Westminster Christian’s Sylvia Guso is the Miami-Dade Beach Volleyball Coach of the Year

The goal for Sylvia Guso’s Westminster Christian beach volleyball team was simple: Win a state championship. The Warriors missed that ultimate goal by one game, but nevertheless once again had the top team in Miami-Dade County for the second consecutive year that the sport was sanctioned by the FHSAA.

As such, Guso is the Miami Herald’s Dade Beach Volleyball Coach of the Year.

One year after leading Westminster Christian to the state quarterfinals, Guso took the Warriors a couple steps further this year. Westminster Christian reached the state final where it ultimately lost 3-0 to New Smyrna Beach, which was ranked No. 2 nationally and went a perfect 28-0 this season.

“Anytime you lose, it’s tough,” Guso said at the time, “but our team fought hard the whole time.”

And, for the most part, dominated during the season. Westminster Christian finished the season 19-2. The only loss before the state final match was a 3-2 defeat to Vero Beach on March 30. Fourteen of their 19 wins were sweeps.

The Warriors were paced by two pairs of siblings at the top of their lineup in senior Emily and sophomore Zoey Matias as well as senior Alyah and junior Alyssa Cadavid. Two freshman tandems — Gigi Artiles and Alexandra Washington, Francesca Pazmino and Cassie Thomas — followed, with junior Gigi Nunez and eighth grader Alyana Cadavid rounding out the lineup.

For those keeping track, all but two players are expecting to return next season, putting Westminster Christian in a great spot to once again compete for, if not win, the state title in Year 3.

“We’re excited about the future,” Guso said. “We have a lot of great girls who are ready to work.”