BRADENTON, Fla. — IMG Academy will launch a girls' volleyball program in the fall of 2023.
It looks like the Ascenders have the right coach for the job. Donald Suxho is a two-time U.S. Olympian (2004, '12) and former all-American at Southern California, who played professionally in Europe. He can't wait to assemble his first roster.
"For me, six months ago, with the pen and the paper… now, to have 20 kids, and the parents, and the net and the balls… I'm blessed. Truly blessed. Truly excited," he said after a preseason training session.
"It's exciting to be the foundation of volleyball," said St. Petersburg native and middle blocker Hazel Alevok. "Getting everyone together and starting strong."
Alevok is one of the best players in the country, so she's excited to play for a coach who has a "been there, done that" resume.
"He has been where I want to go," Alevok added. "So there's no better coach than to have him. He has experienced what I want to experience."
Hazel says she's excited to be pushed by other elite players in practice daily.
"Working with the best of the best, everyone has the same goals. We all have the same strive and work ethic. Everyone's just working together."
Training at IMG is as intense an atmosphere as there is in high school athletics. But Suxho says he wants to make this simple as they build momentum throughout the year.
"We train every day. We have different systems, different methods. And I think once they understand that, and they see it, everyone's excited to come here."
Student-athletes come to IMG from across the country. It's a massive commitment for a high school kid, but they say they want to embrace the challenge.
"I'm excited for this. I feel like I'm ready for this. I wanna take this step," said setter and Athens, GA native Lucy Wages. "I'm willing to leave everything and come here because this is something I want to do. I want to the be the best I can be."
Suxho was a setter during his career, so Wages was all ears when she stepped onto the court.
"Learning from him, it's like every single word he says- if he told me to sit with my head, I would do it."
"For them, that's going to be the challenge. How to deal with everyday, high-level, high-intensity training. But I make sure I want to educate them," Suxho added.
They know what to expect and they go one day at a time.
Suxho joked that he already has September 26 circled on his calendar. That's the date of IMG's first-ever game, where they'll take on reigning state champion Venice.
