- April 21, 2026
FPC's Gina Carlisi serves. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas celebrated Senior Day before its match with FPC, honoring seniors Myranda Valdes (left) and Carly Owens. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Yessenia Rodriguez. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas sophomore Amara Valdes serves. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas sophomore Amara Valdes serves. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Haley Sobin has committed to St. Thomas University where she would like to continue playing both indoor and beach volleyball. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas' Lazara Kenney (7) passes to partner Amara Valdes. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas' Lazara Kenney is ready to receive a server. Photo by Brent Woronoff
The Matanzas beach volleyball team celebrated their two seniors — Myranda Valdes and Carly Owens — before its match with Flagler Palm Coast on April 15 at Wadsworth Park.
When the match was over, FPC celebrated its second 5-0 victory over the Pirates this season. The Bulldogs continued celebrating with a 5-0 victory in their final regular-season home match against Warner Christian on April 16 and another 5-0 win in a District 2-3A quarterfinal on April 20 against Ocala West Port.
FPC had a 7-6 record heading into its district semifinal match against No. 1 seed Ocala Forest on Wednesday, April 22. It is by far the best record in the three-year history of the Bulldogs’ beach volleyball program. They won five in a row going into the match against Forest.
FPC’s No. 4 pair — junior Peyton Smith and sophomore Taylor Ralston — improved to 11-2 on the season with a win against West Port. Smith is in her first season playing beach volleyball.
Senior Haley Sobin has become FPC volleyball coach Lindsey Stewart’s first college commitment. Sobin has committed to St. Thomas University of Miami to play indoor volleyball next season, but she also hopes to play beach volleyball with the Bobcats.
Sobin, who transferred from Matanzas before the school year, is in her first year playing beach.
“I kind of like it more than indoor, because it’s more independent,” she said. “i want to play beach in college, so I’m working hard to make it happen.”
Sobin and freshman Brie Sproul play at the No. 1 position for the Bulldogs.
Playing against the 1 seeds is very difficult. ... But our team’s doing absolutely amazing and we’re getting better every game we play.
— HALEY SOBIN, FPC senior
“Playing against the 1 seeds is very difficult,” Sobin said. “This is Brie’s first year as well. But our team’s doing absolutely amazing and we’re getting better every game we play.”
The Pirates’ Valdes and Owens are the Matanzas team’s only experienced beach volleyball players. Valdes is in her third year with the team. Owens is in her fourth year. Owens has played for a different beach volleyball coach every year.
Sharell Arneaud, who was named the Pirates’ indoor and beach volleyball coach after this past indoor season, has had no prior experience with the beach game.
“I’m out her learning,” Arneaud said. “I’ve had to learn a lot, but the girls have genuinely improved.”
Matanzas fell to 0-10 with a loss on April 16. It’s been a struggle, the Pirates’ two seniors said. The started the season with 14 players, but are down to nine, which isn’t enough to field a full squad of five two-player teams. They play all of their matches on the road. They practice on the single sand court at Holland Park, where the net is not regulation, the two seniors said.
Their only two matches in the county were against FPC at Wadsworth, which was the natural place to hold Senior Day.
“This has been a struggle with so many teammates hurt,” Valdes said.
Valdes and Owens are partners at the No. 1 spot, and they are best friends, which helps a lot, Owens said.
Like Sobin, they both prefer the game on the sand court to the indoor game.
“The mindset is, just go, you can dive anywhere,” Valdes said.
