King’s Academy wins first boys volleyball title

The King’s Academy boys volleyball team captured its first state championship in school history with a 25-14, 25-14, 27-25 victory against SLAM (Tampa) in the Class 1A state championship at Polk State College in Winter Haven on Saturday afternoon.

King’s Academy (22-5) had a dominant performance in the first set. It jumped out to a 7-1 advantage, extended the lead to 19-9 and won by 11. The Lions had a 15-12 advantage in the second set and finished strong with a 10-2 run. King’s Academy trailed 25-24 in the third set before rallying for the final three points to earn the victory.

Junior middle blocker Isaiah McCoy had 10 kills and four digs and senior outside hitter Ryan Huff recorded 10 kills, 12 digs and three aces. Huff recorded the game-winning kill on an assist from McCoy.

“I think we played amazing in the last two matches at states,” Isaiah McCoy said. “We played with a lot of fire. We worked really hard. It was definitely an amazing experience.”

Senior opposite Graysen Amestoy added 10 kills and nine digs and senior outside hitter John Casey registered nine kills and 10 digs. Senior setter Jake Manning finished among the team leaders in assists.

King’s Academy defeated J.C. Bermudez 25-16, 25-10, 25-21 in the Class 1A state semifinal. They previously defeated Calvary Christian Academy in three sets in the regional quarterfinal, swept Lake Highland Prep in the regional semifinal and edged Cardinal Gibbons in five sets in the regional final.

The King’s Academy boys volleyball program first started at the school in 2021. The Lions, which have won three consecutive district championships, had previously reached the state semifinal in 2023. They were determined after falling in the regional final last year.

“We suffered a pretty tough loss last season and we were motivated to not let it happen again,” King’s Academy coach Danielle McCoy said. “We knew the regional championship was going to be one of the toughest games of the year. We were able to overcome and push through. We had a lot to prove at states and played well. It’s a great feeling. We were a lot older and stronger this year. We had some newcomers who made an impact. We had amazing team chemistry.”

Seminole Ridge falls in Class 3A state semifinal

The Seminole Ridge playoff run fell short in a five-set loss (16-25, 16-25, 25-22, 25-16, 10-15) against Southwest Miami in a Class 3A state semifinal.

Stephen Barnes had a team-high 15 kills in the loss. Senior Addison Corey added 12 kills and senior Carson Kramer recorded 11 kills.

“The boys fought as hard as possible, but we just came up a little short,” Seminole Ridge coach Scott Barnwell said. “There is no quit in these guys. Southwest is the No.3 team in the nation and we showed that we are also one of the top programs. We will be back again next year. We have nine returners coming back. The future is bright.”

Barnes led the team in kills and aces during the season while Kramer finished first on the squad in total blocks. Freshman Evan Holowecky led the Hawks in assists and sophomore Pierce Giebenrath led the group in digs.

Seminole Ridge won in three sets against Jupiter in the regional quarterfinal and in three sets against Palm Beach Central in the regional semifinal. They advanced to the state final four with a victory in four sets against Boca Raton.

Suncoast eliminated in Class 2A state final four

The Suncoast boys volleyball team’s impressive season came to an end as they fell in three sets (17-25, 15-25, 23-25) against Lake Howell in a Class 2A state semifinal.

Suncoast (23-2) finished unbeaten against opponents from Palm Beach and Broward. They also had victories in three sets against Coral Springs, Archbishop McCarthy and St. Thomas Aquinas prior to the state final four.

“We didn’t have the most talented team in the state, but this group had a composure, work ethic and competitiveness that special teams have,” Suncoast coach Christian Spence said. “They had a strong will to win and worked hard for it every practice, every match, and every point this season.”

Suncoast senior Kyle Ross led the team in kills and aces while junior Thomas Supran led the group in total blocks. Senior Nicholas Watson led the Chargers in digs and senior Dylan Smith led the squad in assists.