June 30, 2025
One tryout. One Coach’s Belief. One Villages High Girl’s Mission to Make it Count.
By Kyle Coppola
One tryout. One Coach’s Belief. One Villages High Girl’s Mission to Make it Count.
Viviana Toucet
For Viviana Toucet, a senior at The Villages High School, volleyball wasn’t always part of the plan.
In fact, Sumter County, Florida was not part of the plan until 8-year-old Viviana and her family, originally from Puerto Rico, moved to the area when her mother Dianne Martinez got a job at The Villages Regional Hospital.
“Originally I thought I was going to play basketball,” Viviana says with a laugh. “Villages Coach Michele Moreman saw me in middle school and encouraged me to try out for volleyball. I didn’t know anything about the sport, but she believed in me and eventually, I started getting good at it.”
Viviana is coming off a breakout junior season in which she led The Villages Charter School in kill shots with 190 along with 16 blocks last season.
Viviana’s drive goes beyond the court. She’s active in track & field, and she’s also involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), an organization she credits with helping her become a leader and influence others through her faith.
“My mom Dianne, my sisters Giuiliana and Adriana, Coach Moreman and Villages assistant coach Skylar Martin, they’re my biggest mentors,” Viviana says. “My mom is my best friend. She’s always been there, showing me how to serve others while taking care of myself, and always reminding me that it’s all part of God’s plan.”
Additionally, her father, Jose Toucet, a former college basketball player in Puerto Rico, encourages Viviana every step of the way. That support has helped her be a mentor to others.
“I love getting to help the younger girls on the team,” Viviana says. “I remember being unsure of myself early on in high school and just working my way up to earn a starting spot. Now, I get to help the younger girls grow. It’s like a family from team retreats to little kids’ camps where they ask questions about how to get better. Those are some of my favorite moments.”
“Sports have taught me not to waste potential,” she says. “The best advice I’ve ever gotten is that you’re never done working, there’s always something more to go after. I carry that with me every day.”
As her final high school season approaches, Viviana is determined to
leave a legacy of leadership and faith. She’d like to inspire the next generation the way Coach Moreman has inspired her.
“She’s always known what to say,” Viviana adds. “She’s tough when she needs to be, she leads through Christ and she always makes time for us. She loves what she does and because of her, I found what I love, too.”
Photos: Provided by Howie McCormick
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.
