McBean, Tang formed cohesive unit which led St. Thomas Aquinas to the state tournament
St. Thomas Aquinas’ final point came down to Alyssa McBean and Halley Tang.
Their beach volleyball regional final matchup with Cardinal Gibbons was tied 2-2. All eyes were on the showdown on the top court on the top court, where McBean and Tang prevailed to punch St. Thomas Aquinas’ ticket to states — the only Broward team to make it there in the FHSAA’s inaugural season sanctioning the sport.
Their season ended one game later in Tallahassee when they lost in the Round of 16 to Westminster Christian, but McBean and Tang were integral to St. Thomas Aquinas’ success this year.
That’s why McBean and Tang are the Miami Herald’s Broward Beach
Volleyball Team of the Year.
The duo — McBean a senior, Tang a sophomore — went 14-3 this season on the No. 1 court as they guided Aquinas to the top finish in the county.
The two are also defensive specialists for Aquinas’ indoor volleyball team that advanced to the regional finals this season.
With no set positions in beach volleyball with only two players on either side of the net instead of six, McBean and Tang had to balance both using their backcourt skills that they’ve grown during the indoor season with being able to make plays at the net.
“Throughout the whole season, we got to gel together,” Tang said. “We knew what each other liked.”
That’s paramount when there are only two players on the court, each relying on the other’s moves and tendencies. One mistake or one misstep can cost a point.
“We worked really well as a team,” Tang said, “and we communicated very well.”
That made them the perfect fit to be Aquinas’ top tandem this season.
What direction the Raiders go in next year is another story.
McBean is graduating and is set to play volleyball collegiately at Appalachian State next year. She was the only senior among Aquinas’ roster this year.
Tang is part of a sixperson sophomore class that will serve as the foundation for St. Thomas Aquinas’ 2023 team. Five of those sophomores — Tang, Sophia Alvarado, Zoe Taylor, Brooke Carrasquel and Kirsti Talocka — were part of the Raiders’ top three pairings this season.