Spring Garden advances, but reclassification continues to bite area teams hard in postseason as Faith Christian, Donoho fall.
Shannon Fagan, WEIS sports director.
BIRMINGHAM — Reclassification has bitten area volleyball teams hard in postseason.
Private Class A Faith Christian fell to 2025 Class 3A state champion Mobile Christian 4-1 in Tuesday’s state tournament action at Birmingham CrossPlex, and Private A Donoho fell 3-0 to Montgomery Academy, which competed in Class 3A a year ago.
Last week, Class 4A Alexandria lost to 2025 Class 5A state champion Guntersville in their North Super Regional opener. Class 3A Glencoe lost to Plainview, which moved down from 4A, and three-time defending 2A state champion Pleasant Valley fell to top-ranked Fyffe, which moved down from 3A starting with the current school year.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association announced an historic reclassification in January, separating private and public schools for championship play and eliminating Class 7A. More than 200 schools statewide moved down in classification.
In Class 1A, Spring Garden opened state-tourney play by beating Maplesville 3-1 then fell to defending state champion Addison 1-3 in the semifinals.
FAITH CHRISTIAN: The Lions (27-18), champions of Area 6 and the North Super Regional, fell to Mobile Christian 19-25, 25-23, 22-25, 14-25. Faith’s statistics:
— Anna Daniel: 14 kills, 15 digs, three aces.
— Kolee Cronan: five digs.
— Emma Shaw: two kills, one dig, one block, one ace.
— Amy Hubbard: seven digs, one assist.
— Annie Ricard: 20 kills, eight digs.
— Kaylee Norton: eight digs, 34 assists, one assist.
— Brielle Green: three kills, one dig, one block.
— Ella Kate Hegeman: two kills, one dig.
DONOHO: The Falcons fell to Montgomery Academy Bible 11-25, 14-25, 13-25. Donoho’s statistics:
— Alana Maldonado Maysonet: seven kills, two digs.
— Bentlee Pahman: six assists, 18 digs (passed 2,000 career digs).
— Taylor Worley: three kills, two assists, one block.
— Gracelyn Plunkett: one kill, 18 assists, seven digs.
— Maddie Shute: one digs.
— Cyan Duncan: three kills, two blocks.
— Harper Draper: 11 assists, two digs.
— Nora Gibson: one block.
— Adalyn Mundy: four assists, two digs.
— Mary Marshall Alexander: one kill, three digs.
— Hania Rehman: one kill.
— Pierce Lawler: one assist, 11 digs.
SPRING GARDEN: The Panthers (30-20) beat Maplesville 25-14, 16-25, 25-16, 25-23, then fell to defending state champion Addison in the semifinals, 17-25, 25-16, 9-25, 14=25.
Aubrey Kelley led the Panthers with 14 kills and 17 digs against Maplesville. Addie Word had 13 kills, three blocks and three digs, Kylie Bates seven kills and Gracie Simpson nine digs and three aces.
Against Addison, Kelley led the Panthers with 10 kills, seven digs and three aces. Word added four kills, two digs and a block. Lleyton Carroll contributed 23 assists, three aces, a kill and a dig. Bates came away with six kills and a dig, and Maya Jennings managed four kills and a block.
Addie Smith and Lacie Jo McMurray posted 11 and six digs, respectively. Anna Mae Griggs finished with two digs and an ace.
