Volleyball rankings: Athlete of the Week Tekoa Barnes propels Boca Raton Christian

Emilee Smarr, Palm Beach Post

October 5, 2022 at 5:26 PM·6 min read

BOCA RATON — Before Hurricane Ian wiped out athletic events in Palm Beach County schools last week, Boca Raton Christian girls volleyball was "home, sweep, home" with a three-set victory over Lake Worth Christian on Monday.

In 2021, BRC defeated the five-time Class 2A state champion Defenders for the first time in program history on the road.

This year, Blazers coach Len Visser's squad made milestones again with their first home win over Lake Worth and, most importantly, their first ever sweep.

More Volleyball: West Boca volleyball's 'Captain Hook' spurs Bulls' midseason surge

More Rankings:Week 6 restores order in Palm Beach County high school football power rankings

More Preps: Cardinal Newman football owns John Carroll with second half shutout

Boca Raton Christian sophomore Tekoa Barnes was the Post's inaugural Athlete of the Week for the 2022 school year.

Tekoa Barnes, The Palm Beach Post's inaugural Athlete of the Week for the 2022 season, recorded an overwhelming 23 kills in BRC's 2021 win against the Defenders.

Waiting in the wings of Boca Raton Christian's four-set upset last fall was Bradee Boyd. Then, Boyd was a seventh-grader on Lake Worth Christian's roster watching a freshman Barnes record her best performance leading up to the Blazers' run to 2A region finals.

For her last year of middle school, Boyd could be found on the left side of the net in Boca Raton Christian's white and green, and Barnes watching a younger version of herself dominate for the Blazers.

"She reminds me of me," Barnes said with a smile.

This season against the Defenders, Barnes and Boyd combined for 23 hits, posting 13 and 10, respectively.

"I don't have to have like 87 attempts every game. We can both just balance each other," Barnes said. "Now that I see that she's very experienced and she knows what she's doing, it really helps me."

But Barnes can still post those 20-plus-kill solo performances, proven in Boca Raton Christian's return to the court on Tuesday's sweep against Westminster Academy.

13 digs and a career-high 24 kills solidified why the sophomore is already a highly touted SEC prospect — and someone her teammates aspire to be like one day.

"I know she's gonna go far," Boyd said of Barnes. "I'm just so blessed to say I know her, I was friends with her, I was on a team with her."

Tekoa Barnes' mini-me, Bradee Boyd, stands with Blazers head coach Len Visser after last Monday's three-set sweep over Lake Worth Christian.

"To know she said she sees herself in me makes me so happy. I'm just feeling goosebumps because she's so good and I look up to her so much," Boyd said. "I just love her so much. She's like a big sister to me."

With her performance against Westminster, Barnes hit 405 kills on the season, making her the No. 1 outside hitter of all classifications and classes in the state.

Barnes has seen her growth on the court athletically and as a role model, finding her "maturity" to be the biggest difference in her game from last year to now.

"I feel like my responsibility is to teach them how to be the best player they can be," Barnes said.

Quite frankly, there's no better standard for the young core of Blazers than Barnes herself.

See where Boca Raton Christian and more fell in this week's edition of girls volleyball power rankings below.

1. Jupiter (14-4)

Last week: No. 2

Jupiter's Macy Mcamis, left, celebrates with Sarah Brodner during match against Boca Raton in Boca Raton on September 15, 2022.

The loss to Boca Raton appears to have lit a fire in the Warriors.

With the exception of a Bartram Trail (17-5) tournament defeat that Jupiter avenged later that day, the state-caliber squad has gone on a six-game win streak — and counting — since their trip down south.

2. Boca Raton (15-0)

Last week: No. 1

The Bobcats have been chilling for two Saturdays and still have another week of R&R before finally hitting the hardwood again next Monday to face a 3-11 University School squad.

3. Boca Raton Christian (17-3)

Last week: No. 5

Boca Raton Christian volleyball player Tekoa Barnes celebrates against Lake Worth Christian in Boynton Beach, Florida on September 21, 2021.

Considering the Blazers did win one set on the road at King's, I have no problem boosting them over the Lions this week.

If you've witnessed the level they're playing at, it's hard to believe that of six girls on this roster of 13, four are in eighth grade and two are in middle school. Barnes isn't the only state stat leader. Eighth-grade setter Caitlin Crino's 545 assists place her at No. 7 in Florida.

4. Benjamin (10-4)

Last week: No. 7

Payton Bryan (10) is introduced before Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A girls' volleyball action at The Benjamin School in Palm Beach Gardens on Sept. 6. The Scots won the night's match in three straight games over the hosting Buccaneers.

Just like last year, we knew Benjamin would warm up in the second half.

The Bucs returned to regularly scheduled programming on Tuesday with a four-set win over St. John Paul II and are hoping to stack on seven straight victories when meeting final bosses Lake Worth Christian and Jupiter next week.

