St. Thomas Aquinas, Westminster Christian to meet in beach volleyball state playoffs
It’s already been a great school year for Sylvia Guso – and it could get a lot better this weekend.
Guso, the 27-year-old beach volleyball coach at Westminster Christian, will lead her squad to the state tournament this weekend in Tallahassee. The round-of-16 games and quarterfinals will be played on Friday, and the semifinals and final are set for Saturday.
Westminster (16-1) will play St. Thomas Aquinas (12-4) in the round of 16 on Friday at 2 p.m.
These are the only Dade/Broward teams still standing.
Westminster, ranked fifth in the state, is considered the favorite over Aquinas, rated 17th in Florida. But Guso, who was a starting indoor player for the University of Miami and then played beach volleyball for one year at California-based Loyola Marymount, is not taking Aquinas lightly.
“When you are in the final 16, everyone’s good,” Guso said. “(Aquinas) has a strong lineup all the way through.
“It’s going to be a battle.”
Westminster defeated Aquinas, 3-2, earlier this season, although Guso missed the match while on her honeymoon with her husband, Jake.
Last year, Westminster eliminated Aquinas from the state playoffs in the round of 16.
Westminster’s top duo this season is comprised of the Matias sisters, senior Emily and sophomore Zoey.
The Cadavid sisters – senior Alyah and junior Alyssa – are another top duo on the 12-player Westminster team. But Guso said her lineup could change.
“Our girls are competing every day,” said Guso, who led Westminster to a state title in 2021. “If you are beating the team in front of you in practice, we will switch.”
Aquinas, meanwhile, is coached by Dave Palm, who is 6-foot-4 and still an active beach player on the pro volleyball tour.
Palm, a 31-year-old native of Hialeah, said his top duo at Aquinas is comprised of Halley Tang and Zoe Taylor, who are 14-2 this season.
Christie Tolacka and Sophia Alvarado make up Aquinas’ second pairing. However, Tolacka missed the Westminster match earlier this season, which Palm believes contributed to his team’s narrow defeat.
“We lost 15-13 in the fourth pair to decide the match,” Palm said. “I think it will be different this time.”
THIS AND THAT
▪ The only four Florida teams ranked ahead of Westminster are New Smyrna Beach (24-0); Vero Beach (13-1); Hagerty (15-1); and West Palm Beach King’s Academy (18-0).
▪ New Smyrna, ranked second nationally, will play Winter Haven (16-0) on Friday.
▪ Vero Beach’s only loss this year was a 3-2 defeat to Aquinas. But Vero Beach handed Westminster its only loss, 3-2. Vero Beach will play Bishop Verot (20-2) on Friday.
▪ Hagerty, from the Orlando area, will play Charlotte (15-4) on Friday.
▪ King’s Academy is 2-0 against Aquinas this year. King’s will play St. John Lutheran (13-0) on Friday.
