Former Sneads Standout Jordyn Riano Takes over Marianna Volleyball Program

By: Shelia Mader

Marianna High School has turned to a familiar face with championship experience to lead its volleyball program, naming Jordyn Riano as the school’s new head volleyball coach.

A 2020 graduate of Sneads High School, Riano played under legendary coach Sheila Roberts and Heather Brinkmeyer during one of the state’s most successful volleyball eras. Sneads became known across Florida for its dominant championship tradition, and Riano said the lessons she learned from both coaches continue to shape the way she approaches the game today.

After graduating from Sneads, Riano briefly continued her playing career at Florida Gateway College in Lake City before deciding to shift her primary focus toward academics. She later returned to Chipola College and then earned her degree in Exercise Science through UWF and Chipola.

Riano is currently teaching science but is set to transition from the Marianna K-8 School to Marianna High School, where she will teach Environmental Science and Biology while taking over the volleyball program.

As she begins her first season leading the Bulldogs, Riano said one of her biggest goals is changing the perception of Marianna volleyball and building a program capable of competing consistently at a high level.

“Marianna has always been looked down upon, especially with volleyball, and I’m hoping to help bring this team and build them up to compete,” Riano said.

Marianna will compete in the newly formed Rural classification this season, giving the Bulldogs opportunities to face traditional area powers such as Sneads, Blountstown and Liberty County. Riano said she hopes the program can compete for district championships and continue building from there.

Riano also plans to draw from the coaching philosophies she experienced at Sneads. She said Roberts taught her accountability and toughness, recalling one of her longtime sayings: “Talk is cheap, so if you’re going to say it, you better prove it.”

At the same time, Riano said Brinkmeyer’s compassion and investment in players left a lasting impression on her. “She really showed that compassion has always been a big part of your sport,” Riano said. “She cared for us, wanted us to win as bad as we wanted to win, and wanted us to go on to do bigger and better things.”

Riano said she hopes to combine lessons from both coaches as she develops the Marianna program.

Interest in volleyball already appears to be growing locally. Riano recently helped with middle school tryouts and said approximately 70 girls attended.

“It was so great to see all these girls wanting to play a sport,” she said.

Riano said one of her priorities is establishing both junior varsity and varsity teams in order to build long-term success within the program.

“That is the goal,” she said. “I want to have both the JV and a varsity team.”