The King’s Academy girls varsity volleyball team — under the guidance of head coach Bethany Avila and assistant coaches Haley Lane and Rachael Perla — compiled an impressive 15-5 regular-season record and is focused on a deep run in the upcoming Florida High School Athletic Association’s (FHSAA) Class 3A state volleyball tournament.
After defeating Somerset College Prep Academy in straight sets on Tuesday, Oct. 15 in the semifinals of the district tournament, TKA played either Cardinal Newman High School or Lincoln Park Academy in the district final on Thursday, Oct. 17. The result was not available at press time.
Regardless of the result of Thursday night’s district final, TKA is expected to receive a bid to play in the state tournament, which begins for all classes during the week of Oct. 21.
The leading player for TKA is senior outside hitter Kelly Kinney, who stands 6-foot-2 and is a University of Minnesota commit. During matches, Kinney rarely leaves the court, as she has the skill set to set, serve, pass, dig and block.
Other key members of TKA’s volleyball squad include senior co-captain Sidney Saltalamacchia, sophomore co-captain Miranda Knoll and sophomore Alanis Molina. Saltalamacchia is a reliable server and defender, Knoll is an outside hitter, and Molina is the team’s libero.
After the district tournament final, TKA must win five matches in order to claim its first-ever state volleyball championship title. Those five games will be three regional games on Oct. 22, Oct. 26 and Oct. 29, followed by a pair of games at the state volleyball finals, which will be held on the campus of Polk State College at the Winter Haven Health Center in early November. The two Class 3A state semifinals are scheduled for Nov. 5 with the Class 3A final set for Nov. 6.
This year’s team will be looking to advance further in the FHSAA’s Class 3A tournament than last year’s Lions, who reached a regional final, only to lose to Orlando’s Lake Highland Prep. That loss has served as motivation for this year’s team.
Avila is committed to getting her squad to go further in this year’s state tournament than last year’s very talented team.
“The players have set their sights on making it to the final four in November, and it will take us staying focused, lessening a few errors and tightening up our defense,” Avila said. “But I wholly believe we will. This group is special, united and mature.”
