Volleyball teams bump into postseason

Story by Griffin Pritchard | Publisher

Photos by Sandie Free & Brian Tannehill | CAScoreboard Photographers

MONTGOMERY – Coaches at the start of the 2021 season described it as a sprint. To continue with that adage, it’s coming into the home stretch and only a handful are left standing. Montgomery Catholic, Trinity (both 3A), Pike Road (5A) and St. James (6A) have punched their ticket into the state tournament and will be playing for place when action resumes Thursday.

“I’m so proud of these girls, this team, this program,” said Joi Washington, coach of the Pike Road Patriots.

After running through their area tournament, the Patriots swept Elberta and Satsuma 3-0 in successive matches and will meet Providence Christian Thursday afternoon at 2 for a spot in the Regional Championship. Sylacauga on the top of the bracket, with wins over Rehobeth (3-2) and Demopolis (3-0), meets perennial volleyball power Bayside to fill out the Final Four.

Washington: “God honors hard work.”

• 

• 

• 

And that’s what this tournament is – a string of hard-work matches.

Montgomery Catholic – 3A’s top volleyball team – defeated Trinity (No. 2 in 3A) in the area final to advance to the Regional Tournament. At Cramton Bowl, the Volleyball Knights bounced Flomaton and Mobile Christian to advance to the semifinal where they will meet Houston Academy Thursday afternoon at 2.

• 

• 

• 

Rival Trinity knocked off T.R. Miller in straight sets to open the tournament and then won a 3-2 battle with St. Luke’s to advance to a semifinal showdown with Hale County also at 2.

“The girls made me so proud today,” said Sarah Dubberley, coach of the Volleyball Wildcats. “We knew facing St. Luke’s would be tough. They’re such a talented team. We won the first and then lost the next two sets. In volleyball it’s  tough to come back from that. The girls set the tone in the fourth set and then the fifth. I think the fact they work so hard in the weight room helped so much not letting fatigue be a factor in the match.”

Emma Kate Smith, Emma Moody and Reese Patterson combined for 49 kills. Isabel Hill accounted for 15 digs. Addison Cherry had 13 digs and 52 assists.

Dubberley: “I’m so thankful our season is continuing.”

• 

• 

• 

In 6A, St. James continued their run advancing to a Final 4 appearance against Saraland Thursday afternoon at 12:45. Northridge and St. Paul’s make up the top half of the 6A South bracket.

“I’m very proud of how my girls played today,” said Karen Lee, coach of the St. James Trojans. “They were firing on all cylinders in the first match against Hueytown. They played with a lot of emotion and energy.”

The Trojans defeated the Gophers in straight sets and then defeated Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 3-1.

Lee: “We played a hard fought match. My girls fought hard in the first set to come from behind. Coming from behind has been something we’ve had to work on in practice and it’s not always something we handle well in actual matches. So to see them put it into action against Hillcrest showed how much they have grown this season. I’m thrilled for my players and our program to be headed back to state in a strong 6A classification.”

St. James, like Bayside and several other schools competing in the regional, are playing above their classification. The Trojans compete as a 4A in most sports – but in volleyball they are going head to head with, and defeating 6A’s.

• 

• 

• 

• 

While some teams are still dancing, others heard the clock strike midnight on their season.

In 6A – Wetumpka, Stanhope Elmore, Spanish Fort and Opelika all had their seasons end.

• ·         Hillcrest Tuscaloosa defeated Opelika 3-0
• ·         Saraland defeated Wetumpka 3-0
• ·         Spanish Fort defeated Helena 3-0 in the first round, but lost St. Paul’s 3-1 in Round 2

• 

• 

• 

• 

In 5A – Brew Tech, Elmore County and Andalusia lost out.

“I’m proud of our girls, even though we did not finish where we wanted to,” said Kimberly Moncrief, coach of the multi-time area champion Elmore County Panthers. “We started slow, but they played the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th sets with a lot of heart. We had a great season, and we will work to be back next year.”

• ·         Bayside Academy defeated Brew Tech 3-0
• ·         Satsuma defeated Elmore County 3-1
• ·         Andalusia defeated Sipsey Valley 3-1, but fell in the next round to Providence Christian 3-0

• 

• 

• 

In 3A – Beulah and Dadeville battled but ultimately fell short.

• ·         Beulah knocked off Opp 3-1 to win the battle of the Bobcats, but fell to Hale County 3-2 in the next round.
• ·         Goshen defeated Dadeville 3-2

• 

• 

In 2A – Horseshoe Bend eliminated Leroy 3-1, but fell to G.W. Long in straight sets in the next round.

