Receiving 38.28% of the possible votes over a list of three additional finalists, Boca Raton Christian junior volleyball player Tekoa Barnes has been named the ITG Next Florida Female Athlete of the Month for October 2023.
Barnes was honored for her on-court play in September, beating out two other volleyball players – Osceola’s Cate Palmi and Carrollwood Day’s Lydia Chinchar – and Cardinal Mooney cross country runner Addison Dempsey.
Entering the 2023 season, it was no secret Barnes was one of the state’s most productive volleyball players. Why, you ask? Because the Boca Raton Christian outside hitter had such an impressive sophomore campaign a year ago, ranking among Florida’s leaders in kills with 628.
Barnes has carried over that success into 2023 for the Blazers. In September, when the Blazers posted a 9-2 record and dropped only six sets altogether, Barnes posted totals of 176 kills, 148 returns, 72 digs, 12 aces, 10 assists, and 8 blocks. Also included in that span was an impressive average of 6.3 kills per set and 16 kills per match.
September included several noteworthy performances by Barnes, including a season-high 29 kills on two occasions in losses to King’s Academy. Barnes had double-digit kills in 8 of 10 matches, along with a few other notable takeaways, such as a 15+ kill stretch in six matches from September 8-26 (a streak she carried over into October); and a season-high 16 digs and 4 assists in a win over Calvary Christian Academy.
For the season overall, with Boca Raton Christian holding a 17-2 record at the time of this writing, Barnes has a season stat line of 300 kills, 224 returns, 144 digs, 29 aces, 15 assists, and 14 blocks. She is averaging 5.7 kills per set with a 49.9 kill percentage, and she is again among the state’s leaders in total kills this season.
Congratulations on a phenomenal September and overall season by Boca Raton Christian volleyball player Tekoa Barnes, the ITG Next Florida October 2023 Female Athlete of the Month.
