Bayside Wins 10th Straight State Volleyball Title
Guntersville, Donoho, St. Paul’s, Huntsville, Providence Christian Take Crowns
Bayside Academy (3A) set two state records en route to its 10th straight state volleyball crown and Guntersville (4A), Donoho (1A), St. Paul’s (5A), Huntsville (6A) and Providence Christian (2A) captured AHSAA state championships Thursday in the 2011 Elite Eight Tournament at the Pelham Civic Complex.
Bayside Academy (3A) Gets AHSAA Record 10th Straight Title, 20th Overall
Bayside Academy swept Montgomery Academy in three straight games 25-23, 25-18, 25-12 to capture the Class 3A state crown.
The title was the 10th in a row for Coach Ann Schilling’s Lady Admirals (63-7) and also the school’s 20th state volleyball crown overall. Both milestones are state records – the latter breaking a tie with Schilling’s own alma mater, McGill-Toolen. Each school began the 2011 season with 19 state titles.
Bayside’s 10-in-a-row streak includes Class 2A crowns from 2002-07 and 3A championships from 2008-11.
Tournament MVP Setter Sydney Chandler had 36 assists to spark the strong Bayside attack up front. Virginia Pittman and Gabby Deshotel each had 11 kills and Morgan Dulaney nine. Libero Victoria Smith had 40 digs; Pittman three blocks, three aces and 15 digs; and Dulaney had three aces.
Layne Doctson had 15 kills, four blocks and 18 digs for Montgomery Academy (34-12). Sarah Paige Massey added 12 kills and 17 digs. Setters Anne Saunders and Rachel Lee had 25 and 24 assists, respectively.
The final pitted two coaches who own more than 1,000 wins, Julie Sinclair of Montgomery Academy and Schilling, who was also named 2010 NFHS National Volleyball Coach of the Year.
Class 3A All-Tournament Team
Sydney Chandler, Bayside Academy (MVP); Gabby Deshotel, Bayside Academy; Virginia Pittman, Bayside Academy; Layne Doctson, Montgomery Academy; Sarah Paige Massey, Montgomery Academy; Sydni Shelton, Danville; Emily Dang, Randolph.
Guntersville Wins Third Straight 4A Crown
Guntersville swept Alexandria 25-14, 25-16, 25-11 to capture its third straight Class 4A state volleyball championship.
The Wildcats of Coach Jimmy Latta also finished 74-5, tying Muscle Shoals for fourth most wins in state history and most in Class 4A. Huntsville set the overall record with 79 wins in 2002. Muscle Shoals won 78 in 2000 and 74 in 1999 and Pelham had 76 in 1994.
Cati Leak, a 6-foot-2 senior hitter, had 15 kills and 12 digs to earn MVP honors for the Wildcats and finish the season with 881 kills. Kathryn Anderson added seven kills and Taylor Gibson handed out 28 assists. Latta’s team finished with 2,201 kills on the year.
Morgan Read and Devonna Taylor had six kills each for Alexandria Coach Jordan Costner. Alie Hamilton had 12 assists and Read also had eight digs.
Class 4A All-Tournament Team
Cati Leak, Guntersville (MVP); Kathryn Anderson, Guntersville; Taylor Gibson, Guntersville; Morgan Read, Alexandria; Devonna Taylor, Alexandria; Ciarra Edwards, Wilson; Allender Doggett, Jacksonville.
Donoho (1A) Claims First State Crown
Donoho School of Anniston edged defending Class 1A state champion Addison in five games to claim the school’s first state championship since 2002.
The match was a battle from start to finish as Addison (54-8) won game one 25-19 but dropped game two 25-21. The Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead with a 25-20 win in game three before Coach Janice Slay’s team evened the match at 2-2 with a 25-20 win in game four.
The final game was perhaps the most incredible as Donoho (49-9) squeaked out a 17-15 win to clinch title.
State tournament MVP Rachel Matson led Donoho’s strong play at the net and also had a strong game on the back row with 20 kills, 25 digs and two service aces. Grace Fink added 10 kills, 18 digs and 36 assists; Peyton Van Ekris eight kills and three blocks; and Katie Swinford, 25 digs.
