 and ranked 4th among hitters with 2.96 digs per set on the year. Joining Petkova from the Bucs was the lone middle on the All-State Team, freshman Deborah Ribeiro. Ribeiro's 115 blocks on the season were 40 more than any other player in the state in 2021 while she also chipped in 1.53 kills per set on the year and hit .325 which ranked 4th in the state. The Bucs' libero, Arianna Rossi also earned her way onto the team after finishing 2nd in the state in digs with 334 while also earning FCSAA Defensive Player of the Week twice on the season. The fourth and final FSW player on the All-State squad was freshman outside hitter Barbara Koehler. Koehler finished in the top 10 in the state in kills in 2021 with 194 and posted three double-doubles in FSW wins over top five ranked teams on the season.
Miami Dade College placed three players on the team. Suncoast Conference Player of the year Romina Cornelio was the top vote getter after finishing 2nd in the state with 3.98 kills per set while leading all pins with a .352 hitting percentage on the season. Cornelio had 10 or more kills in 15 of 17 regular season matches for the Sharks and had a state high 11 double-doubles on the year. Cornelio's setter, Luisa Melloni, joined her on the team after leading the state in assists this season with 9.26 per set and earning FCSAA Setter of the Week honors twice during the season. Melloni had eight matches this season with 40 or more assists including a career high 56 assist performance in a win over Indian River. After leading the state in digs per set on the season, Miami Dade libero Kiaraliz Perez was also named an All-State selection. Perez has 10 or more digs in every match during the regular season and topped the 20 dig plateau nine times.
Daytona State College had both of their outside hitters named to the All-State Team. Svea Frobel led the state and ranked 3rd nationally, averaging 4.09 kills per set and also ranked 3rd among FCSAA hitters with 3.03 digs per set on the year. She had four matches with 20 or more kills on the season including a 33 kill performance against #5 Missouri State-West Plains. Joining her was fellow freshman outside Alina Carrillo who finished the season with a bang to close the regular season 4th in the state with 3.66 kills per set. Carrillo had 14 or more kills in each of her final seven matches of the season, putting up 4.69 kills during the stretch.
Hillsborough Community College also had a pair of players named to the All-State squad. Freshman outside Pia Mohr earned the nod after averaging 2.90 kills per set on the season and registering 46 blocks which was more than any of the other top 15 hitters in the state in 2021. Joining her was sophomore libero Ana Oro who led the state with 346 digs on the year including three matches with 30 or more. Impressive enough themselves, Oro's accolades come a season after she was named a 1st Team All-Conference selection as a hitter in 2020.
Rounding out the All-State squad was Indian River State College outside Greta Klotz. Klotz finished 6th in the state in kills in 2021 with 3.11 per set and had 12 matches of 10 or more kills including a career high 20 kill performance late in the season in a win over Daytona State.
Of the 12 All-State selections in 2021, eight are true freshmen this season. All 12 will be participating in the FCSAA Division I State Tournament November 5-6 at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers.