Summer Sonic Highlights: Santa Fe volleyball 

There’s a special energy in the gym when the Santa Fe Raiders volleyball team plays. Winner of two straight state titles, the Raiders were the first female team to bring a championship to Santa Fe High School.  

Senior Jaylyn Stout led the team and was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Volleyball for a second time.  

Coach Eric Marshall will be losing five seniors heading into the 2023 fall season. Two were signed to colleges, Stout to Coastal Carolina University and Anisa Dorlouis to the University of Mayland Eastern Shore.  

The Raiders sat down with Mainstreet Sports Director Mike Ridaught on Dec. 7, 2022, to discuss their consecutive state championships.  

Below are excerpts from the interview—edited for length and clarity—of The Prep Zone’s interview with the Santa Fe volleyball team and coaches. You can listen to the full conservation online by going to www.theprepzone.com and search under the “Weekly Shows” tab. 

Q: There are two games I want to ask you about in particular, because they were only two losses this year. You went 29-3 last year and 30-2 this year, but the loss to the team from Texas in September, I know stopped a little bit of a streak. So, you really you had two, I guess turning points in the season. One the streak that had been snapped and then obviously losing to Trinity Catholic. Talk first about that matchup against the team from Texas. 

Marshall: Well, that was the Nike tournament, which is the most difficult tournament there is. The Texas team, I think at the time, was ranked third. Somehow, they had already played almost 30 games, I don’t know how that works over there. We were up in both sets; we were up 19-16 in one set and we were up—I believe—20-18 in the second set. They were able to come back and beat us in both those sets. For us, it was kind of a bad taste in our mouth because you compete against a team like that, and a Florida team beats that team in the finals. You don’t see Florida teams in the national rankings at all. I thought MaxPreps did a terrible job with that. This, this Westminster beats this team, and you don’t see Westminster until the very end of the year.  

Q: And your team ran into Trinity Catholic. I mean, that’s been a great program. They’ve gotten their own state championships. Talk about the game against the Celtics. 

Marshall: Well, we played them earlier in the year in their place, and we were able to win that in three. They have a tremendous coach, Jeff’s been in some of the toughest games you’re going to find. We blew a 20-15 lead in the first set. And after that, they believed they could beat us. And as soon as you put some belief behind the athletes that they have, it becomes a more difficult game. So, we didn’t play well against them. They played extremely well. I always give credit to the other team. We don’t make any excuses. But it did really aggravate my team, so they were able to refocus. 

Q: The first state championship that you won two years ago, nobody expected or really, maybe thought Santa Fe would win it. You guys had been there before but hadn’t really come that close in the championship game. And then to win it last year. Knowing that you had the players that you had back this year…going from the hunter to the hunted, did you notice the difference? 

Coach Nicole Stout: Absolutely. You can see it in other teams when they play us. It’s an ongoing joke that teams played their best against us every single time. When you step up to the occasion, you have to be ready to play, obviously. And our girls were, they were ready for it. They were hungry, too. There was a lot of talk about whether we would be able to do it again this year. And so, the girls on the team, they were like, “of course, we’re going to do it.” They worked hard to prove that.  

Q: What was it like playing for Coach Marshall?  

Dorlouis (SR): Honestly, I think I had the most fun time with Coach Eric. Everyone likes to say he is hard on his players, which he is, but at the same time, you can just joke around with him and like, be funny with him.  

Q: when you think about the fact that you know of all the volleyball players in the state of Florida for the second straight year, you were the best volleyball player in Florida. What does that mean to you? 

Jaylyn Stout (SR): I’m very grateful. I really don’t think about it like that. I feel like it’s more of everybody’s helped me get that award. It wasn’t just me; I couldn’t do it by myself. 

Q: Just talk about these last couple of years and what it meant to be a part of the Santa Fe volleyball coaching staff? 

Coach Kayla Hess: I love to see the talent that we’ve had run through Santa Fe, and the amazing personalities, I think that has been something that a lot of coaches don’t necessarily always get to see. I’ve been with Jaylyn since she was a freshman, and it was crazy to see where she was freshman year to senior year, and how she grew and was able to lead the team to that same with Maya. They both grew as those people and their determination to win obviously led them to the two state championship wins, which not a lot of kids get to do. We always joke that Eric is the head coach, obviously, and then you got Nicole coming right up there, and then I’m the emotional support coach underneath. They all come to me with their problems. I think that the three of us are really a good team in that aspect that we can all kind of balance it together to help these girls be so successful. 

Q: What’s that been like that that coach and daughter relationship? 

Gracyn Marshall (FR): Well, he really doesn’t treat me any differently than any of the girls. If anything, it’s harder because he sees the potential that I have. And there’s a running joke that I’m coach’s kid. It’s a fun time, but it’s not that different of him not being my dad.  

Q: Did you like being in a senior role this year? 

Camille Johnson (SR): Yes, and as leadership goes, I came from The Rock, so I was mainly the leader on the team and the captain. So, coming into this team, I kind of had the same responsibility, but it was good for me, just being able to lead and still be a leader on a team. 

Q: This is a very good team. If you had to describe Santa Fe volleyball to somebody that had not seen you guys play, what would you tell them? 

Joselynn Sanjurjo (JR): I would say that we’re energetic, funny, and good people to be around. Some teams have these groups, but with this team when we practice, it’s just everybody together. It makes you feel like a family. That’s another reason why I do love this team a lot.