AHSAA VOLLEYBALL: Montgomery Academy adds to trophy case
By TIM GAYLE
Winning a state championship never gets old.
Montgomery Academy won a state volleyball championship for the third consecutive year, but the first time as a 4A program, defeating Curry 25-21, 21-25, 21-16 and 25-21 in a hard-fought match on Thursday afternoon at the Birmingham Crossplex’s Bill Harris Arena.
The Eagles won 3A state championships in 2018 and 2019 and were rewarded for their efforts by the AHSAA’s Competitive Balance Factor, moving Montgomery Academy up to 4A.
Undaunted, the Eagles won their area tournament against LAMP – which lost to Curry in five sets in the semifinals – before embarking on a postseason venture that would include a sweep of Bibb County in a sub-regional and Straughn, St. Michael and LAMP in the regionals by winning all 12 sets.
The Eagles then defeated Westminster Christian 3-0 in the quarterfinals and Madison County 3-0 in the semifinals before finally losing a set in the postseason against Curry.
“It was a hard-fought match,” Montgomery Academy coach Julie Gordon said. “Curry is a very good team. We had to battle to win today.”
Montgomery Academy has now won volleyball state championships in four classifications – in 1A in 1986; in 2A in 2013; in 3A in 2005, 2006, 2018 and 2019 ; and now in 4A.
“It never gets old,” Gordon said, “and it’s special this year because of this group of seniors – eight seniors who have been playing volleyball together since he seventh grade.”
That group includes Ann Cobern Chapman, Kay Yelverton, Isabella Capouya, McRae Freeman, Virginia Hope, Anaya Thomas, Madi Caddell and Garrett Scott. Several of those seniors contributed as freshmen on the 2017 that reached the finals before losing 15-13 in the fifth set to Bayside Academy.
They haven’t lost many sets since.
Chapman was named the most valuable player with 22 kills and six digs in the championship match. Thomas added 15 kills while Scott led the defense with 29 digs. Virginia Meacham added nine kills and Hope had seven kills and 21 digs.
Curry senior hitter Rae Ann Hall tallied 23 kills and 24 digs, setter Allie Downs had 42 assists, and Grayson Evans added 18 kills and 26 digs. Alayna Key had 24 digs, and Emmalee Berry added five kills.
The teams split the first two sets and Curry took an early third-set lead. Montgomery Academy finished strong, however, going on a 17-4 run to win the set and gave the Eagles all the momentum.
“It seems like the icing on the cake,” Thomas said. “I wouldn’t want to do it with any other people.”
The two teams combined for 201 digs – 101 by the Eagles and 100 by the Yellow Jackets. They combined for 109 kills and 104 assists. And virtually every point earned was strongly contested.
Joining Chapman on the all-tournament team were Thomas and Scott as well as Evans, Downs and Hall of Curry.