AHSAA Volleyball Championships | Montgomery Catholic Moves Up to 5A and Continues to Roll

CLASS 5A VOLLEYBALL QUARTERFINALS

By Josh Bean | For the AHSAA

BIRMINGHAM – Montgomery Catholic High School has won the last two AHSAA Class 4A volleyball championships, and the Knights stayed on track to win their first Class 5A title Wednesday at the 54th AHSAA Elite 8 State Volleyball Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

Montgomery Catholic (30-13) earned a 25-21, 25-10, 25-15 victory over Guntersville (53-13) in the Class 5A quarterfinals, sending the Knights into Wednesday’s semifinal round that starts at 3 p.m.

Harper Howell led the Knights, coached by Jenn Dunham, with 13 kills, two aces and two digs, and Joi McGuire added 12 kills, two aces and four digs. Zaria Rudolph had seven kills and three aces, and Maria Schwarz dished out 36 assists to go with four aces, three kills and two blocks.

Tela Lunsford tallied 10 kills for Guntersville, coached by Brittany Case. Sydney Jarmon added seven kills, and Mary George Vandergriff had 22 assists, three digs and two blocks.
In other Class 5A quarterfinal matchups:

Faith Academy 3, Springville 1: Parker Goff finished with 26 kills, five digs and five blocks to lead the Rams (34-15) past Springville.

Faith Academy, coached by Claire Elliott, is trying to win its first AHSAA state volleyball title since 2009. Chloe Duggan added 42 assists and two blocks in the quarterfinal win, while Laney Hirteiter added 10 kills and three digs.

Springville’s Ava Vaughn tallied 19 kills and 10 digs, and Gracie Frederick added 13 kills, six digs, four aces and four blocks for the Tigers, coached byWarren House. Brooklynn Grey had 39 assists and four aces.

UMS-Wright 3, West Point 0: Josie Jaye finished with 13 kills, four digs and two aces to lead the Bulldogs (40-7), coached by Wing Brett, in a 25-11, 25-12, 25-15 win.  Hope Blaylock added seven digs and five aces for UMS, while Madison Lathan had 17 assists and six digs, and Bentley Doyle had six kills.

West Point (22-26), coached by Meagan Cagle, did not submit individual statistical leaders.

Arab 3, Demopolis 0: The Knights earned a 25-15, 25-6, 25-14 victory over the Demopolis, which made the school’s first trip to the Elite 8.  Arab (43-14), coached by Shelby Grace Jones, and Demopolis, coached by Caitlyn White, did submit any individual stat leaders.