Montgomery-area high school volleyball teams dominate first day of AHSAA regionals
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It seemed like the central theme for Montgomery-area high school volleyball teams in the first day of the AHSAA volleyball regional tournament was adversity.
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How each of those teams responded to challenges seemed to be the difference in winning or losing at the Multiplex at the Cramton Bowl on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Montgomery-area private schools in Single A and Double A kicked off the first day regional tournament play.
Here's what the Montgomery Advertiser saw from Wednesday's action from teams competing from the River Region.
Prattville Christian Academy defies odds to get to regional championship
It wasn't the type of season PCA was used to in recent memory. The Panthers didn't even enter the regional tournament as area champions. But anytime adversity struck, PCA had the right answer to keep climbing the bracket.
It started with a 3-0 match win over Tuscaloosa Academy in the first round. It was a game in which senior Maren Diefenderfer made her presence felt at both the serving line and in the front zone.
Diefenderfer's power makes her a threat. Tuscaloosa Academy didn't have an answer for it whether it was coming from the serving line or the as an outside hitter.
In the semifinal round against Mobile Christian, the Panthers showed resilience.
The match was tied 1-1 and in the third set, PCA found itself down 10-2 at one point. After a timeout, the Panthers found consistent runs from a host of contributors to come back from the deficit and claim the set. It was all PCA after that, en route to a 3-1 match win and an appearance in the championship game against Montgomery Academy at 1 p.m.
Montgomery Academy knocks off Bayside in thriller semifinal round
The Eagles continued a dominant run in a thrilling 3-2 semifinal round win over Bayside Academy. The Admirals found themselves atop Single A rankings throughout the season, but Montgomery Academy never stopped fighting.
After trailing 2-1, Montgomery Academy battled back to claim the next two sets and set up a date with PCA in the regional championship. Montgomery Academy has faced PCA four times throughout the season and hold a 4-0 record against the Panthers. The Eagles haven't lost a set to PCA this season.
Montgomery Academy is a tough team to beat when the Eagles get on a run.
In its first-round game against Holy Spirit, the Eagles took advantage of mistakes and performed well at the serving line. Against Bayside Academy, the Eagles played methodically. Montgomery Academy used the right and left sides of the back zone to get behind the front row of the Admirals.
Montgomery Catholic drops heartbreaker in first round
The Knights are only one season removed from making an appearance in a state championship game, and were favored to make another state tournament appearance. Unfortunately, those hopes fell one match short.
Montgomery Catholic lost to St. Paul's Episcopal 3-0 in the first round of the Double A bracket.
The Knights were competitive in the first two sets, narrowly dropping each. But in the third set, St. Paul's ran away with it. It was a gritty performance from Montgomery Catholic, but the Knights couldn't string together a consistent run to take away the momentum.
The Knights' season ended with a record of 23-10 and as area champions.
Jaeden Day covers high school sports, Alabama State football and Auburn recruiting for the Montgomery Advertiser/USA Today. You can find him on X at dayjaeden12, or reach him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Montgomery-area high school volleyball teams dominate first day of AHSAA regionals