The high school volleyball preseason begins this week.
On Thursday, the Legacy Park Multipurpose Center, located at 15400 Peggy Road in Alachua, will host the third annual Crafty Gemini Preseason Showdown.
Crafty Gemini Youth Development (CGYD) will host the event, which will begin at 5:30 p.m.
The FHSAA-sanctioned girls high school volleyball event will feature eight teams competing for division trophies while gaining valuable experience in a competitive, game-like environment before the start of the 2026 regular season.
Of the eight teams participating, five of them are in the Mainstreet coverage area: Branford, Buchholz, Newberry, Santa Fe (Alachua), and Union County (Lake Butler).
Four of those five have new head coaches.
Amanda Falck takes over for Buchholz, which is coming off its best season in six years under former coach Andre Medina.
“Taking on the role of head volleyball coach at Buchholz comes with high expectations, but it also comes with an incredible opportunity,” Falck said. “We have a tremendous amount of talent within our program, and we understand the potential this team has to make a deep postseason run.”
The Bobcats (20-6) won twice as many games as the 2024 team (10-13), earned a district title, and won a first-round FHSAA playoff game under Medina.
Second-team All Area selection Taylor Sembower, who led the Bobcats with 274 kills, transferred to Santa Fe for her sophomore season, but second-teamer Aaliyah Ray (41 aces, 43 blocks, 141 kills) returns for her junior season.
Honorable mention selections Aubrey Waters, Julia Almond and Izzy Carter are also back for their junior campaign.
“Our expectation this season is to compete for a state championship,” Falck said. “This group is highly competitive, motivated, and hungry to take this season as far as we possibly can. I truly believe these athletes have the work ethic, determination and competitive spirit necessary to accomplish the goals we have set for ourselves.”
Hank Rone stepped down as head coach at Newberry High School to take the job at Branford.
“I really wanted to get back into the Rural classification,” Rone said. “Being back in a town like Branford, I believe sports and the school is the lifeblood of the community. I began my coaching career at Trenton High, the support from the community in the rural environment is amazing.”
Last year, Branford won its first state title in program history under then-coach Lachelle Sikes.
“Our expectations won’t change,” Rone said. “Goals are to work hard, try to get the No. 1 seed in the district, and make a playoff run. Players have bought into our summer conditioning and hard work ethic. We had over 50 players that came out during summer workouts, over 50 players that tried out for our teams.”
Sikes’ sister, Laylyn Sikes, transferred to Santa Fe as well. Last year as an eighth-grader, Sikes finished second on the Bucs (24-4) with 269 kills. She led the Bucs with 54 aces and was second with 278 digs.
“We have some outstanding players to build a team around,” Rone said. “Six rotation player Bella Dicks (36 serving aces, 213 digs, 157 kills) is one of the top players in our area and we will be relying on her senior leadership. We have a true baller in junior libero Ava Alcorn, and senior Adrianna Malaguti is a proven leader for us and will be a great DS and server.”
Miranda Bass, who was an assistant under Rone, is now the head coach at Newberry.
“It’s a genuine honor to return to the place where I grew up, where my grandparents worked for many years and my mother and aunt competed across multiple sports,” Bass said. “This role feels like a full-circle moment for me. I’m grateful to the administration for entrusting me with this position, and I look forward to mentoring these athletes, alongside my fellow coaches, both on and off the court.”
Second-team All Area selections Carly Myers and Kinsley Harvey return for the Panthers (19-9), who won a district title and advanced back to the Class 3A state playoffs.
As a freshman outside hitter, Myers led Newberry with 355 kills and 371 digs and added 53 aces, while Harvey, a setter, led the Panthers with 605 assists and 75 aces as a junior.
“We have a strong core group returning, plus some young talent joining the mix,” Bass said. “Our focus is on getting better every practice and every game. If we work hard, stay disciplined, and play together, I believe this team has a high ceiling.”
Union County, which lost at Branford in last year’s Rural-Region 3 Final, didn’t have to go far to find its new coach.
