Two @CanesVB Signees Named POTY
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – A pair of University of Miami volleyball signees were recently honored as some of the top athletes in Miami-Dade County.
Sylvia Hernandez and Brooke McDermott was each named Player of the Year in their respective divisions at the Miami Herald’s annual All-Dade Athletic Awards.
“Both Sylvia and Brooke are very deserving and I am excited to have them both on our roster,” Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara said. “We expect big things from both of them and we believe they are both capable of contributing right away this fall.”
Hernandez, who amassed 360 kills, 263 digs and 59 aces while leadng Westminster Christian to its first state championship in girls’ volleyball, was named the Class 4A-2A Player of the Year for the third consecutive year. She has earned first team All-Dade since her freshman season and is a two-time winner of “La Copa Dorada,” an award given annually to Miami-Dade County’s top Hispanic athletes.
“Silvia is a proven winner and that is one of the things that attracted us to her beyond her athletic ability and her overall volleyball sense,” Gandara said.
The standout athlete also won a state title in softball with the Warriors this season, giving her two state championships in one year and making her the Class 5A-1A Female Athlete of the Year.
“This was just an amazing way to finish and to accomplish all the things I set out to do,” Hernandez told the Miami Herald. “My lifelong goal has been to play a sport in college and I am excited to get to UM and see what happens.”
McDermott was named the Class 8A-6A Player of the Year for girls’ volleyball after a season in which she tallied 366 kills, 45 aces and 30 blocks while helping TERRA Environmental Research Institute reach the Class 6A Regional Final.
“Brooke is an exceptional athlete with a good volleyball skill set,” Gandara said. “She does so many things well that most of the time they go unnoticed. I am very happy she was acknowledged for her exceptional talent.”
A star at TERRA, McDermott has been team captain all four years of high school and earned her second consecutive first team All-Dade honor following the 2013 season. The standout outside hitter carried TERRA to a district championship in 2013 and earned the distinction of Scholar-Athlete of the Month in Sept. 2013. In 2011, McDermott was selected third team All-Dade for her play at TERRA. Beyond her stellar play on the volleyball court, McDermott is also a star in badminton, earning first team All-Dade honors in 2012 and helping TERRA win the GMAC Championship in 2013.
While the two players attended different high schools, they grew up playing club volleyball together and McDermott believes they will help the Canes succeed once they arrive on campus.
“I love playing with her,” McDermott told the Miami Herald. “I think we are going to be a great combination at UM.”
Hernandez and McDermott join setter Haley Templeton and middle blocker Sakile Simmons as the four members of Miami’s incoming class of freshmen signees. Hernandez, McDermott, Templeton and Simmons will all join the Hurricanes prior to the 2014 season.
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