Belgreen volleyball team fends off host Phil Campbell twice to win Franklin County Tournament

The Belgreen High School varsity volleyball team sits atop the county after winning this year’s Franklin County Tournament championship. The Lady Bulldogs worked their way out of the tourney’s losers bracket and beat Phil Campbell twice to earn the county crown Saturday night.

“I honestly can't put into words how my heart felt for these girls, especially the seniors,” Belgreen head coach Alison Terry said. “They battled, they believed, they fought for each other, and they absolutely deserved this championship. I couldn't be more proud of them.”

Belgreen’s tournament started off with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the host Phil Campbell. The Lady Bulldogs won the first set 25-13 but dropped the next two 25-17 and 15-7. Belgreen would go on to avenge that loss later, but in the moment it put BHS behind the eight ball in the double elimination tournament.

“After losing that first game, I was disappointed because I knew these girls were capable of so much more. But after that loss, we finally woke up,” Terry said.

The Lady Bulldogs bounced back in their next match, sweeping Vina 2-0. Led by Randi Terry’s six kills, Belgreen won the sets 25-12 and 25-20.

Next in Belgreen’s path was rival Tharptown, the defending Franklin County Tournament champion. The Lady Bulldogs narrowly dropped the first set 25-23, putting them on the brink of elimination, but the team rallied in the second set to win it 25-15 and then advanced with a tight 15-13 win in set number three.

Terry, Lilliana Willingham, Madison McKee and Caleigh Lawson all had five kills in the win over the Lady Wildcats.

The final team standing in the way of Belgreen and a spot in the championship round was Red Bay, but the Lady Bulldogs were able to take care of business with a 2-0 (25-19, 25-22) victory. Terry once again led the attack with five kills while McKee recorded a team-high five digs.

Walking off the court against Red Bay, the Lady Bulldogs felt they had all the momentum going into the championship round.

“Having to play game after game, with only one break in between, I truly believe we got better and better with every match. We started playing as a team and really began to gel,” Terry said. “The communication was there, the girls were lifting each other up, and everyone was fighting for one another. Once we got going, no one could stop us.”

In the tournament title round, Belgreen would have to not only knock off Phil Campbell, the team that sent them packing to the loser side of the bracket at the day’s start, but also beat the undefeated Lady Bobcats twice. It would be a tall task, but the Lady Bulldogs were clearly up to it.

Belgreen took the first set of the first match 25-13 but dropped set two 25-16 to send the game to a tie-breaking third set where BHS managed to pull out a 15-8 win. Terry and McKee both had seven kills in the match; Terry also led defensively with 12 digs.

Still, the job wasn’t done yet. The Lady Bulldogs would have to pull off a similar feat in game two to eliminate Phil Campbell. They did so with another 2-1 victory, winning the first set 25-19 and, after dropping set two 25-19, winning the decisive third set 15-11. Terry mounted the best attack with eight kills while McKee delivered defensively with a team-high 10 digs in the championship trophy-sealing victory.

A year after losing its crown to Tharptown, Belgreen reclaimed the county’s top prize. Terry praised her players not only for achieving one the team’s biggest goals but for how they did it, as well.

“It was a long day, but it was also an incredibly exciting and rewarding one. Watching these girls battle their way through the losers bracket and finish as county champions is something I will never forget,” she said.

“Coming out of the losers bracket was not easy. It was a long, demanding day, both physically and mentally, but the girls never gave up. I kept telling them, ‘Just take it one point at a time.’ That became our mindset for the entire tournament. We didn't worry about what had already happened or what was ahead of us—we just focused on winning the next point,” she added.

“I am incredibly proud of this team—not just because they won the county tournament, but because of the effort, attitude, support and sportsmanship they showed throughout the entire day. They encouraged one another, stayed together and continued to believe in each other, even when things weren't easy.”