St. Thomas Aquinas tops Viera for 6A state championship, takes home first girls volleyball state title since 2018
The St. Thomas Aquinas girls volleyball team captured the FHSAA Class 6A state championship
with a victory in four sets against Viera (27-25, 20-25, 27-25, 26-24) at Polk State College in
Winter Haven on Thursday night.
St. Thomas Aquinas (27-3), which avenged a loss in three sets to Viera in the state semifinal
from last season, captured its seventh state title in school history, but its first since 2018.
“It was a great match and it was a battle,” St. Thomas Aquinas coach Lisa Zielinski said. “We
were fighting for every point and we never gave up. When they came back, we were composed
and focused. We had the intensity and confidence and that’s what it took.”
Senior Sydney Van Cott registered 13 kills, senior Zoe Taylor had 12 and junior Zori Brown
added 10. Junior Mikayla Porter recorded nine kills and four aces. Junior Tameary Wardlaw
contributed with 40 digs.
St. Thomas Aquinas rallied from a 24-22 deficit in the first set as Brown delivered a kill for the
winning point.
The Raiders had a 12-9 advantage in the second set. The Hawks delivered an 8-0 run and held on
to win by five.
The Raiders trailed 16-13 in the third set and responded with three straight points St. Thomas
Aquinas also trailed 21-20 and answered back with three consecutive points. The Raiders led 24-
22 before the Hawks tied the score. The Raiders bounced back with the next two points.
St. Thomas Aquinas jumped out to a 12-7 lead in the fourth set. The Hawks rallied for a 15-14
advantage. The Raiders delivered a 3-0 run to take the lead. St. Thomas Aquinas led 24-22
before Viera tied the score. The Raiders were able to win the next two points to secure the title.
The Raiders cruised to a three-set victory against Bloomingdale (25-11, 25-10, 25-17) in
the state semifinal. Van Cott recorded 12 kills and Brown added nine. Porter had 15 assists, eight
digs and seven kills. Brooks contributed with 19 assists.
St. Thomas Aquinas had a three-set victory against Fort Lauderdale in the regional quarterfinal.
The Raiders held on for a five-set victory against West Boca to advance to the regional final.
They also defeated Lourdes Academy in four sets during the regional final.
“It’s a unique group and we have been all in,” Zielinski said. “It’s a long season and a grind with
a lot of matches on our schedule. We practiced six days a week. We had adversity with some
injuries and it was not easy. We were on the same page and they really all wanted it.”
Boca Raton Christian 2A state runner-up
The Boca Raton Christian girls volleyball team reached the FHSAA Class 2A state
championship contest and fell short in their quest for a state title for the second straight season.
Seacrest Country Day defeated Boca Raton Christian in a tightly contested five-set match (25-23,
23-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-11. The Stingrays also defeated the Blazers in three sets in the state final
last year.
Boca Raton Christian (27-4) was led by junior Tekoa Barnes as she recorded 38 kills and 25 digs
in the state final. Sophomore Dasia Johnson registered 11 kills and 13 digs. Freshman Caitlin
Crino had 52 assists and 10 digs. Junior Gabby Irizarry added 27 digs.
“It was one of the most competitive state final matches,” Boca Raton Christian coach Len Visser
said. “We didn’t utilize enough of our other hitters to keep them guessing. It was back and
forth and we had our chances. It could have gone either way.”
Boca Raton Christian entered the state final on an impressive run and had won in three sets in
each round of the playoffs. The Blazers cruised past Oak Hall 25-21, 25-14, 25-18 in the state
semifinal. Barnes stepped up with 20 kills, Johnson added 15 kills and Crino had 37 assists in the
victory.
“Tekoa is an unbelievable player and works so hard,” Visser said. “She absolutely loves the
game so much and understands what it takes to reach the next level. I watched Caitlin continue to
grow and she definitely is a special player. Dasia was a huge blessing for our team. She is a very
strong player and I really enjoyed coaching her. It was a team effort and all our players
contribute. We have a young and talented team for next year.
“We were prepared and played a competitive schedule throughout the season,” Visser said. “We
have such a strong team. We have so many girls who play year-round. I didn’t feel nervous
because we are so talented. We have so many options and it’s difficult for other teams.”