By: Jordyn Patrick
This spring volleyball talent has been thriving in Brevard County, and continues to do so as we enter summer. Cape Coast Volleyball Club takes three top junior teams to USAV Girls Junior National Championships in Indianapolis and Minneapolis. For them, this isn’t just any tournament, but one that all three teams had to grind and work for.
While interviewing all three teams, the same theme kept surfacing: Cape Coast athletes don’t just train to win. They train to evolve.
Cape Coast 15 Saturn grew into a group that believed they belonged on the national stage. Head coach Pete Klonowski saw the transformation unfold over the course of the season.
“As the season went along,” he said, “you could really tell how much we were starting to make improvements and gain on what we were trying to accomplish.” Their focus on “fundamental body mechanics” helped them sharpen their game and build confidence.
For Charlie Tipton, qualifying was proof of their determination. She said it showed “how much we wanted the bid,” and she heads into Nationals with a message for anyone who underestimates them that size doesn’t define capability. Her mindset is to show that her team has “just as much capability as every other team.”
Madi Johnson believes the qualification has strengthened their bond, saying it “brought us together as a team” and will help them finish the season “super strong.”
For the Cape Coast 14 Challenger squad, growth wasn’t just a goal but the identity of the season. Head coach Lana Andrews watched her group transform through repetition and accountability.
She described the year as one built on steady progress, saying her team focused on “growing individually and as a team,” and that they embraced the idea of getting “1% better every time we are in the gym together.” That mindset is what lead this team to USAV Nationals.
As Nationals approaches, Andrews is keeping her team grounded in preparation, emphasizing the importance of being “healthy, mentally and physically” so they can compete at their highest level.
Samantha Wasdin wants to bring presence. Her goal is to be “a good teammate and have positive energy,” a reflection of the culture Andrews and Cape Coast has built.
Meanwhile, Gianna Cerqua credits the coaching staff for pushing her to elevate her game. She admitted the coaches were harder on her this year, but instead of shrinking, she rose to the challenge. It shifted her mindset, made her hungrier, “to get every ball.” When the team finally earned their bid, she felt nothing but gratitude for the opportunity.
Cape Coast 13 Columbia has already proven that age is just a number. Competing in Minneapolis from June 19–22, the team finished with an impressive 7–3 record, winning 15 of 22 sets and placing 21st out of 96 teams. This was a remarkable showing for the youngest of the club’s three qualifying squads.
Head coach Angie Patrick has watched this group grow into competitors whose maturity far exceeds their years. Throughout the season, she saw them elevate not only their skills but also their composure and volleyball IQ. She emphasized how much progress they’ve made in “handling pressure situations,” a trait that showed up repeatedly on the national stage. Still, her goals reach beyond wins and rankings. She wants them to “love the game, be great teammates, respect the game, and work hard to be the best players they can be.”
Patrick also believes leadership shouldn’t wait until athletes are older. Teaching every player how to lead has been a priority, and in Minneapolis, that shared leadership was on full display as every girl contributed to the team’s success.
Emily Canlas entered the season with a mission to “qualify again.” After earning a bid last year, she and her teammates made it a priority to return to Nationals. Along the way, she found her voice, becoming “louder” and more of a leader as the season progressed.
Charlotte Lane highlighted the team’s chemistry, saying her teammates “really help pick everyone up,” a simple but powerful reflection of the environment Patrick has created. She loves meeting “different people from different cultures and places,” a reminder of how volleyball connects athletes far beyond the Space Coast.
Cape Coast Volleyball Club has become a force on the Space Coast, developing athletes who compete with heart and hunger. Their trip to Minneapolis is a reflection of a thriving volleyball community in Brevard County.
From young players learning to lead, to older groups sharpening their identity, Cape Coast is proving that national‑level volleyball isn’t just found in big cities or powerhouse regions. It’s right here on the Space Coast, built in local gyms by athletes who believe in getting better every day.