On Thursday night at Legacy Park Multipurpose Center in Alachua, a total of 40 seniors competed in “The Prep Zone All-Star Showcase” featuring some of the top volleyball players in North Central Florida.

There were four teams with players from as far north as Suwannee County, South to Marion County, East to Putnam County and West to the Tri-County area.

The West, which lost to the South in last year’s inaugural game, defeated the North 25-13, 25-14 in the championship game.

“It was fun,” said OH/DS Mary Massias, who helped lead The Rock to a national title last month. “I was really happy to play one last game. It was cool because there are friends who don’t go to your school, so you get that one last opportunity to play with them. That last game was good…winning is always great so it feels amazing.”

Massias, who recently signed with Lehigh University, was joined on the winning team by teammate Abigail Vaillancourt, a setter, and both of their coaches.

“It’s definitely an honor, I enjoyed this, and it was a lot of fun,” said The Rock head coach Ruben Perez, who coached the West team along with Lions’ assistant Darrel Card. “Watching the different schools come together and compete as a team, and to put it together in one hour, oh my gosh. Our team played phenomenal…the key was having fun and being super aggressive, aggressive on the serve and just putting every touch away.”

In addition to The Rock, the West team was comprised of players from Buchholz, Newberry and the Tri-County area.

“It was very special, honestly,” said Newberry L/S Malana Kennard. “I’m glad I got the opportunity to come out and play. I played at Newberry for four years and when our season ended it really sucked and I was upset about it, but to come out here and play meant so much to me to get one more game before my last season…when I put this uniform on one last time it really meant a lot because when I took it off I didn’t think I was going to get to put it back on and putting it back on meant so much to me.”

All 12 players from the West team are in the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area.

Cedar Key MB/OH Kaytie Bailey reflected on the opportunity, including Hurricane Helene’s historic storm surge this fall.

“There was a lot of damage in Cedar Key,” she said. “We were out of school for almost two weeks…really, we just had each other, to support one another, and our amazing coaches, Jeff Springer (head coach) Sarah Fradella…it was all I could ever dream it could be because even though we all get a chance to play together,” she said. “Playing with people that you’ve never played with before, and you’re still a team at the end of the day because we all came here for the same thing to play volleyball together. It’s just so amazing to work with each other like that.”

It took the West three sets to defeat the East in the semifinals (25-23, 12-25, 15-8).

The East was coached by Perry McDonald, who announced his retirement from coaching earlier this year after 28 years on the sidelines, and Eastside’s Rachel Williams.

“The Prep Zone has done an exemplary job of putting together an iconic event that showcases the best talent that we have in our senior class in each of the past two years,” said McDonald, who coached the West team last year. “It has been a privilege and a joy just to see the turnout, the competitive level of play, and the overall energy that everybody brings.”

The East bounced back from the 3-set loss with a 25-17, 25-14 win against the South in the consolation championship.

McDonald’s daughter, Cassidy (S/OPP), and Williams’ daughter, Joanna (S/OH/RS), were also on the team. They are two of several coaches in the area who had a daughter playing volleyball this season.

“It’s been a lot of fun for Cassidy, and I’ll probably grow more nostalgic as time goes along,” Perry McDonald said. “I’m very proud of what she’s accomplished. I’m glad that I could play a part of it, but I think she’s at a point now where it’s fun to watch her evolving into the person she is.”

Libero Sophie Thompson and DS/L Sara Duggan gave Oak Hall three players on the East team, while MB Samiyah Daniels and L Kieara Hall joined Williams from the Lady Rams volleyball team.

“It was a privilege to get to coach with Perry,” Rachel Williams said. “He is an amazing coach, and I loved learning from watching him. The girls were awesome. A lot of these girls have played together, club and school, so it was fun to see them gel and work hard together.”

The North, which defeated the South 25-18, 25-13 in the semifinals, was coached by Trudy Andrews of Columbia (Lake City) and Tifani Knox of Union County (Lake Butler).

They each had two players playing in the event (OH Layla Barber and S Kamryn Southerland of Union County and MB/RS/OPP Kayla Goodloe, a recent Rollins College commit, and L/OH Avery Sandlin of Columbia).

“I’m so excited that y’all put this together,” Andrews said in between matches on Thursday. “These girls are having a blast. We’re all rivals on the court and then you get an opportunity to play together and just come together and have fun with one another and just play the game that you love together. Us as coaches are having so much fun.”

Union County lost a close 5-set match at Branford in the Rural Region 3 Final on Oct. 29.

“I think it’s really cool to watch players that play against each other all season, and were rivals, to all come together and just play like they all knew each other,” Knox said. “They were having a good time, they were laughing, so that’s what it’s all about, and they got to be on the court in their (school) jerseys for the last time, so it was really neat. It’s a good thing that you guys do.”

Other participating schools included Branford, Lafayette (Mayo), Fort White, P.K. Yonge, Keystone Heights, Palatka, Interlachen, Dunnellon, Forest (Ocala), West Port (Ocala), Lake Weir (Ocala) and North Marion (Citra).

2024 All-Star teams

NORTH
Addison Folsom MH, Branford
Andi Sabourin S, Branford
Kayla Goodloe MB/RS, Columbia (Lake City)
Avery Sandlin L, Columbia (Lake City)
Dilyn Koon MH/OH, First Christian (High Springs)
Cassidy Nesselt MH, Fort White
Libby Beach S/RS, Lafayette (Mayo)
Rylee Skillman OH, Lafayette (Mayo)
Layla Barber OH, Union County (Lake Butler)
Kamryn Southerland S, Union County (Lake Butler)

Coaches – Trudy Andrews (Columbia) and Tifani Knox (Union County)

EAST
Kieara Hall L, Eastside
Joanna Williams S/OH/RS, Eastside
Samiyah Daniels MB, Eastside
Brianna Webber OH/MH, Interlachen
Mya Jennings OPP, OH, DS, Keystone Heights
Emma Stanley MB, MH, Keystone Heights
Cassidy McDonald S/OH/OPP, Oak Hall
Sara Duggan DS/L, Oak Hall
Sophie Thompson L, Oak Hall
Kenadie Wilkinson L/S/OH, Palatka
Mackenzie Thomas OPP/MB, Palatka
Trinity Jacobs S, P.K. Yonge

Coaches – Perry McDonald (Oak Hall) and Rachel Williams (Eastside)

WEST
Alaina Thomas L, Bell
Leila Ricks OH/DS, Buchholz
Rosy Logan, Buchholz
Kaytie Bailey MB/OH, Cedar Key
Trinity DeWees MB, Chiefland
Kailey Edmonds S/RS/OH, Dixie County
Hailey Moody MB/OH/RS, Dixie County
Chloe Jones OH/MB, Newberry
Malana Kennard L/S, Newberry
Mary Massias OH/DS, The Rock
Abigail Vaillancourt S, The Rock
Koi Perry MB, Trenton
Chanitey James OPP/OH, Williston

Coaches – Ruben Perez (The Rock) and Darrel Card (The Rock)

SOUTH
Shamyra Reid MH, Dunnellon
Samantha Bernstein L/DS, Dunnellon
Annalise DeLaberrera L, Forest (Ocala)
Avery O’Cull MB, Forest (Ocala)
Kyra Rigozzi OH, Lake Weir (Ocala)
Camryn Petersen OH/MB, North Marion (Citra)
Almarelis Malave OH, West Port (Ocala)
Abbey McClinton S, West Port (Ocala)

Coaches – Mike Rasdall (West Port) and Edmary Basco (West Port)