In an area of the country that isn’t considered a tradition-rich region in the sport of club volleyball, the OTVA 18 J team in Jacksonville, Florida, has certainly not performed like a team of rookies. They play like they belong with the best, and that’s whose company they keep. They have been the No. 1 team in Florida for the past four seasons, and they’ve achieved a Top-5 national ranking for each of the last two seasons.
Who Is OTVA?
OTVA is the Orlando Tampa Volleyball Association. In addition to the OTVA 18 J volleyball team in Jacksonville, the club also fields teams from 14-18 years old. The nine players on the 18 J team all compete for their respective Jacksonville-area high school teams through their seasons. Then, in November, the OTVA season begins.
The team is coached by former Navy rescue swimmer John Goins, who played for the All-Navy team then played beach volleyball. Goins has coached the OTVA team for the past three seasons, and he said these players are the best of the best.
“We have tryouts, and these girls that make it are the ones that have the ability and are trying to earn Division-1 volleyball scholarships,” Goins said.
Top-5 for Two Years
For the past two seasons, OTVA 18 J has been a Top-5 nationally ranked team, finishing as the No. 2-ranked team at the end of last season and No. 5 this season. That’s out of thousands of club teams across the country, many of whom have fielded competitive volleyball teams for years – certainly way longer than the OTVA 18 J team.
According to Goins, the 18 J team competes in six nationwide tournaments each year against the best teams in the country. The team has an average third-place finish in those events.
“We have competed in the nationwide, invitation-only Triple Crown tournament the last two years and finished third,” Goins said. “That has really boosted our team ranking into the Top 5.”
Added OTVA volunteer Katherine Albaugh, “We believe Northeast Florida has never produced a Top-5 team in the country, much less two years in a row. This area has not been known for its volleyball talent on the national stage. Over their club career, this team has racked up a number of prestigious national accolades.”
Every player on the OTVA 18 J team will be headed to play collegiate volleyball. Following are the players who made up the 2023 team, along with their college destination:
- Team captain Grace Albaugh, Georgetown
- Team captain Jessica Shattles, New Hampshire
- Team captain Zeta Washington, Cincinnati
- Viviana Vasquez, Washington and Lee
- Rory Schuler, South Carolina-Aiken
- Haley Robinson, Wright State
- Madelyn Peterson, Louisiana-Monroe
- Sydney Lewis, Coastal Carolina
- Allison Cavanaugh, Georgia
For more information on the OTVA, including the OTVA Jacksonville club volleyball teams, contact club director Will Berdecia at willb@orlandosportscenter.com.