5. King's (10-8)

Last week: No. 4

I had a little bit more hope for how King's would fare against an undefeated, top-ranked Westminster Christian.

Alas, Miami's Warriors went for a fifth straight three-set sweep in their criminally good rout through Class 3A.

6. Jupiter Christian (11-5)

Last week: No. 10

Jupiter Christian's Allison Moore attempts to slam the ball across the net in the third set of Thursday's five-set loss to Benjamin on Sept. 8, 2022.

A two-set tournament loss to King's bars the Eagles from the top 5, but if you're wondering how they got here, I was right.

If you recall how Jupiter Christian took out the brooms for Lake Worth Christian a couple of weeks ago — despite an early-season sweep from BRC — this program is absolutely a 2A sleeper.

7. St. Andrew's (8-4)

Last week: No. 6

I can't help but wonder if the Scots might've won more than one set against Gulliver Prep if the hurricane hadn't wiped out a week of preparation.

Still, the Raiders have only given up 15 sets all season, including St. Andrew's win, and they're 18-1.

Not a shabby return to the court for the red and white.

8. Lake Worth Christian (12-6)

Last week: No. 3

In addition to Boca Raton Christian's Blazers, the Bobcats of Boca Raton High took the Defenders down again. This time in just two sets.

The road ahead doesn't get any easier for LWC either as they prepare for Orangewood Christian, Bradenton Christian, Palm Beach Gardens, Benjamin and St. Andrew's.

Terri Kaiser's crew is known for its depth, but it looks like that trademark is missing this year as the Defenders' roster feels the impact of transfers to King's and BRC, leaving a heavy load for impact returners Abigail Toeniskoetter and Lucianna Marinella.

9. Suncoast (7-5)

Last week: No. 8

A four-set win over Gardens sustains Suncoast, while a two-set tournament smackdown from Lake Worth Christian knocks the sneaky Chargers down a peg.

Suncoast recovered nicely with three consecutive wins and seeks to carry them over into this week against Okeechobee (10-4) and maybe even surprise the local volleyball scene hosting BRC next Tuesday.

10. Palm Beach Gardens (11-8)

Last week: No. 9

Pre-hurricane, the Gators fell on hard times in the Palm Beach County Classic, suffering back-to-back two-set defeats from Boca Raton and Lake Worth Christian.

Post-hurricane, Gardens almost returned to its winning ways, stretching South Fork (9-6) to five sets. However, the Bulldogs are down a top player, and that made a win that much more possible for the Gators.

A 10-3 record for Thursday opponent Royal Palm Beach makes it sound like the Wildcats could give Gardens a run for its money, but the Gators' biggest challenges as district-seeding ends next week will be LWC and a meeting with the Bobcats to close the regular season.

Emilee Smarr is the high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. She can be reached at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tekoa Barnes propels Boca Raton Christian as Athlete of the Week

