December 3, 2024
East Ridge High Graduate Nayelis Cabello Named ACC Volleyball Freshman of the Year
By Kyle Coppola
East Ridge High Graduate Nayelis Cabello Named ACC Volleyball Freshman of the Year
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Former East Ridge High School standout Nayelis Cabello has been named the ACC Freshman of the Year after a stellar debut season with Louisville Volleyball. The 6-foot setter from Clermont, Florida, has been a cornerstone for the Cardinals, contributing 554 assists while playing in every set this season.
Cabello’s transition to collegiate volleyball has been seamless, with her dynamic playmaking and court vision solidifying her as one of the top newcomers in the nation. Her efforts have helped Louisville secure a berth in the NCAA Division I Volleyball Tournament as a #1 seed, where they will face Chicago State on Friday night.
Cabello’s success at Louisville is no surprise to those who followed her high school and club career. At East Ridge High School, under head coach Mayra Cuebas, she dominated as a setter, earning two All-American honors and leading her team to an AAU runner-up finish in 2023. Cabello also shined at Top Select Volleyball Academy under coach German Del-Valle, where she further cemented her status as one of the nation’s best. In 2022, she was named MVP at the Under Armour Next Selection Camp.
(The Cabello family stands together after sisters Naomi for NC State and Nayelis for Louisville played against one another earlier this season.)
Sibling Rivalry and ACC Showdown
This season, Cabello had a memorable moment sharing the court with her sister Naomi Cabello, who plays for NC State. The highly anticipated sibling matchup ended in Louisville’s favor, with the Cardinals sweeping the Wolfpack in three sets.
While Nayelis prepares for her first NCAA Tournament game, Naomi and NC State are set to face Florida in hopes of pulling off an upset. The Cabello sisters’ simultaneous participation in the tournament is really cool and we are happy to see both of these young local ladies succeeding at the NCAA’s top level.
(Sister love. Naomi gives a big hug to her sister Nayelis. This was the first time they played against one another at the NCAA Division 1 level. Naomi plays for NC State while Nayelis plays for Louisville.)
As Louisville eyes a deep tournament run, Nayelis Cabello’s incredible freshman season continues. Louisville is one of the favorites to win the NCAA National Championship. This is going to be a lot of fun to watch. Make sure to check your local listings so you can tune into the games.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
