April 8, 2025
Buffalo Stampeders 18U Volleyball Team Earn First-Ever Bid to USAV National Championships
By Kyle Coppola
Buffalo Stampeders 18U Volleyball Team Earn First-Ever Bid to USAV National Championships
OXFORD, Fla. — The Buffalo Stampeders Volleyball Club is making history. In just their third year competing in USA Volleyball (USAV) tournaments, the club’s 18U team has secured its first-ever bid to the Girls Junior National Championships (GJNC). The national tournament will take place in Salt Lake City, Utah, from April 25-27.
“This is a huge accomplishment for our program,” said Joe Darley, head coach of the 18U team. “To earn a bid is a testament to the hard work of our players.”
(The Buffalo Stampeders 18 Armour Team qualified for Nationals in Salt Lake City, Utah on April 25th-27th. Photo Credit – Buffalo Stampeders.)
The team, made up of athletes from Oxford, Leesburg, Wildwood, Ocala, Gainesville, Crystal River, and Inverness, battled through tough competition to secure a place on the national stage. “I am very proud to be part of The Villages and the Buffalo Stampeders. We have worked nonstop to make this happen and we are going to continually work nonstop to provide a program for these young athletes and to be the best that we can be for the parents who trust us with their young athletes.” Says coach Darley.
“Seeing the 18s team push through all the obstacles and earn a bid gives all our younger teams something to strive for,” a club representative said. “Coach Darley has pushed this team so hard, and we all know that hard work pays off.” Says Michelle Moreman who is the head coach of The Villages High School girl’s volleyball team and the Director of the Buffalo Stampeders Volleyball program overseeing around 14 programs.
With their ticket punched for Salt Lake City, the Buffalo Stampeders are ready to take on the nation’s best teams. They will join fellow Lake County team American Athletic Club becoming the first Lake & Sumter County teams to reach the National Championships!
(Buffalo Stampeders represents Sumter County and there is also another local club that represents Lake County and is out of Tavares, American Athletic Club which has also qualified for Nationals for the first time.)
Good luck to both programs! This is the first time in history we have had a local team from Lake and Sumter County make the Nationals. We are very excited for them and wish them the best of luck in a few weeks!
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.
