Santa Fe top volleyball coach steps down

Photo special to Alachua County Today

Michele Faulk, fourth from the left on the top row, poses with the varsity volleyball team. She has been the volleyball coach for 21 years.

ALACHUA – After 27 years of coaching volleyball, 21 of those years being the head varsity volleyball coach of the Santa Fe Raiders, Michele Faulk has stepped down.

“It has been an incredible ride,” Faulk said.

Faulk, 49, who has managed to lead the Raiders to a total of 498 wins, said she was preparing to start a new chapter in her life after her retirement from coaching. She has decided to spend her time and effort elsewhere, with her new granddaughter, Kymber.

“There were times this past season that I would go for days before being able to see her, and I don’t want to miss out on her growing up,” she said.

Michele Faulk’s husband has also retired recently from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, and she said she would like to spend some time traveling with him as well.

In her younger years, Faulk attended Dixie County High School where she was the setter and captain of her volleyball team. Later on in college, she also played intramurals.

While it’s no surprise that she loves the sport, Faulk said that she also “wanted to be able to be a mentor for the ladies and teach life lessons through the sport.”

“I always tried to instill in my girls to give 110 percent and to leave everything on the court and have no regrets,” she said. “When you walk away from the game, or in life, you know you left everything out there and gave your all.”

Though she will continue to remain the Athletic Director of Santa Fe High School, her 43-year-old assistant coach, Paqui Peon, will replace her as the head coach of the school’s varsity volleyball team.

Faulk said she has faith that Peon will lead the team to greatness, perhaps even a State Championship in the near future.

“I am really honored to be taking over for her because I know how special the volleyball program is for her,” Peon said.

Peon decided to coach high school in the local area eight years ago, though he has been coaching the Gainesville Juniors club for 10 years now. Peon moved up from Miami.

“There was so much talent,” he said. “Through a mutual coach, I was made aware that there was a possibility of an opening at Santa Fe.”

Peon, like Faulk, said he strongly believes that coaching in volleyball is more than just teaching athletes a sport.

“We’d like to say at Santa Fe, that we teach life skills through volleyball,” he said.

Peon said he hopes that he, as the new Raiders’ head coach, will be able to make the team stronger in any and all aspects that come with the sport.

He said he has the same high expectations as Faulk.

“I expect a lot from the program and everybody involved in the program, and so does she,” said Peon.

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