Bishop Kenny volleyball cruises to state title win

Crusaders roll to 25-10, 25-18, 25-17 win over Merritt Island in Class 5A final

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Bishop Kenny volleyball team punctuated its run to the Class 5A state title on Friday with another dominant victory.

The Crusaders, who dropped only nine games all season, defeated Merritt Island 25-10, 25-18, 25-17 in the championship match.

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Bishop Kenny (31-1) raced out to a 16-3 lead with a 12-point run in Game 1 and squelched short Merritt Island runs in Games 2 and 3 to come away with the title.

Bishop Kenny's seniors led the way to the team's first state championship since 1999. Outside hitter Denvyr Tyler-Palmer had 15 kills, outside hitter Molly Burkhardt had 11 kills, setter Natalie Chebi had 26 assists, and libero Sophia Liguori had seven digs.

After seven previous final four trips and two state final appearances, longtime coach Suzanne Winkler also claimed her first state title at the Crusaders' helm.


About the Author:

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.