June 10, 2025
Lake Minneola High Freshman Volleyball Player Grace Spencer One To Watch In 2025
By Kyle Coppola
Lake Minneola High Freshman Volleyball Player Grace Spencer One To Watch In 2025
Grace Spencer, a standout libero and defensive specialist from East Ridge Middle School, recently capped off an impressive 8th grade season by earning a return invitation to the prestigious Florida All-State Volleyball Game, a three-day showcase bringing together the top middle school talent from around the state.
Before stepping onto the court at the All-State event, Spencer had already collected several honors, including being named team captain and Co-MVP of her team.
“I love the teamwork and lifting up my teammates both on and off the court,” Spencer said. “Volleyball builds character and has taught me to set goals and challenge myself.”
The All-State event included two days of advanced skills training led by college coaches from across Florida, culminating in a final day of high-level competition modeled after professional All-Star games. Spencer played defensive specialist throughout the tournament and served consistently during matches. She was one of several athletes celebrated with professional portraits and a medal ceremony an experience she says left a lasting impression.
“My favorite memory was meeting such talented athletes who have the same passion and drive for the game that I do,” she said. “It inspired me to keep pushing myself for the love of the game.”
Next year, Spencer begins a new chapter as a freshman at Lake Minneola High School, where she has already been accepted into the AVID and AICE Cambridge academic programs. She’ll continue playing volleyball for both the school and the elite-level Reach Elite Volleyball Club, with her eyes set on competing at nationals next week.
(Grace Spencer comes into her freshman year at Lake Minneola High with a 4.2 GPA. She is a well rounded student-athlete on and off the court.)
A dedicated student-athlete with a 4.2 GPA, Spencer credits volleyball for helping her stay motivated and organized. “The mental skills I’ve learned are resilience, dedication, tenacity, and commitment. They are things I apply on the court, in the classroom, and in life.”
When she’s not diving for digs or leading her team, Spencer enjoys traveling, going to the beach, and spending quality time with friends and family.
We will certainly be keeping our eye on her this upcoming season! Lake Minneola is coming off a 15-3 season and made the FHSAA Volleyball playoffs last year. They will look to replicate that success in 2025.
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.