Addison Coach Pam Wilkins, who guided the Bulldogs to the 2A state crown in 2009 and the 1A title in 2010, got a strong performance from senior hitter Morgan Ray--23 kills, 10 blocks, six digs and three service aces. Senior Lauren Lowery added 12 kills, six blocks and 20 digs; Heather Baldwin six kills, 19 digs, 33 assists and three aces; and Kateria Feezell 16 digs.
Class 1A All-Tournament Team
Rachel Matson, Donoho (MVP); Grace Fink, Donoho; Peyton Van Ekris, Donoho; Morgan Ray, Addison; Heather Baldwin, Addison; Morgan Beaird, Gaston; Jackee Dodd, Lynn.
Saint Paul’s Wins Second Straight 5A Title
Saint Paul’s of Mobile beat Madison County 25-5,25-20, 25-22 to claim the Class 5A state volleyball championship for the second year in a row and for the fifth time in the last six years. The Lady Saints (46-10) finished second in the year (2009) they did not win the title.
Tournament MVP Grace Rebarchak had 17 kills and 13 blocks to dominate the net for Coach Kelli Hillier’s team. She also had six digs in her dominating performance. Lexus Andrews contributed four kills, three blocks and 16 digs and Shelley Spires added nine kills, six blocks and nine digs. Setter MacKensie Mosley had five blocks and 33 assists while Ashley Grove had five kills, five blocks and two service aces.
For Madison County (63-8), Syretha Pride had 11 kills and 11 digs; Hannah Nichols 10 kills, five blocks and 11 digs; and Dena Pierce 28 assists, 11 digs and three blocks. Coach Dena Clemons’ Tigers reached the state tournament for the first time since 1978.
Class 5A All-Tournament Team
Grace Rebarchak, St. Paul’s; (MVP); Lexus Andrews, St. Paul’s; MacKensie Mosley, St. Paul’s; Hannah Nichols, Madison County; Dena Pierce, Madison County; Syretha Pride, Madison County; Kryssi Daniels, Curry.
Huntsville Wins Third Straight Class 6A State Title
Huntsville beat Bob Jones 3-0 to claim the Crimson Panthers’ third straight Class 6A Elite Eight state volleyball championship and ninth in the last 10 years.
Coach Melanie Donahoo’s Panthers (52-5) won 25-21 and 25-16 to go up 2-0 on the Patriots (42-14) before Bob Jones clawed back to take control of the third game and build a 19-17 lead. Jessica Lewis took over on the net, however, and Huntsville outscored the Patriots 8-6 the rest of the way to win the final game and the match 25-23.
Lewis finished with 18 kills, three blocks , two service aces and seven digs to earn MVP honors. Setter Lindsey Wintzinger had 40 assists and two digs, Becky Phelps 10 kills, Calla McCullough eight kills and Kristina McCrary 17 digs.
Bob Jones, coached by April Marsh, got 28 assists from setter Megan Butler. Drea Matthews had 10 kills, Lauren Butler six kills and five digs, Haley Hop seven kills and Alexis Howell five kills.
Class 6A All-Tournament Team
Jessica Lewis, Huntsville (MVP); Lindsey Wintzinger, Huntsville; Becky Phelps, Huntsville; Drea Matthews, Bob Jones; Lauren Butler, Bob Jones; Emily Cosgrove, Oak Mountain; Stacey Pickens, Grissom.
Providence Christian (2A) Captures First State Crown
Providence Christian of Dothan won three straight games over defending Class 2A state champion Cottage Hill Christian to beat the Warriors 25-15, 25-15, 25-16 and claim the school’s first AHSAA state volleyball championship.
Coach Bill Oldfield’s Eagles (42-6) got strong play on the net as Elizabeth Dowd, the Class 2A State Tournament MVP, delivered 16 kills and 12 digs in the match. Mary Palm also had five kills, and Whitney DeVane and Lauren Hutton added three each.
Setter Sara Cary had 27 assists, 12 digs and two kills while DeVane added eight digs plus two service aces.
Mobile’s Cottage Hill (40-8), coached by Jennifer Newton, was led by Meredith Parrott’s 13 kills and two blocks. Setter Kirsten Sayers had 20 assists.
Class 2A All-Tournament Team
Elizabeth Dowd, Providence Christian (MVP); Whitney DeVane, Providence Christian; Sara Cary, Providence Christian; Meredith Parrott, Cottage Hill; Rachael Howell, Cottage Hill; Sydney Corum, Lexington; Victoria Crumpton, Hatton.