Rubber Match

Alexandria, AL – Top seed Alexandria, No. 2 Oxford march through first day of Calhoun County tournament, will play their third match this season in Monday’s final .

SATURDAY, Oct. 5
Calhoun County Tournament
(At Alexandria)
No. 6 Jacksonville def. No. 11 Wellborn
No. 10 Faith Christian def. No. 7 Piedmont
No. 13 Saks def. No. 12 Jacksonville Christian
No. 5 Pleasant Valley def. Saks
No. 9 White Plains def. No. 8 Weaver
No. 3 Ohatchee def. Jacksonville
No. 1 Alexandria def. White Plains
No. 4 Donoho def. Pleasant Valley
No. 2 Oxford def. Faith Christian
Semifinals
Oxford def. Ohatchee
Alexandria def. Donoho
Oct. 7 (Jax State)
Championship
Oxford vs. Alexandria 7 p.m.

By Joe Medley

Alexandria and Oxford split two volleyball matches this season, and their third one will decided the Calhoun County champion.

Top seed Alexandria and No. 2 Oxford emerged from Saturday’s play in the Calhoun County tournament, winning two matches apiece to reach Monday’s 7 p.m. final in Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum.

Alexandria beat White Plains 25-15, 25-16, 25-18 in the quarterfinals then won three of four sets against Donoho in the semifinals, 25-15, 23–25, 25-12, 25-17.

Oxford beat Faith Christian 25-8, 25-21, 25-13 then Ohatchee 25-22, 25-17, 25-13.

Alexandria, which has won four county titles in eighth-year coach Whitney Welch’s run, seeks its first since 2022. The Valley Cubs fell to eventual champion Pleasant Valley in the 2023 semifinals.

Alexandria’s latest shot at a county final comes as the Valley Cubs hope to round into postseason form .

“I do not think we have peaked out yet, and are playing our best,” Alexandria coach Whitney Welch said. “I haven’t seen that all year, honestly, and I guess that’s a good thing.

“In the past, I think a lot of our teams played really well early, and at the very end, just fizzled out a little bit. I think that this team can keep getting better all the way through to the end of October and peak at the right time.”

Oxford, which lost to Pleasant Valley in last year’s finals, wants to take the next step.

“ This is a really cloose group of seniors,” Oxford coach Wendy McKibbin said. “They get along very well. They’ve all been starters since freshman year, so it would be be good for that and going into postseason play.

“County is a big deal. There are a lot of great volleyball coaches in Calhoun County.”

Among Saturday’s highlights, Alexandria hitter Eryn Spradley totaled 37 kills in two matches, including 24 against Donoho. The Tennessee Tech commit surpassed 1,500 for her career.

Alexandria’s top performers on the day:

—McKinley Cooper: eight kills, one dig.
—Eryn Spradley: 37 kills, nine digs, four aces.
—Kylie Jeffers: nine kills.
—Cassidy Hartsfield: 13 kills, eight digs, one block, three aces.
—Kaden Pritchett: six kills, three digs,
—Landry Patterson: 15 digs, six aces.
—Zayley Mobbs: four kills, six digs.
—Shelby Morris: 10 digs.
—Charlee Parris: three assists, 32 digs, three aces.
—Sophie Martin: two kills, 80 assists, 15 digs, seven aces.
—Cali Hess: seven kills, five digs.

With the help of Payton Brooks’ 70 assists, Oxford’s Ava Thomas had 33 kills, Mileah Prince 24, Arilyn Pool 23 and Jaslyn Montgomery 21. Brooks ran her career assists total to 3,402.

Oxford’s top performers on the day:

—Payton Brooks: 70 assists one ace, four kills.
—Ava Thomas: 33 kills, 15 digs.
—Daelyn Bozeman: six kills, 12 digs, two aces.
—Mileah Prince: 24 kills, three aces, 14 digs.
—Jaslyn Montgomery: 21 kills, four digs, one ace, one block.
—Arilyn Pool: 23 digs, one ace, six assists.
—Taleah Powell: two blocks.

Calhoun County Tournament roundup

OHATCHEE: The third-seeded Indians beat Jacksonville 25-27, 19-25, 25-21, 25-17, 15-11 in the quarterfinals and fell to Oxford 22-25, 17-25, 13-25 in the semifinals.

