By Kyle Coppola
Lake Minneola High Senior Alissa Grant Signs with UMBC Volleyball
LAKE MINNEOLA, Fla. — Lake Minneola High School senior Alissa Grant is taking her volleyball talents to the NCAA Division 1 level after signing with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Grant, a 6’1″ standout, is coming off a dominant 2024 season in which she recorded 193 kills and ranked #1 in the district with 51 total blocks. Alissa was named FACA District 8 Player of the year during her junior year with South Lake High School and led Lake Minneola in 2024 with the highest team hitting percentage at 0.508. Alissa and her team helped lead Lake Minneola to a district championship victory in 2024.
(Alissa’s family knew she was good enough to play D1 College Volleyball but didn’t have the guidance to help her. Luckily Steve Swain with NSR took a chance on her.)
Grant’s journey to UMBC is as incredible as her on-court achievements. Despite her talent, the Grant family initially struggled to navigate the recruiting process. They knew that Alissa had the talent to play at the NCAA Division 1 level but had no idea how to get her noticed. Enter Steve Swain of National Scouting Report (NSR), who discovered Grant at the Daytona Beach Nike Tournament in February 2024.
When Swain saw Alissa jump, block, and play, he couldn’t believe she wasn’t already committed to a program. She had everything a coach looks for in a Division I athlete and Swain was going to do everything he could to help Alissa achieve her goals.
Swain worked closely with Grant and her family, providing guidance on college tours and helping them connect with coaches. His efforts paid off quickly. Within weeks of partnering with Swain, Grant received multiple full-ride scholarship offers.
(Alissa joins a UMBC program that plays in the American East Conference.)
“Steve guided Alissa every step of the way, and I am forever grateful,” said her mother, Holly Grant. “We are blessed to have worked with him and NSR.”
UMBC Head Coach Kasey Crinder is excited to welcome Grant to the program. “Alissa will instantly be one of the most physical middle blockers in the America East Conference next year,” Crinder said. “Her length, jump, and ability to hit the slide suggest she’ll be in the mix from day one.”
Grant joins a strong incoming class at UMBC that includes Natalie Harris, a 5’11” standout from Lake Highland Prep in Orlando. Harris is known for her powerful arm and top-tier serving skills, adding to UMBC’s already promising roster which plays in the American East Conference.
(We are so proud of Alissa and can’t wait to see her perform at the NCAA D1 Level with UMBC.)
Grant’s is eager to make an impact at the collegiate level. Her story highlights the importance of visibility and guidance in the competitive world of college athletics. Many times athletes are good enough but just don’t have the right guidance they need. But in this day and age it’s so important to find the right people to see the potential ensuring that talent like Grant’s does not go unnoticed.
A big congratulations to Alissa Grant. To all her coaches at South Lake High, Lake Minneola High and her travel ball teams Club Peak where she played for Cici Vargas out of Lake County and Game Point Volleyball Club in Orlando. Congratulations to her family, friends and everyone who has helped her get to this level. Go Alissa!
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.
