NEW TAMPA — At 5-foot-11 with long arms, Amia Kennerdy is an imposing front-line presence for Wharton High’s volleyball team. But it’s her court awareness and her feel for a sport she has played since age 5 that elevate her game, and they’re a big reason the Wildcats are having their best season in years.
“She came in as a freshman as the strongest hitter that I’ve ever had, and I’ve had some great outside hitters,” said Eric Barber, in his 19th season as Wharton’s coach. “Her shoulder strength is incredible.
“The way she has improved her game is a little more technical. She has been able to hit different spots in the court more consistently, and her jump serve has been a growth in her game from last season. She’s put the work in to continue to grow and not just be satisfied as someone that can club a ball really hard.”
That was on full display Sept. 22 against visiting Chamberlain. Kennerdy had 18 kills, five digs and two aces as the Wildcats rolled 25-5, 25-6, 25-2 to improve to 15-3.
Second-year Chamberlain coach Stephanie Camden came away impressed.
“I had not seen her until tonight because we didn’t play Wharton last year,” Camden said. “Her reading the court is incredible. I would move my players to a specific area because she had been hitting the ball there, and immediately she would hit the ball where they had been before. Her serving is also beautiful.”
Though the Chiefs fell to 1-6, Camden said her young players learned plenty by watching Kennerdy.
“Just seeing the way she reads the court, that’s something we struggle with sometimes,” Camden said. “Seeing that in real time can be helpful for us.”
Always her game
A gifted all-around athlete, Kennerdy also played basketball and soccer and competed in gymnastics as a youngster. But by the time she entered Terrace Community Middle School in Temple Terrace, she was focused solely on volleyball, playing on travel teams.
“I love how your teammates become like family, and they give me a lot of support,” she said. “Playing for a team that wants to go far. The competitiveness. I love to hear the cheers and how hyped we get before a match.”
Kennerdy had 211 kills as a freshman, 154 as a sophomore and 141 as a junior. She already has 160 this season.
She agreed with her coach that her court awareness has improved, and she said her mental approach to the sport drives her.
“I’m seeing open seams on the court and making my shot, and my passing has gotten better,” she said. “I’ve had hard coaches through the years, and there was always pressure being the best player on the team. But it motivated me to work hard and push my teammates and show people why I deserve to be on the court.”
That dedication has produced three all-district selections and interest from colleges across the country, including many in Florida. But Kennerdy, who lived in Colorado until her family moved to Tampa before she started elementary school, said she would like to return to her native state.
“I love the environment, the people and the culture there,” she said.
More to do
First, there’s a postseason run to make.
The Wildcats have been especially tough at home, winning seven straight matches there through Sept. 22, a streak dating to last season.
Wharton reached the regional quarterfinals last year, but Barber said its 10-10 record fell short of the program’s usual standards.
“The last few years we have not won as many games as we have in the past,” Barber said. “This year they’ve really shown a lot of growth and flipped the script. It started in summer camps and continued in preseason. We have a group of girls that work well together and put in the work to get here.
“They have all the skill to make a really deep run.”
The road won’t be easy. Districts were realigned this season, placing Wharton in a Class 5A district with Pinellas County’s East Lake and Pasco County’s Sunlake, Land O’ Lakes, Mitchell, Wesley Chapel and Cypress Creek.
“All solid programs,” Barber said. “So we’ll have to go through all the Pasco schools to get to regionals again.”
He has no doubt who will lead the way.
“She’s our offensive leader and she’s our energy leader,” Barber said. “The team feeds off her enthusiasm on and off the court. It’s been a pleasure and privilege to coach her these four years.”