After capturing the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I national championship last season, the Miami Dade College volleyball team enters the year with a challenge: defending its title while building chemistry with a new group of players.
The Lady Sharks finished the 2025 season with a 29-2 record, establishing themselves as the top team in the country. Miami Dade’s success was built on a balanced attack that produced 13.57 kills per set, a .265 hitting percentage, 2.60 blocks per set, 12.69 assists per set and 15.13 digs per set.
Now, with a new group of players and increased expectations, the focus shifts toward building chemistry and maintaining the consistency that led the program to a championship.
Lady Sharks head coach Origenes “Kiko” Benoit said the early stages of the preseason have shown a team willing to compete and improve every day.
“They work very hard. We have a lot of talent, a lot of talent,” Benoit said. “It is impressive, but it’s something good to have, that we don’t depend on one or two players. We have more people.”
The big challenge for the Lady Sharks will be developing experience and consistency with a roster that features 10 new faces.
Among the big losses was outside hitter Luyeisy Marquez-Moreno, who was named the Female Athlete of the Year by The Florida College System Activities Association and is now at Florida Atlantic University.
Now this year’s squad is counting on a core of returning sophomores to pick up the slack.
Setter and team captain Eleonora Gicheva enters the season with an expanded role after leading the Lady Sharks’ offense last year with more than nine assists per set.
“Eleanora is a leader,” Benoit said. “She is a good leader. They are going to follow her.”
Middle blockers Eduarda Fabricio and Maria Fernanda de Lima Varela bring championship experience back to the roster.
The duo each played in 29 matches. De Lima Varela averaged 1.59 kills and 1.27 blocks per set. Fabricio averaged 1.47 kills and 1.14 blocks per set.
As always, the Lady Sharks feature an international roster, including athletes from Brazil, Bulgaria, Greece and Poland.
Freshman libero Briana Del Valle, one of the team’s top local players— from Westwood Christian School in Kendall Lakes—said learning from everyone’s diverse backgrounds has been one of the best parts of joining the program.
“It’s been amazing learning everyone’s culture,” Del Valle said.
Meanwhile, Benoit’s daughter, freshman Angeline Benoit from Mater Academy Charter in Hialeah Gardens, is embracing the demands of playing libero, a position that requires constant movement and communication.
“I get to be all over the place,” Angeline said. “I’m just constantly running around. They trust me, and I’m someone that can help somebody get better.”
That willingness to support her teammates makes Angeline an integral part of Lady Shark’s defensive identity as they build chemistry with a new group.
But despite the new faces, the expectations remain the same.
“Back-to-back, of course,” De Lima Varela said. “Another national championship.”
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