Mission accomplished: Sutphen leads 'Dawgs to top
Prior to the start of the 2024 season, St. Cloud’s volleyball team held its annual meeting to establish short and long term goals for the coming season. The short-term goal was to work hard and make every practice day count; while the long-term goals were to win the Orange Belt Conference title, claim a district crown and advance to regionals.
To do so, they would have to beat both state power Celebration and tough cross-town rival Tohopekaliga, a pair of teams they went a combined 0-7 against the previous two years. But the 2024 season would be a different story for St. Cloud. Led by senior Will Sutphen, St. Cloud accomplished all their goals by winning OBCs, taking a district championship and advancing all the way to the regional semifinals before falling to Tampa HEAT in four sets.
In addition to a 20-7 overall record, St. Cloud went 10-0 against county opposition – including a 4-0 mark against rivals Tohopekaliga and Celebration. Those accomplishments led to Sutphen, a senior captain who led the way for St. Cloud with 347 kills, a .307 hitting percentage and 44 total blocks at the net, to being named the Osceola News-Gazette Boys Volleyball Player of the Year.
A three-year starter, the 6’5” Sutphen finished his career with 771 kills. He said not winning a regional title, was the only downside to what was outstanding 2024 season and a great experience.
“My first couple years, Celebration was always the team to beat,” he said. “It seems like every season they have four or five outstanding seniors, while we were always the young team. It just felt different this year and although we knew they --along with Tohopekaliga, Harmony and Poinciana-- would be good, we definitely felt this was our year to shine.”
St. Cloud is known as a school where its best athletes play multiple sports and, without question, Sutphen could have been an asset to St. Cloud in other sports, but his love for volleyball kept that from becoming a reality.
“I absolutely tried to recruit him in his freshman and sophomore years,” St. Cloud basketball coach Tommy Billiteri, who ironically became his head volleyball coach in the middle of the season, said. “No doubt he could have been an impact player.”
Sutphen, who also played basketball and soccer in youth programs, explained it this way: “Every athlete loves the games, but a lot of them are indifferent or even dislike practice. Volleyball was totally different for me. When we weren’t playing matches, volleyball practice was my next favorite thing. I never got tired or bored with practice. I just love the sport.”
Sutphen, who plays year-round highly competitive travel ball with Winter Park Volleyball Club, had numerous college offers and will play Division I volleyball at Ohio State, where he is projected as a middle hitter.
“When I visited up there, I really loved the culture the coaches had created there,” Sutphen said. “It’s obviously a huge step up in competition, but I am looking forward to the challenge.”
Sutphen is one of four St. Cloud players to make the All-County team. He is joined by junior Enrique Soto (230 kills, 33 aces), senior Grady McCoy (400 assists, 101 digs) and senior Nick Burzotta (264 digs).
Harmony, Poinciana and Celebration placed two-players each. Daniel Santiago (201 kills, .297 hitting percentage) and Oliver Binet (311 assists) make it from Celebration; as does Harmony's Jameson Benken (515 assists, 164 digs), who also earned the nod for Freshman of the Year, and Cesar Gandia (291 digs); and Poinciana’s Alan Reyes and Esteban Paneto. Rounding out the squad was Gateway’s Vladimir Vazquez (175 kills), and Tohopekaliga’s Diego Morales (126 kills, 30 total blocks).