In the North Regional – Hayden fell in the first round of 5A play.

AHSAA 2021 VOLLEYBALL SUPER REGIONAL RSEULTS

SOUTH SUPER REGIONAL, MONTGOMERY

October 20-21-22

CLASS 1A

First Round

Area 4 RU: Choctaw County (7-6) vs.  Area 7 W: Maplesville (16-5), Thursday, 11:30 a.m.

Area 3 RU: McKenzie (8-9) vs.  Area 8 W: Woodland (20-10) , Thursday, 11:30 a.m.

Area 5 RU: Linden vs.  Area 1 W: Bayshore Christian (18-24) , Thursday, 11:30 a.m.

Area 6 RU: Notasulga (7-9) vs.  Area 2 W: Pleasant Home (18-6) , Thursday, 11:30 a.m.

Area 2 RU: Kinston (24-8) vs.  Area 6 W: Autaugaville (12-3) , Thursday, 11:30 a.m.

Area 1 RU: McIntosh (13-5) vs.  Area 5 W: University Charter School (18-3) , Thursday, 11:30 a.m.

Area 8 RU: Wadley (22-4) vs.  Area 3 W: Brantley (15-4) , Thursday, 12:45 p.m.

Area 7 RU: Billingsley (7-11) vs.  Area 4 W: Sweet Water (19-7) , Thursday, 12:45 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Match 1, Thursday, 3:30 p.m.

Match 2, Thursday, 3:30 p.m.

Match 3, Thursday, 3:30 p.m.

Match 4, Thursday, 3:30 p.m.

Semifinal 1, Friday, 10 a.m.

Semifinal 2, Friday, 10 a.m.

Championship: Finals, Friday, 1 p.m.

Consolation: Finals, Friday, 1 p.m.

CLASS 2A

First Round

B.B. Comer 3, Clarke County (4-13) 0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-7)

Ariton (24-9) 3, Ranburne 0  (25-24, 25-12, 35-15)

Orange Beach (24-17) 3, Highland Home (12-11) 0

Fayetteville (14-17) 3, Geneva County (14-15) 0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-9)

Isabella (19-5) 3, Cottonwood 0

Washington County (18-7) 3, Luverne (21-6) 0

G.W. Long (35-6) 3, Lanett 0

Horseshoe Bend (17-14) 3, Leroy (17-8) 0

Quarterfinals

Ariton (25-9) 3, B.B. Comer 1

Orange Beach (25-17) 3, Fayetteville (14-18) 0

Washington County (19-7) 3, Isabella (19-6) 0

G.W. Long (36-6) 3, Horseshoe Bend (17-15) 0

Semifinals

Ariton (24-9) vs. Orange Beach (25-17), Thursday, 12:45 p.m.

Washington County (19-7) vs. G.W. Long (36-6), Thursday, 12:45 p.m.

Championship: Finals, Thursday, 5 p.m.

Consolation: Finals, Thursday, 5 p.m.

CLASS 3A

First Round

Beulah (12-7) 3, Opp (5-20) 1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-13, 25-19)

Hale County (13-15) 3, Wicksburg 0

St. Luke’s Episcopal (32-19) 3, Excel (7-8) 0

Trinity Presbyterian (40-7) 3, T.R. Miller (22-16) 0

Montgomery Catholic (35-6) 3, Flomaton (16-15) 0

Mobile Christian (15-7) 3, Thomasville (28-9) 1

Houston Academy 3, Greensboro (7-5) 0

Goshen (13-19) 3, Dadeville (13-3) 2

Quarterfinals

Hale County (14-15) 3, Beulah (12-8) 2

Trinity Presbyterian (41-7) 3, St. Luke’s Episcopal (32-20) 2

Montgomery Catholic (36-6) 3, Mobile Christian (15-8) 0

Houston Academy (23-19) 3, Goshen (13-20) 1

Semifinals

Hale County (14-15) vs. Trinity Presbyterian (41-7), Thursday, 2 p.m.

Montgomery Catholic (36-6) vs. Houston Academy (23-19), Thursday, 2 p.m.

Championship: Finals, Thursday, 5 p.m.

Consolation: Finals, Thursday, 5 p.m.

CLASS 4A

First Round

Area 4 RU: Sumter Central (7-9) vs.  Area 7 W: Cleburne County (30-11), Thursday, 9 a.m.

Area 3 RU: LAMP (18-20) vs.  Area 8 W: Dora (19-18), Thursday, 9 a.m.

Area 5 RU: Montevallo (12-13) vs.  Area 1 W: St. Michael Catholic (29-10), Thursday, 9 a.m.

