St. Thomas Aquinas’ Dave Palm is the Broward Beach Volleyball Coach of the Year
St. Thomas Aquinas beach volleyball has been inching closer and closer to a state championship in recent years.
In the meantime, the Raiders continue to be the most consistent and dominant program in Broward and one of the best in the state.
Their coach, Dave Palm, is a major reason for this success.
And he’s once again, the Miami Herald’s Broward County Beach Volleyball Coach of the Year.
Palm guided the Raiders back to the state final four for the second consecutive season this year after a 19-5 season.
Aquinas went unbeaten against Broward County teams and lost to eventual Class 3A state champion Jupiter in the state semifinals in Tallahassee.
Even after graduating its top two players from last season, the Raiders remained on top in the county with sophomores Emma Bear and Alexa Raymond, the Miami Herald’s Players of the Year, leading the way.
Bear and Raymond formed a strong tandem at the top of Aquinas’ lineup, leading it to its fourth consecutive trip to the state tournament overall.
Even after the state expanded the sport’s format to three classifications with more teams participating statewide, Aquinas remained strong and overcame a tough stretch just before the playoffs.
The Raiders won their first 12 matches this season before mid-April when they lost four of five matches, including three in a row against three of the best teams in the state in Miami Westminster Christian, West Palm Beach Kings Academy and Vero Beach.
Aquinas then course-corrected itself with six consecutive wins, capped by a regional championship win over previously unbeaten Weston Cypress Bay.
With only two seniors graduating, expect the Raiders to reload for another run at that elusive state title in 2026.
