Belgreen wins Class 1A Area 14 title, three other teams advance to volleyball sub-regionals

It was a busy night of varsity volleyball around the state Tuesday as some seasons came to an end and others were extended into the AHSAA postseason following area tournament play.

In Franklin County, four teams—Belgreen, Red Bay, Russellville and Tharptown—advanced to the sub-regional round thanks to their respective area tournament finishes, while the campaigns of Phil Campbell and Vina were ended with first-round tourney defeats.

In the Class 1A Area 14 tournament, Belgreen walked away as area champs after back-to-back 3-0 sweeps of Cherokee in the semifinal and then Red Bay in the final. It’s the program’s first area championship since the 2023 season.

“I’m really proud of the girls and the effort they put into winning the area tournament. The girls stayed focused, came together as a team, and got the job done,” Belgreen head coach Alison Terry said.

“One thing I was especially proud of was that every player had an opportunity to see the floor and contribute valuable minutes. Everyone did their part,” she added.

It was Red Bay that started the 1A Area 14 tournament off, securing a 3-1 victory over Waterloo in the semis. The Lady Tigers opened with a 25-21 win in set one but dropped a back-and-forth set two to the Lady Cougars 26-24. Red Bay responded to the lost set, however, with a comfortable 25-18 win in set number three before coming back to win the fourth set 26-24 and advance to the area title game.

“We split with Waterloo during the regular season, but yesterday, we came out and did what we knew we had to do to keep our season alive!” Red Bay head coach Jade Hallmark said. “Beating Waterloo earned us a spot in the Area Championship against a very good Belgreen team.”

In the second semifinal game, Belgreen easily dispatched Cherokee with set wins of 25-6, 25-10 and 25-13, arranging the Lady Bulldogs a meeting with Red Bay in the championship.

In the Area 14 final, although Belgreen ultimately won the match 3-0, the Lady Bulldogs were tested by the Lady Tigers. Belgreen needed a narrow 25-22 victory in set one and had to overcome early deficits in the second and third sets to do so. BHS eventually won sets two and three 25-12 and 25-18, respectively.

“I couldn’t be prouder of this group of girls and the way they competed (Tuesday) night!” Hallmark said of her Lady Tigers in the defeat.

“We played them better than we had all season, but ultimately fell short and finished the night as area runner-up,” she added.

Belgreen’s Lilliana Willingham, Madison McKee, Leah Blackburn and Randi Terry, and Red Bay’s Addyson Blackburn, Kamryn Kuykendall and Brittan Gasaway were all named to the All-Tournament Team.

Belgreen and Red Bay advance to the sub-regional round on Monday, October 19, but have drawn two of the toughest opponents in the state.

As area champions, Belgreen has earned the right to host Area 13 runner-up and No. 2-ranked Addison. Terry believes her Lady Bulldogs can overcome what will certainly be one of their toughest tests yet as long as the players keep believing in one another.

“Teamwork and positive attitude is what we need to continue our season. I’m excited to see what this group can accomplish when we continue to play for each other. We can go far as long as we put ‘we’ over ‘me,’” she said.

Red Bay will travel to face the Area 13 champ and the No. 1-ranked team in Class 1A, Meek.

“One thing I can confidently say about this team is that they have gotten better every single game. They are listening, taking the coaching, and implementing the instruction they are given. That’s all we can ever ask of them as coaches! Growth doesn’t always show up on the scoreboard, but it shows up in the way this team competes, adjusts, and continues to fight,” Hallmark said.

“We know that’s not going to be an easy task, but we are going to prepare these girls the best we can, trust the work we’ve put in, and take it one point at a time,” she added. “I’m so proud of these Lady Tigers and the progress they’ve made. We aren’t finished yet!”

Elsewhere in Class 1A, Vina competed in the Area 13 tournament which included the likes of previously mentioned Meek and Addison. The Lady Red Devils never got as far those two squads, however, as they fell 3-0 to Phillips in the tourney’s opening round. The defeat subsequently ended Vina’s first official season as a varsity program.

In Class 2A, Tharptown competed in the Area 13 tournament and Phil Campbell played in the Area 9 tourney.

Tharptown advanced out of Area 13 and clinched a spot in the sub-regionals after finishing runner-up to No. 9 Lexington. The Lady Wildcats first eliminated the two-seed Colbert County 3-1 before falling to the tournament hosts 3-0 in the final.

“I was so proud of our team (Tuesday) night! ….especially for their teamwork!,” THS head coach Lori Huffaker said. “They fought through adversity and persevered. I was encouraged by their grit and focus. They were locked in and got the job done. And we’re very excited to advance to the next round.

“We came up short in the finals, but I have to tip my hat to Lexington,” she added. “They are a very solid team. And I expect they’ll be in the state championship.”

Tharptown’s Karrah Nichols, Jayden Partain, Carly Cason and Cadence Kennedy all earned places on the All-Area 13 Tournament Team with their performances.

In crossover with Area 14, the Lady Wildcats will travel to the champion of that area, J.B. Pennington, on October 19.

In the four-team 2A Area 9 tournament, Phil Campbell was eliminated by eventual area runner-up Cold Springs 3-1. The Lady Bobcats closed their 2026 campaign with a final 15-21 record.

Finally, in Class 5A, Russellville earned a sub-regional berth after finishing runner-up to host Austin in the Area 13 tournament.

“I’m extremely proud of this group and the way they’ve continued to push through the challenges we’ve faced this season. These girls continue to prove what they’re capable of through their determination, resilience, and willingness to fight for one another,” RHS head coach Madison Lamon said.

In the semifinal, the Lady Golden Tigers, led by 13 kills from Blevyn Sappington, came from a set down to beat Florence 3-1 (16-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-19) and advance to the final.

Unfortunately, Austin was too much for Russellville in the championship game, sweeping the Lady Golden Tigers 3-0 (25-6, 25-12, 25-11), but the runner-up finish puts RHS in the AHSAA postseason for the second-straight year. It’s the first back-to-back postseason appearances for the Lady Golden Tigers since 1978-79.

“Finishing runner-up at area and advancing to sub-region is a testament to their hard work, and we know we’re not finished yet!” Lamon said of her team.

Sappington, Bri McCulloch and Samantha Wilson were named to the All-Area Tournament Team. In the two games, Sappington had 14 kills, 31 digs and a block; McCulloch led with 32 digs and added 15 assists, seven kills and five blocks; and Wilson finished with eight kills, 20 digs and four blocks.

Russellville will travel to play 5A Area 14 champion East Limestone on Monday.