Friday, November 6, 2026
The Marco Island Charter Middle School volleyball teams celebrate their SW Florida Athletic Conference championship with assistant coach Peggy Quinn and head coach Jodi Pree.
Paola Lassus eyes her teammate as she passes.
Colbie Steward passes.
Looks like Kylah Jenson has some fans.
Kinley Gladish is focused.
“Yes, we can!” shouts the MICMS volleyball team.
The Eagles celebrate in front of the home crowd.
Kylah Jensen celebrates with Megan Moody.
Kaiya Kidder bumps the ball straight up in the air.
Camila Fernandez from Everglades City finds this shot a little too hot to handle.
Laelyn Lightell looks at her target.
Everglades City Marissa Antonucci sets the ball.
Colbie Steward attacks the ball.
Cayden Clark is in passing position.
Dasha Bespalko and Emma Pratus converge for a dig.
Paola Lassus shows fine form on a bump.
Colbie Steward sets at the net.
Megan Moody works near the net.
Everglades City coach Jason Mayberry gets the most from his seven-player roster.
Marco Island Charter Middle School coach Jodi Pree had a unique strategy when she faced Everglades City for the SW Florida Athletic Conference middle school volleyball championship on Thursday, October 9, at the Marco gym. The veteran volleyball mentor fielded two separate lineups to take an easy 25-12, 25-14 win over a game-but-overmatched Everglades City squad that played with a roster of just seven players.
"I am so proud of the girls,” Pree said. "They played really well. They played like a team. I played two completely different teams, one in the first set and one in the second set. I had these two teams playing and practicing against each other. I knew that would be the toughest competition they would ever see.”
Pree challenges her two lineups to compete with each other to see who wins by the biggest margin. The strategy is working, as Pree’s team finished with a perfect 12-0 regular season. The Eagles were only taken to three sets six times. The Eagles won their three playoff games for a 15-0 perfect season.
Everglades City coach Jason Mayberry was proud of the effort his lean roster put forth. He admits that just having one substitute makes things challenging.
“It always does,” Mayberry said, "but they're a great group of girls, and they work hard. They show up every day. They always do their best. And I'm super proud of them. We're a tiny, tiny, tiny community, tiny school. But they play volleyball. They love it. They have a passion for it. And you can tell.”
Pree said her split-squad approach has been successful.
"I did that halfway through the season,” she said, "and they did really well. I play one team first, and then I tell the other team, 'Now you have to beat that number.' It gives them a nice challenge, and it also promotes camaraderie. These girls have come so far. I'm really proud of their passing and their serves. Volleyball really comes down to that, especially at this level."
Pree is already looking forward to next season.
“They're doing really well,” she said. "I'm really proud of them. And the team for next year is going to be just as good. So, I'm really happy."
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