Ohatchee’s top performers:

—Alanah Fitch: 16 kills, 36 assists, three aces, 14 digs.
—Brett Finn: four kills, four aces, three digs, one block.
—Rebecca Henderson: 31 kills, two assists, four aces, seven digs, two blocks.
—Kate Ryan: 18 assists, five digs.
—Emily Riddle: 15 kills, one ace, five blocks.
—Ayla Crook: eight kills, one assist, three aces, eight digs.
—Bailey Fowler: four kills, two aces, three blocks.
—Savannah Reaves: seven assists, one ace, 17 digs.

DONOHO: The fourth-seeded Falcons beat defending champion Pleasant Valley 25-14, 25-15, 11-25, 25-23 in the quarterfinals and fell to Alexandria 15-25, 25-23, 12-25, 17-25.

Donoho’s top performers:

—Kate Williamon: 14 kills, one assist, two aces, 28 digs, five blocks.
—Sam Wakefield: 28 kills, one assist, 22 digs.
—Ryals Jones: 15 kills, five digs, seven blocks.
—Callee Taylor: one kill, 62 assists, two aces, 14 digs.
—Ava Michaels: two kills, 11 digs.
—Bentlee Pahman: one kill, one ace, two assists, 38 digs, seven blocks.
—Chloe Melton: one kill, one ace, two digs.
—Alana Maldonado: nine kills, two assists, two digs.
—Anna Kate Whitson: one ace, 11 digs.

PLEASANT VALLEY: On a day when Madison Schwabe surpassed 500 career kills and Ella Parris surpassed 600 career digs, the defending champion and fifth-seeded Raiders eliminated Saks then fell to Donoho in the quarterfinals.

Pleasant Valley’s top performers:

—Lily Henry: 32 kills, one block, seven aces, 34 digs.
—Madison Schwabe: 18 kills, one block, three aces, 25 digs, one assist.
—Ella Parris: 13 kills, three blocks, four aces, 14 digs, two assists.
—Cailey Almaroad: two kills, three blocks, one ace, 15 digs.
—Ellie Patterson: seven kills, seven blocks, two digs.
—Elise Wheeler: four kills, one block, two aces, 10 digs, 30 assists.
— Ava Washington: three aces, 10 digs, 38 assists.

JACKSONVILLE: The sixth-seeded Golden Eagles beat Wellborn 25-20, 25-13, 25–22 then fell to Ohatchee 27-25, 25-19, 21-25, 17-25, 11-15 in the quarterfinals.

Jacksonville’s top performers:

—Sydney Soriano: five aces, 11 kills, 54 assists, seven blocks, seven digs.
—Camryn Stone: one ace, 22 kills, one assist, five blocks, 13 digs.
—Mya Swain: 18 kills, five blocks, eight digs.
—Nyla Hoult: three aces, 26 kills, four blocks, seven digs.
—Chloe Henderson: three aces, two assists, 11 digs.
—Alexis Phillips: three aces, five kills, one block, 16 digs.
—Reese Rollins: one kill, one block, one dig.
—Lacey Barnes: five kills, two blocks.

PIEDMONT: The seventh-seeded Bulldogs fell to Faith Christian in five sets. Piedmont’s top performers:

—Cacey Brothers: 12 kills, 10 digs, one ace.
—Amiyah Thomas: 10 kills, three digs, one ace.
—Cayla Brothers: six kills, 13 digs, two aces.
—Carson Young: two kills, 15 digs, three aces, one block.
—Melanie Studdard: two kills, six digs, three aces, one block.
—Adilyn Bailey: 28 assists, six digs, two aces.

WHITE PLAINS: The ninth-seeded Wildcats beat No. 8 Weaver in five sets then fell to top seed Alexandria in the quarterfinals: White Plains’ top performers:

—Leighton Arnold: 28 digs, five kills, two aces.
—Carli Fritts: 10 digs, 13 kills, three blocks, three aces.
—Aubrey Adcock: 17 digs, 13 kills.
—Anna O’Dell: 15 digs, six aces.
—Sara Kate Adams: four digs, 15 kills, five blocks, four aces.
—Brooklyn Ward: five kills, six blocks.
—Savannah Phillips: 24 digs, three blocks.
—Ella Ponder: four digs.
—Annelise Feazell: three digs.

FAITH CHRISTIAN: The 10th-seeded Lions eliminated Piedmont then fell to Oxford in there quarterfinals. Faith’s top performers:

—Annie Ricard: 16 kills, four digs, two aces.
—Annalie Daniel: 27 digs, four aces.
—Anna Kate Robertson: 21 assists, six digs, one ace.

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