September 4, 2024
Tavares High Junior Laila Ellis Balances 4.3 GPA and Volleyball Excellence
By Kyle Coppola
Tavares High Junior Laila Ellis Balances 4.3 GPA and Volleyball Excellence
TAVARES, Fla. — Laila Ellis, a standout 6-foot-1 middle blocker for the Tavares High School volleyball team, has established herself as a force to be reckoned with on the court. With 100 kill shots last season and seven blocks already this year, Ellis is among the best at her position in Lake County.
Ellis, who has been playing volleyball for five years, is known for her powerful blocks and aggressive play at the net. This season, she has quickly made her presence felt, helping the Bulldogs maintain a strong defensive front. “I love being able to play and grow with my teammates,” Ellis shared. “There’s something special about working together and pushing each other to be better every game.”
Her impressive performance isn’t just limited to the volleyball court. Ellis also excels academically, maintaining a 4.3 GPA while participating in the rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) program. This program which was started last year includes higher level courses and was very successful it’s first year. When she’s not spiking volleyballs or blocking shots, Ellis enjoys relaxing with her family and friends, binging Netflix series, and watching volleyball.
Ellis has worked hard to overcome adversity. Early in her high school career she suffered an ankle injury. Ellis fought hard to make it on the varsity team last year and she returned her sophomore year. During one game, Ellis deliver a stunning 15 kill shots against South Lake High School. “That game was a turning point for me,” she said. “It reminded me of how much I love the game and how far I can push myself.”
(The Tavares Volleyball team has been great the past few years. They are hoping that continues in 2024.)
As a leader both on and off the court, Ellis offers valuable advice to younger players. “If you pick volleyball as your sport, be coachable,” she emphasized. “Know that there is always something more to learn and achieve, even if you don’t think there is.”
This season, Ellis is learning from first year head coach Rebecca Broadway who takes over for Coach Wintersdorf who is now at Lake-Sumter State College. The team just got it’s first win last week and Ellis has been leading the way along with Leilani Cummings, Samantha Beatty and Charli Butts. Ellis is 2nd on the team in kill shots and leads the team in blocks.
Laila Ellis is a shining example of what it means to be a student-athlete at Tavares High School. Having watched her play earlier this year I was very impressed with her demeanor on the court. She’s only a junior and continues to improve every game. She’s due for a breakout year in 2024!
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.
