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

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.

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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."

"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

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

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

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

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