Union County assistant coach Angela Griffis takes over for Tifani Knox, who was the head coach for four seasons and had four straight regional final appearances and one state semifinal appearance (2022).
“Being the head coach means having the opportunity to invest in young women, challenge them to become better athletes and better people, and create a program that our players, school, and community can be proud of,” Griffis said. “I’m excited about what we can build together at Union County and the legacy we can create for the athletes who come after us.”
Griffis said she has a relatively new team with five returning players and seven new athletes (six juniors and one sophomore).
“I expect us to be very competitive this season,” she said. “Anytime you bring a new group together, there is a learning curve, but I’ve been really encouraged by how quickly this team has begun to come together.”
She said that what stands out most “is the grit and determination they bring to the gym.”
“They are willing to work, compete, and support one another, and that chemistry is already beginning to show,” Griffis said. “We’re still developing our identity and learning how to play together, but I believe we have a team with a lot of potential. Our expectations are high, but our focus will be on getting better every day, competing for every point, and building a team that is tough, disciplined, and fun to watch. If we continue to work the way we have been, I think this group can have a very special season.”
Griffis said Thursday’s preseason tournament “is a great opportunity for us to compete against some very good competition and see where we are as a team.”
“With a relatively new roster, getting on the court in a competitive environment is extremely valuable,” she said. “It gives our players a chance to experience the intensity and pressure of game situations while also helping us identify the areas we need to continue working on. We’re excited to test ourselves, compete hard, and see how our team responds when the competition gets tough.”
More than anything, Griffis said she wanted her “athletes to embrace the opportunity, play with confidence, and enjoy competing.”
“This tournament will be an important step in preparing us for the regular season and continuing to build our identity as a team,” Griffis said.
Class 7A regional quarterfinalist Forest (Ocala) and Rural regional semifinalists Lafayette (Mayo) and Aucilla Christiana (Monticello) complete the field of eight.
“Coach B (CGYD CEO Brandon Wilson) does a great job putting this tournament together,” Rone said. “For us having a new coaching staff, several new players, we get to line up against some quality teams and see how we respond to adversity and game-like conditions. This will be great for our young setters to get to play against some of the state’s top Rural division schools. We come into a Preseason Classic like this to get some film on all our players, and tweak some things before we start a season.
Rone said going on the road to play “also helps our young team experience life on the road.”
“Our first home game isn’t until Aug. 25 (vs. Trenton),” he said.
The 3A vs. 6A bracket will be Santa Fe against Newberry and Buchholz vs. Forest. The winners play the winners, and the losers play the losers. It’s a best-of-3 for the two matches.
“Thursday night will give us the opportunity to compete against and learn from some of the respected teams in our area,” Falck said. “These matchups will give us insight into where we stand and allow us to see the preparation and hard work our team has put in.”
The Raiders, coached by Eric Marshall, were 20-10 and advanced to the 4A-Region 2 Final last year.
The addition of Sembower and Sykes adds to another talented roster in Alachua.
Some of the key returnees include first-team All Area libero Karlee Noah and second-teamers middle blocker Ajha Graddy (SO) and RS/Opp Ella Schneider (SR).
“This is a great opportunity to test ourselves against high-level competition and jump-start the season,” said Bass, whose team does not play Santa Fe during the regular season. “It’ll help us build momentum early and carry that energy forward as we head into the rest of the schedule.”
The Preseason Showdown also serves as a fundraiser for Crafty Gemini Youth Development, a nonprofit organization that provides senior citizen recreation programs and youth craft and entrepreneurship courses throughout Alachua County and surrounding communities.
Tournament proceeds help the organization continue providing fun, functional and creative outlets for area residents at little to no cost.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students. Students will also receive one free slice of pizza and a drink with paid admission.
Community members are encouraged to attend, support the participating teams and help Crafty Gemini Youth Development continue its mission of serving the community through recreation, creativity, education and entrepreneurship.
Crafty Gemini Youth Development is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of youth, senior citizens and families through creative arts, entrepreneurship education, athletics, recreation and community-based programming.