From Florida to the National Stage

By Héctor “Gadget” Negrón | The SpikeNet

From August 21 through August 24, The SpikeNet had the opportunity to be part of the 2026 Jeep AVCA First Serve in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, creating content, capturing photos, and watching some of the best college volleyball programs in the country begin their seasons.

But for us, there was something extra special about being there.

As we looked around at some of the nation’s top programs, we couldn’t help but feel a little Florida pride. Three starting setters with strong ties to Florida volleyball were running offenses for some of the top programs in the nation: Nayelis Cabello at Louisville, Izzy Starck at Pitt, and freshman Elle Mottola at Arizona State.

Three different journeys. Three different stories. Three setters making an impact at the highest level of college volleyball.

Nayelis Cabello | Louisville

Nayelis Cabello is no stranger to the Florida Region or to The SpikeNet.

The Clermont native played at East Ridge High School and Top Select Volleyball Academy, and we had the opportunity to cover her years ago through Team Florida. Long before she was running an ACC offense, Florida volleyball fans already knew how special she could be.

Nayelis continues to prove that the brighter the spotlight, the brighter she shines.

As a freshman in 2024, she helped Louisville reach the NCAA National Championship match while earning ACC Freshman of the Year and AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year honors. A year later, she was First Team All-ACC and an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American.

Then came Milwaukee.

Against defending national champion No. 8 Texas A&M, Cabello orchestrated Louisville's offense to a four-set victory, finishing with 45 assists, nine digs, and four kills while hitting .364.

Her performance also pushed her beyond the 2,000 career assists milestone.

Cabello followed with 26 assists against Wisconsin before helping Louisville rebound with sweeps of No. 16 Indiana and Dayton. The Cardinals have since climbed to No. 6 in the country.

For those of us who watched Nayelis develop in Florida, none of this comes as a surprise.

She has been preparing for these moments for years.

Izzy Starck | Pitt

Then there is perhaps one of the best comeback stories in college volleyball: Izzy Starck.

Starck played at Viera High School before putting together a freshman season at Penn State that most athletes could only dream about.

She started every match for a team that finished 35-2 and won the 2024 NCAA National Championship, recording 1,483 assists while earning AVCA National Freshman of the Year, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and Second Team All-American honors.

In 2025, however, Starck made the difficult decision to step away from volleyball to prioritize her mental health.

Fast-forward to 2026, a new home at Pitt, and watching her in Milwaukee, you would have thought she had been running the Panthers' offense for years.

In her Pitt debut against No. 3 Kentucky, Starck recorded 41 assists, 13 digs, five blocks, and two kills, earning MVP honors as the Panthers knocked off the Wildcats in four sets.

The poise was there. The leadership was there. And the chemistry with Olivia Babcock, Blaire Bayless, and the rest of the Pitt offense looked like it was scripted in Hollywood.

And she hasn't slowed down.

Starck followed Milwaukee with 29 assists and 10 digs against Xavier, then recorded 45 assists, 11 digs, and four blocks against No. 15 Kansas before adding 28 assists, 10 digs, and two blocks in a sweep of No. 6 Wisconsin.

Through Pitt's first four matches, Starck has recorded a double-double in every match, helping the Panthers start 4-0 with three victories over ranked opponents. She has already been named ACC Setter of the Week twice, and Pitt has climbed to No. 2 in the nation.

Now, I'll admit there may be a little SpikeNet bias here.

Izzy is Carlos' favorite setter, and Pitt is Gadget's team to beat.

But watching this team in person, it's hard not to believe something special is brewing in Pittsburgh.

Could this finally be Pitt's year?

We shall see.

Elle Mottola | Arizona State

And last, but absolutely not least, there's Elle Mottola.

This one feels a little different for us.

Elle is from Orlando. She played at Boone High School and Winter Park Volleyball Club, and we've had the privilege of covering her journey long before she put on an Arizona State uniform.

Because of that, we felt like we knew.

We knew she could play at this level.

We knew she could run an offense.

We knew she could compete with anybody.

The rest of the country just got put on notice.

In her first collegiate match, Mottola was handed the keys to Arizona State's offense against No. 2 Texas.

No pressure, right?

The freshman responded with 31 assists, seven digs, four blocks, and four kills, running a 5-1 offense as the Sun Devils knocked off the No. 2 team in the country.

And for her first college match? AVCA MVP of the Match.

Not a bad debut.

But Elle wasn't finished.

The following weekend, Arizona State faced No. 14 Minnesota, and Mottola delivered her first collegiate double-double with 42 assists and 10 digs as the Sun Devils swept the Golden Gophers.

After opening the season with three consecutive matches against ranked opponents, Mottola was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week and selected to the conference's Big 12 Starting Seven.

Arizona State, meanwhile, jumped five spots in the national rankings, moving from No. 12 to No. 7 in the country.

Again, we knew.

Now everybody else knows, too.

Florida Volleyball on the National Stage

We know it's early.

The college volleyball season is long, and there is a lot of volleyball still to be played.

But we're going to enjoy this one for a minute.

As of the first regular-season national rankings, Pitt is No. 2, Louisville is No. 6, and Arizona State is No. 7.

Three Top 10 programs.

Three starting setters with strong connections to Florida volleyball.

That's something the Florida Region can brag about.

More importantly, these three athletes represent something bigger than rankings or statistics. They're examples of where the volleyball being played in our gyms, high schools, clubs, and Florida Region events can lead.

From Team Florida and club tournaments to packed college arenas and nationally televised matches, the pathway is real.

So to Nayelis, Izzy, and Elle, keep shining.

And to every Florida Region athlete beginning a college season this fall, whether you're playing Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, junior college, or anywhere else you have earned the opportunity to compete, good luck this season.

Know that your volleyball family back home is watching.

The Florida Region and The SpikeNet are very proud of you.

Keep representing Florida volleyball and keep shining on the national stage.