On Sept. 29, the Raiders celebrated senior Gabriela Fernandes, a four-year varsity player, in their match against the Archbishop Carroll Bulldogs.
Fernandes has spent all four years at Gulliver playing volleyball and being a part of the team that won the school’s first-ever state championship.
Before the game, the team grouped up, and coach Emilio Rodriguez showed a message from former Gulliver announcer, teacher, and coach, Ricaldo Cruz, congratulating Fernandes on her accomplishments and being the only remaining player from that state championship team. Fernandes was very emotional and grateful for the video.
“The video made me feel very seen, and very special because coach Cruz was there through it all, and he is one of the biggest influences in my life,” Fernandes said.
During senior day, the Raiders dominated all three sets of the game, sweeping the Bulldogs. “We were able to dominate because we brought a lot of energy to go to senior night, and we had one mission to make Gabi happy, and that really pushed us to win,” said defensive specialist junior Veda Sharma.
The Raiders have shown major improvement since the start of the season, with them losing their first two games to Divine Saviour and Mater Dei. In their last 10 games, the Raiders have won 8 games and only suffered 2 losses to the IMG Academy Royal Team and Beachside. To pair with their streak, they are the 19th-ranked team in the state of Florida and the fourth-ranked team in Miami, according to MaxPreps.
After this game, the Raiders played in the Palm League Tournament against the NSU School Sharks the next day, showing their constant back-to-back games and their great improvement over the season. They won 2-0 to go into the semifinals against Pine Crest, and from the tournament into the playoffs, positioning themselves as one of the top-ranked teams in the state and a tough matchup for whoever they play in the playoffs.
“We need to have energy all around,” said junior Mia Lavalle, libero on the team. “We all need to have our spirits high. We need to have great communication with everyone, and we all need to focus on the court.”
