Future Looks Bright as MIA Heads to District Tournament with Best Record Ever

With four freshmen starters, the Marco Island Academy volleyball team looks like they’re building toward something special. After winning their fifth straight Paradise Coast Athletic Conference championship Friday night in their home gym, the Rays moved right into district play Southwest Florida Christina Monday, October 17th in the St. John Neumann gym. On Monday, October 11th, the Rays avenged one of the few losses of the season with a 3-0 straight sets win over Class 5A Golden Gate in the Rays’ gym. The blossoming Rays got their coach’s attention in the win over Golden Gate.

"That’s probably the best game we’ve played yet,” said head coach Alyssa Stolinas, who was a player on the very first team in MIA history. "It just flowed really well."  

Stolinas can’t help but smile thinking of what this team can become. She says they’re ahead of schedule. She’s known these girls their entire lives. Her captain is a freshman, Madison Stolinas. She’s also the coach’s niece.

"They are special,” Stolinas said. "Because my niece is on the team, I’ve known them since they were little. I’ve seen them grow up. They played middle school together. Madison, Medney Garraux, and Rylee Howard are on the same club team this year. They all played middle school together. I’ve seen them since they were babies.”

The fourth freshman, Jayden Ragan, is the third Ragan sister to play at MIA. Jessica Ragan played with coach Stolinas in high school. Jenna Ragan is a junior on this year’s team, playing libero.

While Stolinas was disappointed at her team being named the district’s fifth seed, she understands that strength of schedule is the culprit. It didn’t help that the Rays didn’t get to play the meat of their schedule because of Hurricane Ian.

 “It’s frustrating,” Stolinas said of being fifth seed, despite losing only three games this season. “But Seacrest puts in the work. Those girls train all year long. I hope they go down to states again. I see firsthand all the dedication and work that those girls put in.”

The Rays seeding is directly affected by the weakness of the PCAC.

"Because we’re in the PCAC,” Stolinas said, "strength of schedule is in the negative. We’re required to play each conference team twice a year. So that’s why we pulled the fifth seed, not because we lost games. We have a better record than Evangelical Christian School and Southwest Florida Christian, but we’re seeded below them. The strength of schedule kind of hurts us, not so much our losses."

Stolinas’ young Rays are already impressing her. She feels the future is bright. She sees them making history before they’re through. She has her eyes on a district championship.

"We did a lot better than I thought we would this year,” Stolinas said. "The culture that we’ve created, this team is different. It’s something special. Our future’s bright. Because we’re so young, because of the teams we have in our district now, I’m thinking that we’ll make history here. Our volleyball team has never won district. I’m praying next year, but I’m thinking by the time this freshman class is juniors and seniors we should be right where we need to be. That’s kind of my dream.”

Stolinas enjoys coaching her niece. She also likes working with her brother-in-law, Rich Constante, who is Madison’s father.

"Madison’s my setter,” Stolinas. "It’s kind of crazy because we kind of think alike. Sometimes it’s funny. I don’t have to tell her what I’m thinking. She knows exactly what’s going through my head. We talk about that all the time. She knows me through and through. She knows exactly how I think. She probably knows that I want more out of her than anyone else. I can honestly say I’m a lot harder on her. She loves it.  I love it.  And at the end of the day when we leave, she knows we’re family. It’s great.”

"Rich is a sports junkie,” Stolinas says of her assistant coach. "He knows everything there is to know about sports. He’s super smart when it comes to that. We have such a great relationship. We know each other. He knows what I’ll need at the right moment. He knows to help me in certain areas. It's good chemistry we have going there."

If things go as planned with this freshman class, Stolinas sees MIA becoming a volleyball powerhouse.

“That’s the dream,” Stolinas said. "That’s something that I’ve been looking forward to. We’ve always been one or two players short of that. You really grow every time you touch a ball. Our facilities help tremendously. We practice six days a week. We love it. The girls give me everything they’ve got. I couldn’t ask for more."