- Santa Fe finished second to No. 3 ranked DeLand in the Wawa River City Classic volleyball tournament hosted by JJVA.
- Gainesville High improved its ranking by 99 spots to No. 57 after finishing fourth and defeating top 65 ranked teams.
- Crafty Gemini Youth Development will host the Rising Stars Classic JV volleyball tournament in Alachua featuring 12 teams to spotlight future high school players.
This past weekend, the Jacksonville Juniors Volleyball Association (JJVA) hosted the Wawa River City Classic, featuring some of the top volleyball teams in the state.
That includes area teams Santa Fe (Alachua), Gainesville High, and Buchholz, which were among the 18-team elite bracket. Going into the tournament, those teams were seeded based on their 2025 final ranking.
All three had an impressive showing at the event, which could be a primer for the FHSAA’s new Open Division championship format in October. That postseason format will include the top eight teams in the Sunshine State, regardless of classification, competing for an overall state champion.
Santa Fe finished runner-up to DeLand, which is the No. 3 overall team in the MaxPreps Florida rankings. The Raiders, who are now ranked seventh, went toe-to-toe with the Bulldogs (12-0).
“We lost in a really good match, 29–27 and 25–23,” said Santa Fe coach Eric Marshall. “We blew a pretty big lead in set two. That Deland team is very good. I think their middle is going to the University of Houston (Eden Knapp) and their setter is incredible.”
Santa Fe was led in the championship match by sophomore Ajha Graddy with eight kills, while sophomore Taylor Sembower was next with six kills, along with 10 assists and nine digs.
Freshman Holdyn Moore had a double-double with 11 digs and 11 assists.
It was just the second loss of the season for the Raiders, who went 4-1 with wins against Booker T. Washington (Pensacola), Hagerty (Oviedo), Wolfson (Jacksonville), and GHS.
Santa Fe will host Class 7A state runner-up Plant (Tampa) at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Gainesville (7-4) finished fourth.
“We had some quality wins at JJVA,” said GHS coach Jerica Carter-Mitchell. “Two of the three wins were teams ranked in the top 65 (Jacksonville schools Trinity Christian and Wolfson).”
The Hurricanes broke Trinity Christian’s eight-match win streak with a 2-0 win on Friday. The Conquerors were ranked 34th overall in Florida.
Senior Kenzie Carter-Mitchell led the way with 10 kills and senior Charlotte Judge had 19 assists.
Their two losses were against teams ranked in the top 20. Tampa Prep (2025 2A state champion) was ranked No. 12 and Santa Fe was previously No. 19.
“Competing against top competition helped to expose our strengths and weaknesses,” Carter-Mitchell said. “We know what we need to work on in practice in order to have a successful second half of our season. This tournament helped move our ranking up 99 spots to No. 57 and now we are ranked fourth in our Region (up from eighth).”
Junior Jorryn Dye, a University of North Florida commit, led the ‘Canes with seven kills against Wolfson. She had a team-best six kills against Tampa Prep and seven against Santa Fe.
“Jorryn is a very humble, selfless, and respected player,” Carter-Mitchell said. “Her teammates and coaches respect her game and love who she is as a person. Although Jorryn is dominant at ‘banging’ a ball, she plays fairly quiet and composed. She is a huge component to our success.”
Dye is playing in a different spot compared to her offseason role.
“We use Jorryn as a six-rotation player although she didn’t have that role in club ball this past season, so she’s gaining a lot of experience and confidence playing backrow for us,” Carter-Mitchell said. “She has a large role because we depend on her to put the ball away and to minimize her errors. I think that she has done a great job in this role and I’m blessed to coach her.”
GHS will play against elite competition this weekend at the Florida Gem Tournament at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex in Wesley Chapel. The First Academy (Orlando), which is ranked No. 28 in Florida, Tampa’s Academy of the Holy Names (No. 53), and Clearwater Central Catholic (No. 42) are in their Friday pool play.
Buchholz opened the tournament with a 2-0 loss to DeLand but rebounded to finish seventh. The Bobcats (8-5), who are ranked No. 52 overall in Florida, won their next four games, including three-set victories against Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) and Trinity Christian (Jacksonville).
From JJVA to JV, this Saturday, Crafty Gemini Youth Development (CGYD) will host the second annual Rising Stars Classic JV Girls Volleyball Tournament at Legacy Park Multipurpose Center, located at 15400 Peggy Road in Alachua.
First matches begin at 8:30 a.m.
Built around the theme “12 Teams. One Championship,” the Rising Stars Classic gives talented junior varsity athletes an opportunity to compete against teams from throughout the region while showcasing the future stars of high school volleyball.
Teams scheduled to compete include Buchholz, Columbia (Lake City), Williston, P.K. Yonge, Newberry, Keystone Heights, Interlachen, Gainesville High, Oak Hall School and Branford.
“We created the Rising Stars Classic to give JV athletes an event that puts the spotlight on them,” said Brandon “Coach B” Wilson of CGYD. “These young ladies are the future of their high school programs, and we’re excited to give them a competitive tournament atmosphere where they can play, grow and represent their schools.”
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students, with children 5 and under admitted free. Proceeds from the tournament support youth and senior citizen recreation programs in the city of Alachua.
For more info, contact Brandon Wilson at brandon@craftygeminiyouth.org.