Area 6 RU: American Christian vs.  Area 2 W: Straughn (25-6), Thursday, 9 a.m.

Area 2 RU: Ashford (17-14) vs.  Area 6 W: Northside, Thursday, 9 a.m.

Area 1 RU: W.S. Neal (8-13) vs.  Area 5 W: Bibb County (14-2), Thursday, 9 a.m.

Area 8 RU: Indian Springs (8-7)  vs.  Area 3 W: Montgomery Academy (21-15), Thursday, 10:15 a.m.

Area 7 RU: Munford (27-18) vs.  Area 4 W: Jackson (7-8), Thursday, 10:15 a.m.

Quarterfinals

Match 1, Thursday, 2 p.m.

Match 2, Thursday, 2 p.m.

Match 3, Thursday, 3:30 p.m.

Match 4, Thursday, 3:30 p.m.

Semifinal 1, Friday, 10 a.m.

Semifinal 2, Friday, 10 a.m.

Championship: Finals, Friday, 1 p.m.

Consolation: Finals, Friday, 1 p.m.

CLASS 5A

First  Round

Demopolis (12-14) 3, Charles Henderson (17-12) 0

Sylacauga (28-8) 3, Rehobeth (22-10) 2

Bayside Academy (51-6) 3, Brewbaker Tech (12-15) 0

UMS-Wright (25-14) 3, Jemison (16-13) 0

Satsuma (25-18) 3, Elmore County (25-12) 0

Pike Road (21-11) 3, Elberta (7-16) 0

Providence Christian (26-18) 3, Shelby County (13-13) 0

Andalusia (16-8) 3, Sipsey Valley (15-11) 1

Quarterfinals

Sylacauga (29-8) 3, Demopolis (12-15) 0

Bayside Academy (52-6) 3, UMS-Wright (25-15) 0

Pike Road (22-11) 3, Satsuma (25-19) 0

Providence Christian (27-18) 3, Andalusia (16-9) 0

Semifinals

Sylacauga (29-8) vs. Bayside Academy (52-6), Thursday, 2 p.m.

Pike Road (22-11) vs. Providence Christian (27-18), Thursday, 2 p.m.

Championship: Finals, Thursday, 6:30 p.m.

Consolation: Finals, Thursday, 6:30 p.m.

CLASS 6A

First Round

Northridge (32-16) 3, Eufaula (9-14) 0 (25-10, 25-3, 25-13)

John Carroll Catholic (28-15) 3, Sidney Lanier (7-14) 0 (25-9, 25-10, 25-9)

St. Paul’s Episcopal (41-8) 3, Stanhope Elmore 0 (25-5, 35-25, 25-11)

Spanish Fort (47-13) 3, Helena (22-23) 0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-19)

Gulf Shores (34-21) 3, Pelham (39-12) 1 (25-22, 17-25, 25-20, 25-23)

Saraland (50-4) 3, Wetumpka (23-18) 0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-7)

Saint James (21-15) 3, Hueytown (16-12) 0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-15)

Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (23-19) 3, Opelika (13-14) 0

Quarterfinals

Northridge (33-16) 3, John Carroll Catholic (28-16) 1

St. Paul’s Episcopal (42-8) 3, Spanish Fort (47-14) 1

Saraland (51-4) 3, Gulf Sores (34-22) 1

Saint James (22-15) 3, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (23-20) 1 (28-26, 25-19, 19-25, 25-22)

Semifinals

Northridge (33-16) vs. St. Paul’s Episcopal (42-8), Thursday, 12:45 p.m.

Saraland (51-4) vs. Saint James (22-15), Thursday, 12:45 p.m.

Championship: Finals, Thursday, 5 p.m.

Consolation: Finals, Thursday, 5 p.m.

CLASS 7A

Quarterfinals

Area 3 RU: Prattville (5-27) vs.  Area 4 W: Auburn (37-15), Thursday, 10:15 a.m.

Area 2 RU: Fairhope (27-15) vs.  Area 1 W: Baker (15-22) , Thursday, 10:15 a.m.

Area 4 RU: Central-Phenix City (27-10) vs.  Area 3 W: Enterprise (36-10) , Thursday, 10:15 a.m.

Area 1 RU: Mary Montgomery (18-14) vs.  Area 2 W: McGill-Toolen Catholic (34-11) , Thursday, 10:15 a.m.

Semifinal 1, Friday, 10 a.m.

Semifinal 2, Friday, 10 a.m.

Championship: Finals, Friday, 1 p.m.

Consolation: Finals, Friday, 1 p.m.