By Kyle Coppola
Lake-Sumter State College Volleyball Move to No. 19 in the Country
The Lakehawks improved to 14-0 on the season after cruising past Trinity College in straight sets, 25-8, 25-11, 25-12. The win kept LSSC perfect and solidified their spot as the No. 19-ranked team in the nation.
This has been one of the best starts in the history of the Lake-Sumter State College program. Coach Alisha Wintersdorf has truly built something special at Lake-Sumter State College with many of the players coming from local high schools contributing heavily.
The team’s balance and depth have powered its run. Former Tavares High standout Sammi Beatty leads the way offensively with 176 kills, while Eustis High graduate Brooke Fintak has added 125. Deland’s Emma Van Deusen has also been dominant at the net with 173 kills.
Setter Giada Viti has orchestrated the offense effectively, keeping opponents on their heels, while sophomore Anna Evans has emerged as a team leader both on and off the court. Since reviving athletics 27 years ago, Lake-Sumter State College has continued to see the sports programs flourish. Even in the past decade there has been a notable shift with Lake-Sumter State College becoming a go to destination for local high school athletes who have graduated and want to continue their education and athletic careers.
(Lake-Sumter State College is now ranked as the #19 NJCAA volleyball team in the country.)
New Lake-Sumter State College athletic director Jay Miller echoed those sentiments recently and noted that there has never been a more exciting time to be a part of Lake-Sumter State College.
LSSC will look to keep its undefeated streak alive as they face Pensacola State College on Friday evening along with Gulf Coast State College on Saturday.
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.
