BIRMINGHAM – Addison has won nine state volleyball championships in the last 10 years, and the Bulldogs stepped closer to another Blue Map by beating Elba in the Class 1A quarterfinals Wednesday at the 53rd AHSAA Elite 8 State Volleyball Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
Addison won 1A championships from 2013-17 and added 2A titles in 2018, 2020 and 2021 before moving back to 1A last season and winning another championship. The Bulldogs need two more wins to make it 10 championships in the last 11 seasons.
The Bulldogs meet Spring Garden in the 1A semifinals, which are set for Wednesday at 5 p.m. The other quarterfinal winners were University Charter School and Sumiton Christian.
The 1A state championship match is set for Thursday at 2 p.m. at the CrossPlex’s Bill Harris Arena.
All matches are being live streamed over the NFHS Network subscriber-based platform and can be accessed at www.nfhsnetwork.com.
UNIVERSITY CHARTER SCHOOL 3, ATHENS BIBLE 0: One of the newest members of the AHSAA and coached by Stephanie Gaither, the Trailblazers (34-4) earned a 25-16, 25-13, 25-9 victory.
Brinkli Wood tallied 14 kills, 11 digs and two blocks, and Maddy Gullahorn added 13 kills and four aces for UCS. Ella Grace Larkin added eight digs and seven kills, while Ava Lacoste had 17 digs and four aces and Emory Pezent added 19 assists and three aces.
Claire Holt finished with 10 digs, nine kills and five blocks, and Anna Beth Burns had 15 assists for Athens Bible, coached by Elizabeth Anne Winland.
SPRING GARDEN 3, FAITH CHRISTIAN 0: The Panthers, coached by Ricky Austin, scored a 25-13, 25-12, 25-8 victory, as Ace Austin led the way with 21 kills.
Avery Steward dished out 38 assists, Chloe Rule had 10 kills and five blocks, Olivia Law had six kills and five blocks, and Layla Ingram added eight digs for Spring Garden (52-5).
Ally Folsom led Faith Christian (35-23) with five kills, eight digs and two blocks, and Serenity Pate added four kills and seven blocks. Anna Kate Robertson had 15 assists and six digs, and sophomore Kayson Cronan had 19 digs.
ADDISON 3, ELBA 0: Outside hitter Katie Barrett led Addison (42-8), coached by Kaydi Woodard, with 11 kills and three aces in the 25-7, 25-14, 25-12 victory. Lauryn Cunningham had seven kills and four aces, Dacey Baker contributed six kills and three digs, and Hadley Butler added 33 assists, six digs and three aces.
Elba (12-9), coached by Melissa Mularz, got three kills, six digs and two aces from Alyric Whitfield and 10 digs from Aubrey Wisecup. Kendra Jaurez added seven digs and three assists, Brooke Tinsley had four blocks, and Alayvia Stinson added seven digs.
SUMITON CHRISTIAN 3, SWEET WATER 0: The Eagles (23-14), coached by Kara Cashatt, won 25-16, 25-8, 25-16 thanks to 13 kills, five blocks and two aces from Emma Potts.
Calli Corley added 26 assists and four aces, and Jill Jones added eight kills, thre blocks and two aces. Addison Hogland had four kills.
Sweet Water (16-8), coached by Jill Hamilton, had only two seniors on its roster.
