August 20, 2024
The Villages Volleyball Team Impresses In Season Opener Against Timber Creek
By Kyle Coppola
The Villages Volleyball Team Impresses In Season Opener Against Timber Creek
In a thrilling start to the new season, The Villages Volleyball team claimed their first victory of the year with a decisive 3-0 win over Timber Creek on Monday night. The match, held at The Villages Charter High, showcased an impressive blend of seasoned talent and emerging stars, setting a promising tone for the remainder of the season.
The Villages came out strong, but the first two sets were fiercely competitive. Timber Creek put up a strong fight, pushing the match to its limits. However, The Villages’ resilience and skill prevailed as they secured both sets by a hair thin margin.
Viviana Toucet-Martinez was very impressive during the Timber Creek game friday evening.)
Viviana Toucet and eighth grader Ashlyn Hunt were instrumental in the team’s performance. Toucet’s powerful spikes and Hunt’s ability to play both offense and defense effectively played pivotal roles in overcoming Timber Creek’s challenge. Toucet delivered a standout performance while Hunt’s first varsity game was a big success. All eyes have been on the 8th grader as she’s one of the top emerging talent’s in Sumter County.
In addition to Toucet and Hunt, the contributions of Sharon Wiechens, Bailey Wright, and Alexa Taylor were notable. Wiechens orchestrated the offense nicely and was terrific serving the ball. Wright provided strong serves as well and key blocks at the net, and Taylor’s steady receiving ensured that the team maintained a smooth and effective offensive rhythm. This match was a heck of a way to start off the 2024 season.
(8th grader Ashlyn Hunt is the real deal. This young player is going to be one to watch the next few years in Central Florida.)
The match also marked the beginning of Michelle Moreman’s first full season as head coach of The Villages. Moreman, who took over midway through the 2023 season, has been instrumental in shaping the team’s strategy and morale. Moreman is a three time state champion. Watching Moreman coach is a pleasure. She’s so experienced and adjusts her team well during games.
“Our girls are ready for the season. We have made some lineup changes that I think will be a positive step for us,” says coach Moreman.
The Villages will look to continue their winning ways as they face Belleview High School tonight. With the momentum from their opening game, The Villages are poised to make a significant impact in the season ahead. This team should be among the top teams in Lake & Sumter County. A big test awaits next week when The Villages travels to Lake Brantley and East Ridge High. Those two teams were among the best in their class last season.
It’s great to have high school sports back in full swing! We are looking forward to a great season ahead!
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.
