By Kyle Coppola
LSSC Freshman Sammi Beatty Earns NJCAA DII All-American Honors
Lake-Sumter State College Freshman outside hitter Samantha Beatty has been named to the NJCAA Division II Volleyball Second Team All-America, the association announced last Tuesday. The honor makes Sammi just the third player in Lake-Sumter State College history to earn national recognition.
Sammi dominated offensively in her debut season with the Lakehawks, leading the team in nearly every major category. In 30 matches, she tallied 392 kills (3.38 per set), 62 aces, 484.5 points, 382 digs (3.29 per set) and 45 blocks (16 solo). She recorded 18 double-doubles, reaching double figures in both kills and digs, ranking second in program history for single-season kills and kills per set, trailing only 2021 All-American Xiomara Williams by fewer than 40 kills.
Regionally, Sammi finished in the top 10 in multiple categories, including third in aces per set, fourth in points, fifth in aces, sixth in kills and points per set, and eighth in digs.
“Being named an NJCAA All-American is a tremendous honor, and Sammi has earned every bit of it,” says Lake-Sumter State head coach Alisha Wintersdorf, who has coached Sammi since middle school and at Tavares High School before taking the collegiate job at LSSC. “Her work ethic, competitiveness, and commitment to growth set the standard in our gym every single day.”
Wintersdorf, who watched Sammi transition from dancer to volleyball standout in eighth grade, added, “For Sammi to achieve All-American status as a freshman and become just the third player in program history to do so speaks volumes about who she is as an athlete and teammate. She competes with maturity beyond her years and consistently elevates the players around her.”
“She has always had the ability to rise to big moments,” Wintersdorf says. “Sammi helped lead her junior club team to a national championship, where she was named MVP, and I see a very similar path unfolding for her collegiate career. What makes Sammi special isn’t just her production on the court, it’s her leadership, her passion, and the way she invests in her teammates. She shows up every day ready to work, ready to learn, and ready to lead.”
“This season was one of the most successful in program history, and Sammi played a huge role in that success,” she added. “Her impact was felt offensively, defensively, and emotionally, and we’re excited about the foundation she’s helping build moving forward.”
Sammi’s individual success mirrored the team’s achievements. The Lakehawks finished 25-6, tying the program record for single-season wins set by the 2021 squad. They opened with a 14-match win streak, cracked the NJCAA Top 25 at No. 21 in Week 3, peaked at No. 19 and ended the regular season ranked No. 24.
Lake-Sumter reached the FCSAA state championship match, falling to St. Johns River State for a runner-up finish, and set several team records: third in kills (1,456), second in assists (1,337) and points (1,916.5), and third in aces (259) and attacks (4,071).
Sammi also earned All-FCSAA honors, All-Sun-Lakes Conference first team, FCSAA All-Tournament team and was named FCSAA Offensive Player of the Week.
Photo provided by Lake-Sumter State College and Kyle Coppola
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.
