Cornelio Is Latest Dominican Athlete To Lead Lady Sharks Volleyball Team

The Miami Dade College volleyball team has a history of recruiting dominant players from the Dominican Republic.

In 2011, middle blocker Marifranchi Rodriguez, who won nearly 60 games in two seasons at MDC, finished 3rd in the nation with 542 total kills.

Five years later, outside hitter Massiel Matos led the Lady Sharks to back-to-back National Championships in 2016 and 2017 while winning a National Player of The Year Award. 

Now it’s outside hitter Romina Cornelio’s turn.

The 19-year-old freshman leads the team with 4.08 kills and 4.8 points per set this season. She is second in digs per set with 2.92 for the Lady Sharks who are ranked 6th in the nation with a 12-3 record.

“[Romina] is very mature,” said Lady Sharks head volleyball coach Origenes “Kiko” Benoit, who is also from the Dominican Republic.  “Having a freshman that is a leader makes the team deeper.”

Cornelio, who was born in La Vega, Dominican Republic, started playing volleyball for Escuela De Voleibol Jose De Leon when she was seven. Ten years later she won the Rookie of the Year Award with Cristo Rey club in the Women’s Superior Volleyball League and was part of the Dominican Republic national team. 

That international experience has come in handy for Cornelio at MDC. She is off to a blistering start. Her best games have come in the Lady Sharks two defeats.

In a 3-2 loss to Daytona State College in the season opener, she contributed 24.5 points, 19 kills and 12 digs. On Sept. 7, Cornelio had 27.5 points, 25 kills and 11 digs in the Lady Sharks 3-2 loss to the current top-ranked team in the nation, Florida SouthWestern State College. 

She has also been consistent in the team’s nine wins, averaging 15.1 points, 12.92 kills and 9.67 digs per game in those games. Thanks in large part to Cornelio’s play, MDC has won elven of their last thirteen games. 

“[Romina] is an intelligent player who knows what to do in difficult moments,” said defensive specialist Kiaraliz Perez, who leads the team with 5.45 digs per set. “She is the type of player who will succeed wherever she is.”

The Lady Sharks will need Cornelio’s leadership as they enter the end of the regular season portion of their schedule with a road game versus Indian River State College on October 19 and a home game versus Eastern Florida State College on Oct. 21.

And although they are concentrating on a strong finish, they have their eyes on something bigger. 

 “The goal is to win a national championship,” Cornelio said.