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Varsity 4 Super 6 volleyball: Middleburg opens season at the top of the rankings

The News4JAX Varsity 4 Super 6 volleyball rankings are published each Wednesday during the regular season. (News4JAX)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The News4JAX Varsity 4 Super 6 high school volleyball rankings will be published each Wednesday during the regular season. Records are through Aug. 27 games.

Varsity 4 Super 6 volleyball rankings

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Rank, school, record, classification

1. Middleburg (3-0, Class 5A)

Notable win: Providence.

Glance: The Broncos, the reigning Class 5A state champ, open the season at the top of the Super 6 pile. Brooke Forkum and Camden Rahn are the two big attackers the Middleburg. Forkum is a returning All-News4JAX selection and Rahn was an honorable mention last year as a sophomore.

2. Bishop Kenny (2-0, Class 4A)

Notable wins: Bartram Trail, Creekside.

Glance: Aren’t the only guarantees in life death, taxes and Bishop Kenny’s volleyball team as one of the area’s best? Something like that. Kenny is the volleyball absolute when it comes to tradition. Coach Suzanne Winkler’s squad is once again a threat for a deep playoff run. They beat Bartram (3-1) and Creekside (3-0) to kick things off. Big games on Friday against Gainesville and Cardinal Mooney round out the week. Olivia Ryno is the big name to watch for the Crusaders.

3. Beachside (3-0, Class 5A)

Notable win: Trinity Christian.

Glance: Three consecutive 3-0s to start the season, the headliner in those a win over Trinity. Adriana Jeanpierre is coming off an All-News4JAX second team selection last year and is blazing up the attack list. With a career year, she could reach 1,000 career kills this season. Erica Duffy was an honorable metion All-News4JAX pick as a sophomore and she’s off to a fast start this year. If there’s a team to buy stock in early, it’s the Barracudas. Another big test Thursday against Ponte Vedra.

4. Ponte Vedra (2-0, Class 5A)

Notable wins: Harvest, Providence.

Glance: Sharks are always a solid bet for a trek into the third round of the playoffs. Two solid wins out of the gate, including a 3-1 over the Stallions on Tuesday night. Tough, tough week ahead with No. 3 Beachside (Thursday) and No. 1 Middleburg (Sept. 5). Avery Webb leads the defense, with Leah Grall and Ryan Murphy powering the attack.

5. Mandarin (3-0, Class 7A)

Notable wins: Atlantic Coast, Bolles.

Glance: Solid start for the Mustangs, whose top W is a 3-1 over Bolles. Paige Wind is laying down the numbers (11 kills in 16 chances). The Mustangs swept rival Atlantic Coast on Tuesday night and face a tough Creekside next on Thursday. Mandarin started 8-0 last season before running into the meat of its schedule. Expect the Mustangs and Fletcher to once again battle for Gateway Conference bragging rights.

6. Bolles (2-1, Class 3A)

Notable win: Trinity Christian.

Glance: A 3-1 loss to Mandarin in the opener has been followed by up with wins over Nease and Trinity Christian. Sophia Albaugh has been cranking out kills (51). Lily Adams (124 assists), Penelope Kavalieros (80 digs) and Sally Cleland (14 blocks) have all had strong starts for the Bulldogs. Bolles is in ahead of Fletcher in the debut Super 6.

Teams to watch

Bartram Trail (1-3, Class 6A); Christ’s Church (2-0, Class 1A); Creekside (2-1, Class 7A); Fleming Island (3-1, Class 5A); Harvest Community (7-3, Class 1A); Orange Park (3-1, Class 5A); Tocoi Creek (2-1, Class 6A); Trinity Christian (0-2, Class 2A).


About the Author

Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years.

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