Ferguson Girls Volleyball Looking To Get Better Every Day

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"Are we better today than we were yesterday?"

This is going to be the measuring stick for Ferguson girls' volleyball team that came ever so close to making its' first Class 8A state final.

For the third time in the program's history, the Falcons were eliminated in the state semifinals.

Jupiter eliminated host Ferguson, 17-25, 25-14, 19-25, 25-18, 15-12. The Falcons finished the season 28-3 while Winter Springs defeated Jupiter (24-8) at University of Central Florida to win its' first state crown.

"We had the opportunity to win it, we were up 2-1, we shot ourselves in the foot," said Ferguson coach Greg Shanower. "I don't know if the girls got nervous with their goal in sight. Maybe we allowed ourselves to dream about the state championship and wasn't focused on the game we should have been focused on and let it slip through our fingers."

Which is why this year it will be point by point, game by game, match by match, and day by day for the Falcons, one of Dade County's top girls volleyball programs.

"We have short term goals and long term goals," Shanower said. "We can't take a night off when we step into the gym. I don't care if we are playing a team we have beaten on paper thirty times. We want to try to be better each day whether it's a game or practice. Some days we are going to achieve that goal, and other days we won't. We will go back and see what we could have done differently the day before."

"State is the long-term goal. We are trying not to have our eyes on that. Our focus is today."

The Falcons lost five players off last year's team including two starters, but return a talented group with a year's experience under its' belt and some impressive offseason training.

For the first time, Ferguson participated at the University of Tampa's four-day volleyball camp and finished fifth among fifty teams, mostly from Tampa and Orlando.

Shanower also beefed up his team's schedule adding the Sept. 23-24 Dr. Phillips Showcase Tournament in Orlando. The tournament annually attracts some of the state's top teams including past state qualifiers.

Ferguson has six seniors (Michelle Cuervo, Alexandra Gonzalez, Kasandra Lopez, Daniela Merino, Vivian Pires, Siena Rosa) four juniors (Samantha Narvaez, Valeria Ross, Carla Sanchez-Noya, Rachel Serrano), two sophomores (Melanie Cuervo, Grace Ieremia) and two freshmen (Miranda Manduley, Alyssa Suarez).

Middle hitter Gabriela Beverly, who graduated, and sisters Michelle and Melanie Cuervo were Ferguson's top stars last season. Alexandra Gonzalez who "flew under the radar" last year according to Shanower, has emerged as an all-around player. Ieremia, who worked hard in the off-season, will be stepping into the middle hitter position.

In a preseason game, Ferguson defeated Varela, 25-19, 25-13. Melanie Cuervo had six aces, six digs and nine assists. Gonzalez had seven kills, two aces and seven digs.

Shanower, a volleyball coach for 21 years, started coaching Ferguson's program in its fourth year of existence. In 2009, Ferguson made its first state playoff appearance with ten seniors. Four years later in 2013 the Falcons returned to the state meet.

"These girls want to see how far they can go," Shanower said. "They want that next step obviously.

"I preach in practice that every time you make a mistake, learn from it," Shanower said. "At this point we will use last year's semifinal loss as motivation and keep it in back of our minds, but we've got to move on.

"Anyone can come in and knock us off. We have done well last couple years and that makes us the team people want to beat."

Palmer Trinity is coming off an 18-8 season and State 3A final appearance against No. 7 nationally-ranked P.K. Yonge that won the state title with a three-game sweep, 25-16, 25-11, 25-14. The Falcons were competing in their fourth Final Four and second state championship game. Top players Ashley Quero and Juliette Hamilton return.

Ransom Everglades, led by sophomore setter Aryanah Diaz, is expected to challenge for a title this season. Ransom Everglades will have to contend with Westminster Christian, Pine Crest and Gulliver Prep in Class 4A.

DADE GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

ATHLETES TO WATCH
Debbie Ajagbe, Ransom Everglades, Sr.; Brittany Beckelheimer, Florida Christian, Sr.; Nikkia Benitez, Westminster Christian, Sr.; Sydney Bent, Ransom Everglades, Jr.; Quinn Blanco, Westminster Christian, Sr.; Tiffany Bolanos, Varela, Sr.; Mia Boloix, MAST Academy, Sr.; Melanie Cuervo, Ferguson, So.; Michelle Cuervo, Sr.; Milana Datieva, Mourning. So.; Julia Decker, Palmetto, Sr.; Aryanah Diaz, Ransom Everglades, So.; Annabel Fernandez, Southwest, Sr.; Jocelyn Garcia, Southwest, Sr.; Alexandra Gonzalez, Ferguson, Sr.; Juliette Hamilton, Palmer Trinity, Sr.; Priscilla Hernandez, Westminster Christian, Jr.; Grace Ieremia, Ferguson, So.; Sarah Lobo, Gulliver Prep, Sr.; Ashley Quero, Palmer Trinity, Sr.; Ingrid Savola, Westminster Christian, Jr.; Grace Seide, Palmer Trinity, Sr.; Gabriela Socarras, Carrollton, Sr.; Mia Thomas, Southwest, Jr.; Mya Thomas, Southwest, Jr.; Ashley Thompson, Palmetto, Sr.

DEFENDING STATE CHAMPIONS
Class 8A: Winter Springs

Class 7A: St. Thomas Aquinas

Class 6A: Jensen Beach

Class 5A: Bishop Moore

Class 4A: Cardinal Gibbons

Class 3A: P.K. Yonge

Class 2A: Lake Worth Christian

Class 1A: Sneads

KEY DATES
Aug. 22, Regular season opens.

Aug. 23, Ferguson at Coral Gables, 5 p.m.

Sept. 6, Our Lady of Lourdes at Ferguson 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 9-10, Lake Highland Tournament

Sept. 9-10, Miami Coral Park 8-Team Tournament

Sept. 10, Princeton Christian Tournament

Sept. 13, Ferguson at Southwest, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 16-17, Berkeley Premier

Sept. 23-24, Dr. Phillips Showcase Tournament, Orlando

Sept. 23-24, Monarch Tournament

Sept 23-24, Chaminade-Madonna Cares Tournament

Oct. 7-8, Florida Christian Patriot Invitational

Oct. 7-8, Palm Beach Classic

Oct. 10, Ferguson at Killian, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 11, Ransom Everglades at St. Thomas Aquinas

Oct. 14-15, Smoothie King Tournament Invite, Ransom Everglades

Oct. 17-21, District tournaments

Oct. 25-Nov. 1, Region tournaments

Nov. 5, State semifinals

Nov. 11-12, State tournament