After Opening-Season Loss, Ceopa Steps Up To Get Lady Sharks Back On Track
After a difficult season-opening loss (3-2) to Daytona State College, Lady Sharks sophomore Janelly Ceopa searched for answers.
The outside hitter knew she had to better. Her stateline versus the Falcons was mediocre: no digs, five kills and six points.
Ceopa responded with her two best games this season. On Aug. 21, she contributed 19 points, 17 kills and 17 digs in an impressive 3-2 Lady Sharks win versus eighth-ranked Salt Lake Community College. A week later, Ceopa had 11 points, 11 kills and nine digs in Miami Dade College’s 3-0 victory versus Sante Fe College.
Those performances helped the Lady Sharks turn their season around. They have won four of their last five games since their opening-season loss.
“[Janelly] has more experience, knows the system better now and she’s a leader,” said Lady Sharks Head Volleyball Coach Origenes “Kiko” Benoit.
Ceopa, who was selected as a team captain this season, is second on the team in total kills (54) and (57) points. She is averaging 2.57 kills and two points per set.
“She’s a really good teammate, always supportive,” said defensive specialist Stephania Vallejo. “She is always there to motivate us when we’re practicing or when we’re being lazy.”
Ceopa started playing volleyball when she was nine years old in Peru for her club team Tupac Amaru. Three years later, she started competing on the national level. In 2016, she won a championship with the South America School under-14 team. By 2019, she had won the Pan American cup championship with the under-16 squad and was named team MVP.
She caught the Lady Sharks attention in the 10th grade after she participated in a tournament in the United States. Benoit was struck by how calm and technically sound she was. Two years later, he offered her a scholarship to play for MDC.
As a freshman, Ceopa helped the team to a third-place finish at the national tournament in West Plains, Missouri. She contributed 285.5 total points, 268 kills, and 206 digs in 25 games.
This season, Ceopa is getting a big assist from two freshmen. Outside hitter Romina Cornelio, who is from the Dominican Republic, leads the team in points per set (4.8) and kills per set (3.91). Defensive specialist Kiaraliz Perez, who is from Puerto Rico, leads the team with 4.96 digs per set.
“I have great teammates that if I fall, they will help me get back up,” Ceopa said.
The Lady Sharks will need that cohesiveness as they enter the meat of their conference schedule including two key rematches at home. On Oct. 2 they go against 18th-ranked Daytona State College, who beat them in the season-opener, and on Oct. 5 they play fourth-ranked Florida SouthWestern State College, who beat the Lady Sharks 3-2 on Sept. 7.
“It is all about teamwork,” Ceopa said.
The Lady Sharks’ next game is Sept. 16 versus State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota at 6 p.m. at the Theodore R. Gibson Health Center, 11011 S.W. 104 St.
