3A VOLLEYBALL: Trinity fights back to advance; Catholic clinches trip to state

Trinity, led by Emma Kate Smith, and Catholic, with Allyse Rudolph, qualified for the Class 3A state tournament. (Tim Gayle)

 By TIM GAYLE

The defending 3A state champions were in trouble and Sarah Dubberley knew it.

Trinity had dropped the second set 25-12 and the third set 28-26 to St. Luke’s Episcopal in the second round of the South Super Regional at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl on Wednesday afternoon.

“Losing sets two and three, typically in volleyball, is very hard to recover from,” the Trinity coach noted.  

The problem was Haley Patterson. The 6-foot star for St. Luke’s was an intimidating presence at the net, both as a blocker and as an offensive weapon.

“I told them all it takes is all you’ve got,” Dubberley said. “And y’all are very capable. But they needed to make adjustments we had been telling them in sets two and three and we saw those adjustments in sets four and five. We had to take care of No. 11. She’s a phenomenal volleyball player. When she’s back row, we’ve got to hold on to the ball and capitalize.”

The words finally hit home. Trinity, which had won the first set 25-19, fought off elimination with their best set of the day, winning 25-13 and then 15-8 in the fifth and deciding set to earn a return trip to the state tournament.

Trinity will be making its fifth trip to the state tournament since the current regional format was instituted in 2012. The Wildcats made trips in 2014, 2015 and 2018 as a 4A program and now are making their second consecutive trip as a 3A program. 

First, the Wildcats (41-7) will attempt to win the South Super Regional title, facing Hale County (14-15) in a semifinal match on Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl, while Houston Academy and Catholic (35-6) battle in the other semifinal. The winners meet for the regional title at 5 p.m., while the losers play each other in a consolation round, also at 5 p.m., to determine the seeding for next week’s state tournament.

Dubberley said she would let the players enjoy the regional title chase and try to keep the seeding speeches at a minimum.

“I try to not ever tell them the severity of the moment,” Dubberley said. “I’ve learned with this group of girls, they play better if they don’t know a lot.”

Reese Patterson had 14 kills, Emma Moody had 16 kills and Emma Kate Smith had 19 kills in the five-set battle against St. Luke’s. Addison Cherry added 52 assists, five kills and 13 digs and Isabel Hill had 15 digs. 

The Wildcats had gotten to that point with a three-set sweep of T.R. Miller earlier in the day.

Last year, Trinity, as the area champion, cruised to a pair of three-set sweeps of Goshen and Cottage Hill Christian while Prattville Christian, as the area runner-up battled St. Luke’s in a second-round match. This year, as the area runner-up, the Wildcats drew St. Luke’s in the second round. 

“I think last year our road to state was easier because we didn’t see St. Luke’s in the first or second round,” Dubberley said. “I can’t remember who we played but it wasn’t anyone of that caliber.”

Catholic advances

After a year away from postseason, making her second trip to the state tournament in three years was a happy moment for Catholic senior Julienne Pharrams.  

“It feels great,” she said. “It’s a different team, different girls. I’m just really excited and thankful that I get to experience this with them.”

Pharrams learned not to take anything for granted after her 2020 season was cut short unexpectedly with a loss in the area tournament to Trinity. After reaching the semifinals of the 4A state tournament in 2019, Catholic players and coaches could only watch last season as Trinity and Prattville Christian -- Catholic’s two area rivals -- battled in the 3A semifinals for the right to play for a state championship.

This year, it was Catholic who nailed down the top seed in the area tournament, guaranteeing a postseason berth, as Trinity and Prattville Christian fought for the right to play in the postseason, a match won by Trinity.

“Getting the No. 1 seed (in the area tournament) and being guaranteed (a spot in the area championship game) to get out of area was such a relief,” Catholic coach Sellers Dubberley said. “It was such a battle. Take PCA. They’d probably be doing the same thing we’re doing right now (if they played in the postseason). It’s a good feeling when you get out of our area and the state tournament kind of opens up in front of you. Not that there are easy teams, but there is a lot of opportunity.”

It may not have been easy, but Catholic certainly took care of business quickly, sweeping Flomaton and Mobile Christian in straight sets to qualify for the state tournament next week in Birmingham.

“I think we played some really solid teams today,” Pharrams said. “The girls on the other side of the net did a great job and it could’ve gone either way. I’m just glad it went ours.”

Catholic’s win over the Leopards got progressively easier with each set as the Knights swept Mobile Christian 25-21, 25-15 and 25-13.

“I always see things that I have to try and correct,” Dubberley said. “Not necessarily bad things, but there are things we can improve. I’m always trying to prepare for the next team’s best game. But the girls played really well when we needed to.”

Before advancing to their second state tournament in three years, the Knights (35-6) will attempt to win the South Super Regional title, facing Houston Academy in a semifinal match on Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl, while Trinity (41-7) and Hale County (14-15) battle in the other semifinal. The winners meet for the regional title at 5 p.m., while the losers play each other in a consolation round, also at 5 p.m., to determine the seeding for next week’s state tournament.

Despite reaching the main goal on Wednesday night, Pharrams promised her team would be mentally focused and ready to play on Thursday.

“I think you just take it one day at a time, one game at a time and you understand that we did what we had to do today but tomorrow is a new day, new teams, starting again at 0-0 and we just go out and play for it,” she said. 

CLASS 3A

First Round

Beulah (12-7) 3, Opp (5-20) 1 

Hale County (13-15) 3, Wicksburg 0

St. Luke’s (32-19) 3, Excel (7-8) 0

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

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 (41-7) 3, St. Luke’s (32-20) 2

Catholic (35-6) 3, Mobile Christian (15-7) 0

Houston Academy 3, Goshen (13-19) 1

Semifinals

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

Houston Academy vs. Catholic (35-6), Thursday, 2 p.m.

Consolation finals, Thursday, 5 p.m.

Championship finals, Thursday, 5 p.m.