Southwest got back on top in ’23; Can Eagles stay there this year?

It was a long climb back to the top for South Florida’s most successful boys’ volleyball program.

But after 15 seasons that included four state runnerup finishes, Southwest Miami finally tasted triumph last year, winning its first state championship since 2008.

Now the question is: Can the Eagles stay on top?

Southwest returns one of the younger and more talented teams in the state and arguably its most dynamic player in junior outside hitter Juanmarco Diaz, the Miami Herald’s Player of the Year last season.

Diaz, the son of longtime Southwest coach Mauricio Diaz, also won Mr. Florida Volleyball honors last season.

Diaz, 5-11, leads the Eagles’ attack but can also double as a highly-effective setter and play defense. He is joined by fellow All-Dade first team selection, Marlon Albornoz, a senior outside hitter. Senior outside Andrew O’Valle should also play a key role once again.

Southwest may have entered the season, which began Monday, as the favorite to return to state, which will take place May 17-18 in Winter Haven. But it will have to deal with multiple teams threatening to take its crown.

Here are a few more locally who might stand the best chance to dethrone the Eagles.

Palmetto: The Panthers went 19-6 and advanced to the regional semifinals last year in their first season coached by Matt Kanakis.

Palmetto returns the majority of its starting line up led by senior Michael Rivera, who returns after missing 14 games last season with an ankle injury. Rivera still had a team-high 206 kills. Senior setter Ronen Dircie earned first team AllDade honors last year and is expected to return to Palmetto’s lineup in two weeks.

Junior 6-4 middle hitter Jake Bedoya, 6-2 senior pin hitter Seth Bohler, junior setter/libero Lucca Sant’Anna and junior opposite hitter Vince Coello round out an experienced and versatile lineup.

“This season we have the talent to do something big,” Rivera said. “Just about the hard work we put in to make our goals into reality.”

Cardinal Gibbons: Since advancing to the regional finals in 2019 — a year after it won its second state title — Cardinal Gibbons has advanced one round further every season.

The Chiefs finished as state runners-up last year after a four-set loss to Southwest.

But if Gibbons is going to clear that final hurdle this season, it will have to do it with a much younger squad than it has had in recent years.

The Chiefs, who went 25-4 last season, graduated four senior starters including UCLA commit Thiago Zamprogno,

North Greenville commit Logan Keothavy and Hobart & William Smith commit Daniel Sappia.

Junior setter Gabriel Nejad will lead Gibbons along with 6-3 sophomore outside hitter Cash Remington. Sophomore Dominic Amicone and junior Bryson Jones, each outside hitters, will try to pick up the slack up front while senior libero Callan Fry anchors the defense.

Cardinal Gibbons will face competition in Broward County from the likes of Pompano Beach, St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, Cypress Bay and South Broward.

Belen: The Wolverines took a major step toward becoming true title contenders last season, going 25-4 and reaching the regional finals. Ultimately, Belen fell in four sets against Southwest. The Wolverines will try to reload behind three returning starters. Senior outside hitters Morrison Hadad and Nicholas Hernandez will lead the way along with junior setter Luke Diaz. Hadad figures to be one of the more explosive players in South Florida.

MORE TEAM OUTLOOKS

True North (18-8, regional quarterfinalist) returns hopeful of making another playoff push thanks to an experienced group led by senior outside hitters Christopher Rivero, Daniel Avella and Daniel Artiles, Senior setter David Quinones and senior libero Benjamin Abella anchor the Titans’ setting and defense respectively.

Braddock (12-8, regional quarterfinalist) will look to build off last year’s district championship team behind siblings Gabriel and Lucas Perez-Malo. Gabriel is a junior setter/outside hitter and Lucas is a senior setter/outside hitter.

Mater Lakes (25-4, regional semifinalist) may have taken only the first step toward becoming a true contender last season. The Bears bring back a strong roster led by 6-3 junior outside hitter Yeison Gonzalez. Junior 6-3 middle blockers Ibrahim Perez and Boris Perez will fortify things at the net.

Columbus (17-10, regional semifinalist) lost Stanford signee Ignacio Brito but returns a solid core it hopes will lead to another playoff run or more. Sophomore outside hitter Lucas Riva, senior outside John Paul Zurfluh and versatile senior outside hitter Gustavo Ferreiro lead the Explorers.

Miami High (18-10, regional finalist), a state quarterfinalist in 2021 and 2022, hopes to return there after a one-year absence. The Stingarees are led by 6-4 senior outside hitter Jefferson Moreno-Maldona, 6-2 senior middle hitter Luis Lastre, 5-8 junior libero Carlos Miranda and 6-3 senior setter Giovanni Bernile.

Ferguson (14-11, regional semifinalist) will be led by 5-9 outside hitter Henry Masson, a four-year starter looking to reach 1,000 kills this season. Other standouts include 6-2 senior setter Jason Bustos and 5-10 senior libero Nicolas Gonzalez, brother of Ferguson’s 3-time first team All-Dade selection, Agatha Gonzalez.

St. Thomas Aquinas (10-7, regional quarterfinalist) will lean on sophomore setter Adriano Chiabra, junior middle hitter Charles Campbell, senior middle hitter Sebastian Nicholson and sophomore outside hitter John Virginio to lead it back to the postseason. Raiders coach Felipe “Pepa” Relat was recently inducted into the Purdue Fort Wayne University Hall of Fame.

TERRA (12-11, regional quarterfinalist) will be led by 6-1 junior outside hitter Ryan Garcia, senior outside hitter Max Rodriguez and sophomore outside hitter Rocco Reyes.

Hialeah-Miami Lakes (14-7, regional semifinalist) will look to build upon last season’s success with the return of senior setter Matthew Webb and his brother, sophomore outside hitter Zachary Webb. Senior defensive specialist Antonio Jaime leads the Trojans on the back row. The key will be replacing a pair of middle hitters that graduated.

Monsignor Pace (12-7, regional semifinalist) will be led by the trio of 5-10 senior setter Ariel Urena, 5-9 senior libero Jason Romero and 5-10 sophomore setter Angelo Sotolongo.

Varela (12-12) will look for a breakthrough season under new coach Sebastian Abreu. The Vipers will be competing with four underclassmen in the starting rotations and two upperclassmen leading the way in senior outside hitter Yusdel Tuero and junior setter Jose

Santos.

American Heritage (9-8) is optimistic about the upcoming season despite returning only two starters. Junior setter Gabriel Moreau, who is being recruited by multiple colleges, is a reason for said optimism. Senior middle hitters Ethan Brady and Ian Harvey should bolster the Patriots up front.

Homestead will have a team for the first time since 2011 and hired veteran coach and alum Jimmy Exley to help build the Broncos into a winner. Ty Short and Amauris Navarro, a pair of 5-10 senior outside hitters will lead the effort on the court.

Western (7-7) hopes to break through to regionals with a solid young team led by senior outside hitter David Jimmy and senior setter Matthew Humes.