Aquinas’ Porter and Calvary Christian’s Boyd are Broward Volleyball Players of the Year
.JPG)
For four seasons, Mikayla Porter established herself as one of the premier players in Broward County.
It didn’t take long for Bradee Boyd to do the same in her first season playing in the 954.
Porter’s efforts were at the heart of St. Thomas Aquinas’ run of back-to-back state championships, especially this season where she helped keep the Raiders focused on a repeat.
And Boyd, who transferred to Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian for her sophomore season, put together a breakthrough year which immediately earned the respect of her peers and might have laid the foundation for greater success in the coming years.
And so, Porter and Boyd are this season’s Miami Herald Broward County Girls’ Volleyball Players of the Year.
Porter earns the honors for Classes 7A-5A while Boyd wins it for Classes 4A-1A.
Born in South Florida, Boyd moved back to the area from New Jersey and played her freshman season at Boca Raton Christian before transferring to Calvary Christian.
Boyd, a 5-10 outside hitter, was dominant quickly and finished this season with 488 kills, 274 digs and 415 service receptions. She led the way for an Eagles squad, which advanced to the regional semifinals in Class 3A before losing in four sets to Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest.
“I’m super grateful to my mom for making the sacrifices she made to make this happen for me,” Boyd said. “We had some highs and lows this season, but we finished really strong.”
Boyd already has drawn interest from multiple colleges and said she might commit this offseason depending how the club season goes as she looks to continue to improve her overall game.
“I’ve always tried to be the player everyone can rely on. As soon as the ball drops, I’m like, ‘Set me up, I wanna hit this one.’ I want to grow my game as a whole and then potentially commit to a college. I’ve always wanted to be that player that can make any play at any moment.”
Porter has been such a player the past few seasons for Aquinas as she evolved from her role as an outside hitter to also setting for the Raiders.
Porter, 5-11, wrapped up her senior season with 168 kills, 299 assists and 130 digs and was a force all over the court while being a leader for her team on the road back to state. Porter is also garnering interest from multiple colleges and said she plans to sign next month.
“I think our mindsets individually at the beginning of the year are important. We try to write down 5 to 10 things we want to do or accomplish,” Porter said. “It’s just having a positive mindset was key to doing it again. It’s given me confidence and I take it one step at a time.”
This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 7:10 AM.
