FLEMING ISLAND - After the FHSAA changed the district lineups for area volleyball teams, Fleming Island High coach Amy Yoder made it very clear that Bishop Kenny, a 4A region finalist last year and a Final Four finisher two years ago, was the target to measure her team.

"With the new district, we lost Middleburg in our district, but got Bishop Kenny which they are the team we want to be competitive with," said Yoder, who opened the season on the road with a 3-0 win against 2A region finisher Providence.

The Golden Eagles then returning home on Thursday, Aug. 20 against, of course, Bishop Kenny.

"We went five games with them at their place last year and lost and I've never beat them since I've been a coach here," Yoder said.

Ironically, Bishop Kenny opened their season on the road with a 3-0 win over Tallahassee Lincoln, who was in the region path of Middleburg's state title in 2023.

Well, Karma has a way of striking big when it happens. Yoder's excitement of returning to Fleming Island with a big road win proved prophetic as Fleming Island blasted fourth ranked in Class 4A in 2025 Bishop Kenny 3-0 in a packed gym. Yoder dubbed a signature win for the program.

Against Bishop Kenny, Yoder displayed a four-player attack at the net, led by junior smasher Lilly Eason's 17 kills and with senior Lauren Brosky adding nine.

"They both had big nights, but we got timely scoring hits from Kaylee Clark and Moe'ono'ono Aseta to keep their defense off balance," Yoder said.

Fleming Island won a tough 25-23 first game, dominated the second game 25-12, then finished the match with a 25-20 victory.

Fleming Island, now 2-0, will have Fletcher, Santa Fe (fifth in 4A last year), Spruce Creek and Ponte Vedra in the first week of September to test their resiliency against ranked teams.

Middleburg, 1-1 and ranked fourth in 5A last year, opened with a 3-1 road loss to Santa Fe before bouncing back with a 3-0 win over Bartram Trail. The Broncos face Oakleaf, a new district rival now, Ponte Vedra, fifth in 5A in 2025, Trinity Christian and Beachside in the first week of September. Beachside, 4-0 and ranked second in 5A in 2025, knocked out Middleburg in region playoffs last year.

The Broncos had 12 kills from senior Maysie Bader against Bartram Trail, with Katelyn Laezza adding nine.

Oakleaf is 1-1 with a loss to Fletcher with games against Middleburg, Ridgeview and Fleming Island upcoming with two biggies in early September with Nease and Bolles.

Ridgeview is 0-2 with losses to Wolfson and Trinity Christian Academy. Gainesville is on the schedule for Aug. 31.

Clay is 0-2 with Keystone Heights, Baker County and Ridgeview upcoming. Orange Park is also 0-2 with Oakleaf and Creekside, Keystone Heights, Riverside and Bishop Snyder up next.

St. Johns Country Day School opened at 2-0 with wins over St. Johns Classic Academy and Old Plank.

Keystone Heights has been busy at 3-2 with a recent win over Orange Park and wins over Interlachen and Baker County. They will visit Orange Park and have a home game with Clay this week. Senior hitter Mia Rivera, a top-ranked smasher in Class 3A last year and now at fifth best in Florida, is already at 51 kills in just four games.

FIHS swim gets world-ranked coach

By Randy Lefko,

randy@claytodayonline.com

FLEMING ISLAND - Former Bartram Trail High swimmer Morgan Ray and recent coach at the Bolles School, has been hired as coach for the Fleming Island High swim team, replacing departed coach Matthew Fetzner.

Ray, 23, who has been a coach at The Bolles School the past year, joins the Golden Eagles team with plenty of awards in national and international competitions with the USA National Paralympics Swim team.

"One of my coaches at Bolles pushed me to navigate the opportunity to coach at Fleming Island, and I have had plenty interaction with Fleming Island swimmers who train with the Bolles summer club teams," said Ray, who also swam at University of North Florida. "My experience at Bolles has been wonderful and I'm excited to be here."

Ray has a 1-minute, 14-second freestyle best time and a 1:21 in the 100 breaststroke. He is already excited about the Fleming Island team that recently got two state- and nationally-ranked local swimmers added to his team - state 200 free champion Noah Stotler from Clay and Jackson Strickland from Ridgeview. They will join a team that already has state 500 free champion William Shoesmith and sprinter Grant Robertson.

"We've been fortunate to get a couple of guys over here and we'll be ready to make some noise," said Ray, who has been a summer league swimmer since age six.

Ray has been an internationally-ranked breaststroke and freestyler at the Paris 2024 Paralympics Games with a silver in 4 x 50 medley relay, a fourth in breaststroke and a sixth in 4 x 100 medley relay. He has been a medalist in USA Paralympics Nationals since 2022.

"I'm going to a training camp for a week in California, then compete in the 2026 Para Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Walnut, California on Aug. 28-30," said Ray. "I got a silver at world champs in 2022 in Portugal, and I got a bronze last year."

Ray commented that he uses his height disadvantage as motivation - both in the water and on the pool deck.

"I think my experience at the elite level, plus my experience as an underdog kind of in life has made me more appreciative of that underdog athlete I might be coaching," said Ray. "I have three brothers and I played all kinds of non-adaptive sports growing up, but I think having the Paralympics where the playing field is even, I have both perspectives."