AHSAA VOLLEYBALL: MA reaches 5A finals; Bayside ends 21-year title run
Emmy Sorrell with the dig for Montgomery Academy during the AHSAA State Tourney in Birmingham on Wednesday. (Photo by David Holtsford/AHSAA)
By TIM GAYLE
BIRMINGHAM -- After falling to Arab in the 2022 semifinals, Montgomery Academy will get its shot at redemption on Wednesday, advancing to the Eagles’ sixth berth in the state finals in seven years, facing Arab for the 5A state championship.
Montgomery Academy (52-6) advanced to the finals by sweeping Brewer and Lawrence County on Tuesday in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. The Eagles have not allowed a set to any postseason opponent this season.
Montgomery Academy will be making its 18th trip to the finals but its first as a 5A team. The Eagles have advanced to the finals twice in Class 1A (1986 and 1988), twice in 2A (1996 and 2013), nine times in 3A (2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2017, 2018 and 2019) and twice in 4A (2020 and 2021).
Montgomery Academy has won at least one state championship in each of the lower four classifications, but this will mark the Eagles’ first trip to the 5A finals. Next year, the Competitive Balance Factor will bump up the Eagles to Class 6A in volleyball.
In the quarterfinals, Montgomery Academy cruised to a 25-8 win in the first set, then closed out Brewer (31-27) with 25-17 and 25-12 wins in the next two sets.
Juniors Elle McBride (17 kills and nine digs) and Caroline McDaniel (13 kills and 14 digs) led the Eagles’ attack, while junior setter Addi Vinson had 36 assists and 12 digs.
In the semifinals, Montgomery Academy won 25-15, 25-18 and 25-18 over Lawrence County (48-18) to advance to the finals. Vinson had 29 assists, 12 digs and five kills, McBride had 12 kills and eight digs and McDaniel had 10 kills and 12 digs.
Arab (47-13) needed a 19-17 win over Alexandria to advance to the finals, getting 21 kills and 10 blocks from Laney Kelly, 13 kills and four blocks from Lexi Mann, 15 kills and 16 digs from Bennett Elrod and 48 assists from Millie Lakey. The Knights had advanced to the semifinals with a 3-0 sweep of Gulf Shores in the quarterfinals.
Everyone of the four finals on Wednesday will crown a new champion, including 5A where Westminster Christian defeated Arab last season. In 6A, defending champion Bayside Academy lost in the semifinals to Mountain Brook, defending 3A champion Prattville Christian lost in the quarterfinals to Geraldine and defending 2A champion Donoho lost in the quarterfinals to G.W. Long.
Bayside had won 21 straight titles before losing in the semifinals on Wednesday. It was the longest string of titles in any sport in AHSAA history.
Geraldine defeated PCA 25-20, 25-14 and 26-24. PCA (33-20) was led by Baylee Rogers with 22 assists and nine digs, Emma Kate Carter with nine kills and 15 digs, Leah Cate Wilson with six kills and Natalee Wheeler with 13 digs.
Prattville Christian Academy will be elevated to 4A next season by Competitive Balance Factor.
In 6A, the Spartans won the fifth set 15-13 to end Bayside Academy’s consecutive championship streak at 21 and their overall titles at 31, both national records. Mountain Brook (45-5) will face Saraland (40-7), which defeated Spanish Fort, for the 6A championship. Bayside Academy, which has won a state championship in each of the lower six classifications, will be elevated to 7A next season by Competitive Balance Factor.
The other three classifications (1A, 4A and 7A) will open play in the state tournament on Wednesday, including matches from defending 7A champion McGill-Toolen (43-8), defending 4A champion Catholic (34-11) and defending 1A champion Addison (40-8).
AHSAA 53RD STATE VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Birmingham CrossPlex
CLASS 2A
QUARTERFINALS
G.W. Long 3, Donoho 1
Sand Rock 3, Bayshore Christian 0
Pleasant Valley 3, Wicksburg 1
Washington County 3, Lexington 1
SEMIFINALS
Sand Rock (49-17) 3, G.W. Long (31-9) 1 (25-22, 23-25, 25-18, 25-21)
Pleasant Valley (39-12) 3, Washington County (29-9) 0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-10)
FINALS
Sand Rock (49-17) vs. Pleasant Valley (39-12), Wednesday, Bill Harris Arena, 10 a.m.
CLASS 3A
FIRST-ROUND RESULTS
Mobile Christian 3, Glencoe 0
Geraldine 3, Prattville Christian 0
Plainview 3, Walter Wellborn 0
St. Luke’s Episcopal 3, Westbrook Christian 0
SEMIFINALS
Mobile Christian 3, Geraldine 0
Plainview 3, St. Luke’s Episcopal 1
FINALS
Mobile Christian (44-7) vs. Plainview (50-5), Wednesday, 10 a.m.
CLASS 5A
QUARTERFINALS
Montgomery Academy 3, Brewer 0
Lawrence County 3, Sylacauga 2
Alexandria 3, Rehobeth 0
Arab 3, Gulf Shores 0
SEMIFINALS
Montgomery Academy 3, Lawrence County 0
Arab 3, Alexandria 2
FINALS
Montgomery Academy (52-6) vs. Arab (48-13), Wednesday, 10 a.m.
CLASS 6A
QUARTERFINALS
Saraland 3, Shades Valley 0
Spanish Fort 3, Fort Payne 0
Mountain Brook 3, McAdory 0
Bayside Academy 3, Oxford 0
SEMIFINALS
Saraland 3, Spanish Fort 2
Mountain Brook 3, Bayside Academy 2
FINALS
Saraland (40-7) vs. Mountain Brook (45-5), Wednesday, 2:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
CLASS 1A
FIRST-ROUND PAIRINGS
Athens Bible (13-21) vs. University Charter (33-4), Wednesday, noon
Sweet Water (16-7) vs. Sumiton Christian (22-14), Wednesday, noon
Elba (12-8) vs. Addison (40-8), Wednesday, noon
Spring Garden (51-5) vs.Faith Christian (35-22), Wednesday, noon
CLASS 4A
FIRST-ROUND PAIRINGS
Corner (28-6) vs. Catholic (34-11), Wednesday, 9 a.m.
LAMP (28-14) vs. Deshler (40-18), Wednesday, 9 a.m.
T.R. Miller (15-14) vs. Madison County (48-13), Wednesday, 9 a.m.
Cherokee County (34-17) vs. UMS-Wright (26-12), Wednesday, 9 a.m.
CLASS 7A
FIRST-ROUND PAIRINGS
Thompson (34-8) vs. McGill-Toolen (43-8), Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.
Enterprise (39-9) vs. Spain Park (21-20), Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.
Auburn (23-22) vs. Bob Jones (52-2), Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.
Hoover (29-23) vs. St. Paul’s Episcopal (42-11), Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.