- December 24, 2024
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JJVA celebrates Smith, right, and other college-bound players in the club. Courtesy photo
Smith hits from the back row. Courtesy photo.
Smith never got the chance to play high school volleyball, but he'll be getting the chance to play college volleyball. Courtesy photo
Ty Smith signs with Warner University with his parents, Gary and Suzanne, at his side. Courtesy photo
Matanzas High graduate Ty Smith and his buddy Giovanne Sylvain used to mess around on the volleyball court at Parkview Church. They talked about one day playing volleyball in college.
After Sylvain was found dead in 2020, Smith's mom, Suzanne, was afraid her son was going to give up volleyball.
"I thought it would be too painful for him to play anymore. But he looked me in the eye, and said, 'Mom, I'm going to go to college and play volleyball.'"
At the time, Smith had never played organized volleyball. Matanzas — like all the other high schools in the area — does not have a boys volleyball team. The 6-foot-4 Smith played basketball for the Pirates, leading the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots as a senior this year.
But he won't be playing basketball in college. Smith made good on his promise to his mom and his late friend. He recently signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Warner University in Lake Wales.
"Gio got me into it, and that was the only thing I thought about."
TY SMITH
He got the offer through sheer perseverance.
Smith would go to the park every day to practice by himself or join with others. He would watch YouTube videos to try to learn the game.
"Gio got me into it, and that was the only thing I thought about," Smith said.
He got a fake ID so he could could play in an adult open-gym volleyball league at Indian Trails Middle School. That's when a woman told him about the Jacksonville Juniors Volleyball Association.
He tried out in August and made the JJVA 15-18 travel team.
"I improved every practice. JJVA is an amazing organization," Smith said.
He also had help closer to home. Matanzas girls volleyball players Ashley Grove and Senna Thayer and Thayer's mom helped teach him about different rotations and the finer points of passing and blocking and understanding the setter's signs.
"The height, the speed of the ball, the position on the court. There are so many balls you can hit. It took me a while to get the hang of it," he said.
"He's always going to have Gio by his side, in his heart. He's the epitome of anything can happen if you put your mind to it and work hard."
SUZANNE SMITH
Smith said the Warner coaches saw him in January playing for JJVA in a tournament in Orlando. Eventually, they offered him a partial scholarship.
Smith is a right-side hitter, also known as an opposite hitter, considered the most versatile position on the court.
For someone who had virtually no game film to show and had been playing organized volleyball for less than a year, receiving a college offer was a long shot at best.
"He's always going to have Gio by his side, in his heart," Suzanne said. "He ignored every, 'No, it's not going to happen.' He's the epitome of anything can happen if you put your mind to it and work hard."
