At the end of each season, The News-Press and Naples Daily News select All-Area teams honoring the best athletes for every varsity sport. Coaches from area schools are sent nomination forms and are asked to nominate and rank their athletes as well as those from other teams. That data combined with our research led to the selection of the All-Area teams.
PAIR OF THE YEAR
Delayna Kerry and Brooke Smith
School: Estero
Year: Senior/Junior
Delayna Kerry and Brooke Smith are used to playing high-level beach volleyball.
Kerry and Smith have played on the No. 1 court for the last two seasons, going 8-4 a year ago. This season, they elevated themselves to a 12-2 record, putting together the best resume of any duo in the area.
For their play, Kerry and Smith are the 2026 Southwest Florida Beach Volleyball Pair of the Year, joining Bishop Verot’s Marissa Peck and Lindsey Walsh (2024) and Fort Myers’ Gabby Dwyer and Ashlee Tenkley (2025) as the third pair to win the award.
“It feels good because we fought hard last year,” Kerry said. “This year, it means a lot because it’s my last year, and I got to finish it with my partner I had last year.”
Question: Having played together last year, what were the things you worked on heading into this season?
Kerry: Definitely our partnership. Last year, we just started playing together. This year definitely changed up a lot for us, knowing how we both play with each other and change whatever problems we used to have.
What’s the biggest adaptation from indoor to beach?
Smith: I feel like it’s the wind for me because sometimes, the weather can be really bad. Adjusting to the wind is a really big factor.
What was your favorite memory from this past season?
Kerry: Just winning together. We won a lot, laughed a lot, and overall, we got closer together.
What’s an aspect of beach that you enjoy more than indoor?
Smith: I like how there’s still a team. There’s five teams, but you have your partner, and you can really focus in. It’s more of your game.
What are you going to miss most about playing with each other?
Kerry: Definitely laughing a lot. We laugh a lot and sometimes gets to us. We have to lock in, but that’s what our friendship is.
FIRST TEAM
Sidney Blackwood and Maddy Wells
School: Bishop Verot
Year: Senior/Senior
Highlights: Wells, a Mercer signee, and Blackwood put together a strong resume. The pair finished with a 12-8 record on the No. 1 court against the toughest schedule in Southwest Florida, winning a district title and a playoff game before falling in the regional semifinals to national No. 2 Berkeley Prep.
Maya Boyd and Sienna Jancevski
School: Mariner
Year: Junior/Senior
Highlights: Jancevski and Boyd were Mariner’s top pair, finishing with a 7-2 record on the No. 1 court. Jancevski, who signed with Georgia State, was 9-4 individually while Boyd was 13-4.
Natalie Burkart and Adriana Garcia
School: First Baptist
Year: Sophomore/Senior
Highlights: Burkart and Garcia joined forces midseason and put together a strong run together, going 5-1 on the No. 1 court for the Lions. Individually, Burkart was 9-3 while Garcia finished 11-1.
Kasey Corr and Bella Higby
School: Fort Myers
Year: Senior/Senior
Highlights: Corr and Higby were Fort Myers’ top pair on the No. 1 court from the halfway point onward, going 9-3 together. Corr was 10-7 individually, while Higby finished 11-6.
Callee Jones and Hailey Scheffler
School: St. John Neumann
Year: Senior/Senior
Highlights: Jones and Scheffler didn’t leave the No. 1 court all year, finishing 10-3 with wins over First Baptist, CSN, Aubrey Rogers, Canterbury, LaBelle, and Barron Collier among others.
Harley Mendez and Lilliana Seldat
School: North Fort Myers
Year: Junior/Senior
Highlights: Seldat, an FIU commit, and Mendez found widespread success together this season at North, finishing with a 13-1 record on the No. 1 court. The Red Knights advanced to a regional semifinal in Class 3A-Region 3.
Daphne Smallwood and Gabby Williamson
School: LaBelle
Year: Junior/Senior
Highlights: Smallwood and Williamson dominated on the No. 2 court with a 15-1 record, while going 2-0 on the No. 1 court to give the Cowgirls a district title and a playoff appearance in Class 2A-Region 4.
SECOND TEAM
Emma Blackwell and Olivia Holt, Evangelical Christian
Kyley Corr and Finley Masiero, Fort Myers
Lilly Engle and Casey Kennedy, Estero
Camryn Hedge and Caroline Hathaway, Bishop Verot
Alexa Hicks and Maria Gorlatova, Seacrest Country Day
Aariah Johnson and Anna Tigertail, LaBelle
Cassandra Maldonado-Pagan and Sophia Schultz, Gulf Coast
Gaby Muzio and Mia Ringhofer, Community School
HONORABLE MENTION
Aubrey Rogers: Francesca Mauro and Claire Preston
Barron Collier: Ella Babinski and Luna Galt
Bishop Verot: Jane Marson and Laney Schmidt
Bonita Springs: Maddie Masters and Bella Sandoval
Canterbury: Charlotte Laquis and Kali Young
Cape Coral: Marin Beaulieu and Emmie Lykens
Community School: Claire Byerly and Aniston Newman
Cypress Lake: Avery Gulotta and Kiara Olivares
Dunbar: Doryam Catro Lobo and Emilin Us
East Lee County: Kamila Alvarez and Maria Alvarez
Estero: Kylan Penwitt and Lizzy Stewart
Evangelical Christian: Kaylee Vrogeh and Autumn Worley
First Baptist: Maggie Adamczyk and Laila Stewart
Fort Myers: Kylie Baksh and Mia Cutri
Gateway: Anyely Alvarez and Coral Cole
Golden Gate: J’Nyah Francois and Faith Santos
Gulf Coast: Andreya Karakosta and Olivia Perry
Ida Baker: Olivia Adams and Olivia Sluder
Immokalee: Jael Anzualda and Kaylee Carter
LaBelle: Lexi Tack and Bekah Tigertail
Lehigh: Jayda Fleming and Jocelyn Lopez
Lely: Shannyah Bain and Addison Heinrich
Marco Island: Medney Garraux and Rylee Howard
Mariner: Angie DeBlasi and Perry Miller
Naples: Brooke Camino and Alisha Gjoni
North Fort Myers: Amy Guerrero and Aliyah Santiago
Riverdale: Natalie Grant and Hayden Waln
St. John Neumann: Rae Donahue and Leah McGovern
Seacrest Country Day: Harper Campins and Anna Sofia Lopez
South Fort Myers: Lea Gordy and Marjorie Paris
SFCA: Journey Cook and Adelyn Hanson
COACH OF THE YEAR
Katie Scafidi
School: Bishop Verot
Highlights: Scafidi and the Vikings were the area’s top beach team this season, finishing 14-6 against the toughest schedule in Southwest Florida. Bishop Verot won the Class 1A-District 12 title and a regional quarterfinal game before falling to eventual state champion Berkeley Prep.
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X at @NP_AlexMartin or via email: amartin@usatodayco.com. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Meet the 2026 SW FL Beach Volleyball All-Area Team, Pair of the Year
Reporting by Alex Martin, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
