The high school volleyball season returns after eight Brevard County teams qualified for the 2025 state playoffs.
Here are the teams and players to watch with first serve around the corner.
Teams to watch
Merritt Island High
Merritt Island reached its eighth state championship match in school history and first since 2021 last year after a 29-3 season. The Mustangs fell to North Broward Prep in five sets in the Class 4A final.
The Mustangs return three-fourths of their attacking production led by junior Peyton Riordan’s 277 kills. Senior Amber Ives returns as the top setter following 479 assists.
Defensively, Merritt Island returns four players who dug at least 173 balls. Junior Lydia Scott blocked a team-high 72 attempts last season. Senior Reece Loggins ranked second in digs (319) and first in serve receptions (411).
Holy Trinity Episcopal
Holy Trinity ended the 2025 season one win shy of its second trip to the state final four, losing to eventual Class 2A state runner-up First Baptist Academy in the regional final.
The Tigers will lean on senior Julie Watt to set up the attack following the graduation of kills leader Audrey Herbert. Watt tallied 726 assists (36th in the state) and served a team-high 58 aces. Seniors Taylor Yochim and Gracin Borboroglu posted 198 and 157 kills, respectively, last season.
They will also look to fill the void of graduate libero Natalie Ruberte. Borboroglu’s 280 digs are tops among returners.
Brevard HEAT
Brevard HEAT nearly reached its second-straight state semifinal, losing to St. Edward’s in the Region 2-1A final.
The Firehawks return four of their top five attackers, led by freshman Cambrya Walters’ 270 kills. Senior setter Anna Livengood orchestrates the offense following 680 assists in 2025.
On defense, Brevard HEAT seeks to replace graduate libero Emily Livengood after 704 digs last season, which ranked second in the state. Senior Brooke Arce and junior Audrina Olsen stuffed 39 and 33 shots, respectively, last year.
Satellite High
Satellite looks to take another step forward in 2026 after winning a state playoff match for the first time since 2021 last year.
After the graduations of Ashley Lueders and Mattie Russell, the Scorpions will turn to sophomores Kenzie Little and Harper Lanza to lead the attack. Little spiked a team-high 157 kills last season. Lanza posted 108 kills to go with a team-high 348 assists.
Scorpions sophomore Cady Tinch led the defensive efforts with 261 digs a year ago and 251 serve receptions. Lanza stuffed 37 shots for the most on the team.
Viera High
It was an up-and-down regular season for Viera, but the Hawks played their best volleyball in the District 7-6A Tournament. They knocked off No. 1 seed Melbourne and No. 3 seed Heritage as the No. 4 seed to earn their seventh-straight state playoff berth.
Viera returns its top five kill leaders led by juniors Emery Hart (226 kills) and Addison Casey (162 kills). Senior Allie Brown and junior Libby Williams split setting duties with 371 and 309 assists, respectively.
On defense, the Hawks return five of six players who recorded at least 120 digs last season. Hart led the team last year with 285 digs. Senior Shaylee Wreggit stuffed a team-best 50 shots.
Players to watch
OH/RS/S Lesleigh Amos, Sr., Astronaut
Amos played all over the court in 2025 as the War Eagles posted a 20-8 record and qualified for the Class 3A state playoffs for the first time since 2022.
The senior led the team in kills (304), assists (375) and aces (58). Amos also ranked third with 258 digs trailing seniors Jojo Demers (269) and Kiya Randall (268).
OH Macy Ferguson, Sr., Edgewood
Ferguson played a crucial role for the Red Wolves last season, who returned to the Class 2A state playoffs for the first time since 2021 after an 18-5 season.
The senior spiked 132 kills last season, the second most on the team. She also served the third-most aces with 40, dug the third-most balls with 151 and received the third-most serves with 204.
DS Madisyn Hamilton, Jr., Bayside
Hamilton shone in her first varsity season last year, leading the team with 279 digs as the team’s defensive specialist. The junior also received 445 serves, which was the most on the team.
She contributed offensively with 40 aces trailing only sophomore Molly Hunt’s 54 aces.
L Arianna Jackson, Sr., Rockledge
Jackson ended the season as one of the best liberos in the state. In 2025, the senior posted the 22nd-most digs in the state with 476.
She received 600 serves last season and served 41 aces as Rockledge improved from 5 wins in 2024 to 11 wins last year.
DS/L Emma Martin, Sr., Melbourne Central Catholic
Martin led the defensive efforts for the Hustlers with a career-high 348 digs and 580 serve receptions last season. The senior recorded 10 matches with at least 15 digs, reaching a season-best 31 digs against Eau Gallie.
Behind the service line, Martin landed 34 aces trailing only senior Catalina Mendez, who recorded 42 aces to go with 218 digs.
S Addison Sedaros, Fr., Calvary Chapel
Sedaros started as an 8th grader last season as the Eagles’ setter. In that role, the freshman recorded 638 assists, the 58th most in the state, as Calvary Chapel posted its second 14-win season in three years.
Although its top hitter Abigail Cieslak graduated, Calvary Chapel returns 390 kills led by seniors Natalia Carroll’s 175 kills and Tanley Rehmer’s 115 kills.
OH/RS/S Lily Sigety, Jr., Melbourne
Sigety produced on all areas of the court, leading Melbourne with 467 assists during a 14-12 season in 2025. The junior also racked up 182 digs, 90 kills, 46 aces and 37 blocks.
She recorded five double-doubles last season with three matches of at least 30 assists and 15 digs.
OH Isabella Taylor, Sr., Space Coast
Taylor led the Space Coast attack with 362 kills and a .272 hit percentage last season. The senior recorded nine matches with at least 15 kills, including a season-high 31 kills against Brevard HEAT.
She also dug 371 balls, the second most on the team behind senior Haley Cowling, who posted the 11th-most digs in the state with 547.
L/DS Elise Tueche, Sr., Titusville
Tueche produced a team-high 412 digs and 435 serve receptions in 2025 as the Bulldogs qualified for the Class 4A state playoffs.
The senior improved her digs total by 115 and ranked her 52nd in the state last season. She recorded 10 matches of at least 20 digs, including a season-high 37 digs against Rockledge.
S Eva Vuichard, Sr., Heritage
Vuichard orchestrated Heritage’s offense with a team-high 556 assists. She recorded double-digit assists in 20 of 23 matches last season.
Vuichard recorded a season-high 45 assists against Cocoa Beach. The senior posted nine matches of at least 30 assists, primarily setting up seniors Kyra Davis (290 kills) and Layla Crespo-Delgado (139 kills).
2026 FHSAA district classification
Bold type denotes 2025 qualifiers for FHSAA regionals
District 7-5A: Bayside, Heritage, Melbourne, Viera
District 6-4A: Rockledge, Satellite
District 8-3A: Astronaut, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Eau Gallie, Merritt Island, Palm Bay, Space Coast, Titusville
District 5-2A: Edgewood, Holy Trinity, Melbourne Central Catholic, Pineapple Cove (Palm Bay), West Shore
District 8-1A: Brevard HEAT, Calvary Chapel, Florida Prep, Merritt Island Christian
Independent: Pineapple Cove (West Melbourne)
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Merritt Island heads into 2026 volleyball season with big expectations