Yahoo Finance
Boeing stock pops on tentative agreement with union to end strike as overall cost nears $10 billion
Weary Boeing investors are getting a lift on Friday after the planemaker and its main worker union, the International Association of Machinists, struck a tentative deal.
Associated Press
Judge dismisses Missouri lawsuit that sought watchers at early voting
A Missouri judge on Friday denied a Republican committeeman's effort to force the state's third-largest county to allow watchers or challengers to observe early voting. Judge Dewayne Johnson wrote that the document filed by St. Charles County Central Committeeman Travis Allen Heins “fails to satisfy the requirements” of a temporary restraining order. “I’m not an attorney and never claimed to be,” Heins told The Associated Press.
USA TODAY
Who’s winning the election? Legendary predictor Allan Lichtman has ‘crows’ in his stomach
The historian who correctly predicted 9 of last 10 presidential elections said he feels particularly nervous this year.
AFP
Wall Street bounces while oil prices climb on Middle East worries
Wall Street stocks rebounded Friday from tame tech earnings and investor jitters less than a week before a neck-and-neck US presidential election. Wall Street closed sharply lower Thursday, with the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite index dropping nearly three percent.
Associated Press
Harris team warns CEOs that Trump is a threat to economy, while Trump promises them historic growth
Kamala Harris ' campaign is actively warning business leaders that Donald Trump has a pattern of disregard for democracy and the rule of law that would threaten U.S. economic growth — a closing argument designed to show the possible consequences for companies and workers if he returns to the White House. It’s a position that Trump's team rejects as they tell voters that prices will be lower and growth stronger than ever before if he wins Tuesday's election. The rival positions get at a fundamental distinction between the two candidates on how to guide the world’s largest economy: Harris’ team is arguing that the rule of law creates the certainty that can make markets and workers thrive, while Trump is arguing that tariff increases and tax cuts are the keys for growth.
Associated Press
An Idaho health department isn't allowed to give COVID-19 vaccines anymore. Experts say it's a first
A regional public health department in Idaho is no longer providing COVID-19 vaccines to residents in six counties after a narrow decision by its board. Vaccinations are an essential function of a public health department. While policymakers in Texas banned health departments from promoting COVID vaccines and Florida's surgeon general bucked medical consensus to recommend against the vaccine, governmental bodies across the country haven't blocked the vaccines outright.
Yahoo Finance
Trump's tariff plan would hit a key voting bloc's favorite pastime: video games
Among the many products Donald Trump's China tariffs could touch are video gaming equipment. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign is zeroing in on male voters under 50 in swing states — also known largely as gamers.
Associated Press
Georgia county says more than 3,000 absentee ballots being mailed late just days before election
Election officials in Georgia’s third-largest county said they’re late in mailing more than 3,000 absentee ballots to voters just a few days before the election. Election officials in Cobb County north of Atlanta were using U.S. Postal Service express mail and UPS overnight delivery in an effort to deliver the ballots on time. Mail-in ballots must be returned by Election Day on Tuesday in order to be counted.
USA TODAY
Peanut the Squirrel, social media star, seized from New York home leaving owner, fans upset
Peanut the Squirrel, also known as PNUT, boasts 534,000 followers on Instagram. He enjoys eating waffles, doing tricks and greeting his owner.
Associated Press
Tourists toss coins over a makeshift pool as Rome’s Trevi Fountain undergoes maintenance
Tourists eager to return to the Eternal City are being forced to toss coins over a plastic barrier and into a small makeshift pool in front of Rome’s Trevi Fountain while the attraction is being drained for maintenance. “I think it is a very sweet gesture that people can still do that," said Marianna Strekstadt, visiting from the Netherlands on Friday. Others, like Daniela Carbone, found the substitute pool “ugly.”
AFP
South Carolina to execute Black man for shooting store clerk
A Black man convicted by an all-white jury and sentenced to death for a killing he claims was in self-defense is to be executed in the US state of South Carolina on Friday.There have been 20 executions in the United States this year including one in South Carolina.
USA TODAY
Wyoming's Amendment A: what you need to know about property tax relief
Wyoming's Amendment A puts property tax relief in the hands of voters on Election Day.
AFP
Kenya reintroduces tax reforms with new deputy president
Kenya plans to reintroduce some of the tax hikes that sparked deadly protests earlier this year, the government announced Friday, while a new deputy president was sworn in after weeks of high political drama.It followed weeks of drama around the impeachment of Ruto's previous deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, who was accused of ethnically divisive politics.
Associated Press
Dutch junior finance minister quits after questions over his personal investments
The Dutch junior minister for finance quit Friday following criticism of his refusal to publish details of his personal investments. Folkert Idsinga is a member of the New Social Contract party that campaigned last year on pledges to restore trust in elected officials following a string of government scandals. Announcing his resignation Friday, he insisted he had done nothing wrong, saying he had followed established procedures by declaring his investments to the official who vetted new Cabinet members and putting them into a holding foundation so that he could not interact with them while in office.
Reuters
Iran adviser hints at expansion of missile range, nuclear doctrine review after Israel strikes
Asked by Lebanon-based pro-Iran broadcaster Al-Mayadeen whether Iran was ready if conflict were to expand after the recent strikes, Kharrazi said Iran was likely to up the range of its ballistic missiles beyond a self-imposed limit of 2,000 km (1,250 miles). He said that although Iran has the technical capability to produce nuclear weapons, it is currently held back by a fatwa, or religious decree, issued in the early 2000s by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
NBC News
Two charts and a map to help make sense of all the early voting data
Charts and data put into context the tens of millions of votes already cast in the 2024 presidential election.
AFP
Spain flood deaths top 200, more troops join rescue
Rescuers on Friday raised the death toll in Spain's worst floods for a generation to 205 as the government deployed more troops in an increasingly desperate search for survivors.The government has deployed another 500 troops to the stricken areas to bolster the 1,200 already on site for search, rescue and logistics tasks.
Yahoo Finance
Oil prices jump on report Iran may be preparing attack against Israel
Oil rose on Friday as traders once again turned their focus to Iran-Israel tensions.
CNN
Marine veteran Daniel Penny goes on trial for manslaughter in NYC subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely
Opening statements are underway Friday in the trial of the US military veteran accused of fatally choking a homeless Black man on the New York City subway last year, in a case that touches on the hot-button issues of subway crime, mental illness, race relations and vigilante justice.
CNN
Harris isn’t ready to talk about who might serve in her potential administration
Kamala Harris has a packed schedule these days: multi-state campaign stops; briefings from advisers on issues at home and abroad; a steady stream of phone calls, meetings and interviews, all as she hopes that she will defeat Donald Trump in next week’s election.