FSCJ's BlueWave Volleyball team clinched first place in the Panhandle Conference with a 3-1 (17-25, 25-15, 25-19, and 25-18) win over Santa Fe State College. 

This is the first conference championship win for the team since 2010. The first-place win gave the BlueWave the automatic bid to the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA/Region 8) Tournament to be held November 3-5, 2017, in Bradenton, Florida. The last appearance at the FCSAA/Region 8 for the BlueWave was in 2013. 

This year’s team is led by Interim Head Coach Jordan Yantin with an overall 16-7 record and 7-1 conference record. Nicolette Ramos and Kaylon Cruickshank led the BlueWave against Santa Fe State College with 12 kills each during the match. Cheryke Brian-Garmos led the BlueWave with 51 assists along with nine kills and eight digs.

Players Also Honored for Achievements On and Off the Court

Five FSCJ BlueWave Volleyball student-athletes have been recognized for academic achievement and awarded National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) honors on the First and Second All-Academic Teams. The All-Academic First Team includes students with a GPA of 4.0 and the Second Team are those students who maintain a 3.99-3.8 GPA. These students include:

First Team
Kaylon Cruickshank
Nicolette Ramos
Cheryke Brian-Garmos

Second Team
Ina Gosen
Karla Rosario

Additionally, Kaylon Cruickshank was selected as NJCAA Player of the Year and Coach Jordan Yantin was selected as Coach of the Year.

“It has been so rewarding to watch the players and coaches work tirelessly this season to earn the recognition they have received,” said Director of Athletics Ginny Alexander. “It is important to us to put just as much focus on academic success throughout the year as athletic achievement, and we are very proud of the work these athletes have put in.”