RHS volleyball campaign ends in semifinals of area tournament

The Russellville High School varsity volleyball team’s 2024 season came to a close Wednesday afternoon as the Lady Golden Tigers were swept by West Point in the semifinal round of the Class 5A Area 15 tournament, hosted by Lawrence County.

Russellville’s lone area win during the regular season was against the Lady Warriors—they came back against West Point 3-2 at home in early September—but WPHS avenged that defeat Wednesday, beating the Lady Golden Tigers 25-8, 25-22, 25-23 to advance to the area final where the hosts Lawrence County came out area champions.

Russellville, missing two players for the semifinal match due to injury, started poorly and were beaten soundly in the first set. The Lady Golden Tigers regrouped, though, and made the last two sets much more competitive but were ultimately unable to grab a win in either.

“During the first set, we did not start off strong,” first-year Russellville head coach Madison Lamon said. “I believe the nerves got the best of us the first set, and we let some outside factors control how we performed. However, during sets two and three these girls battled and competed. We were missing two key players tonight due to injuries which was one of my middles and setter which had an effect as well with having to move players around.”

Laila Hill, who led the team with nine kills in the match, Blevyn Sappington, and Bri McCulloch, who recorded a team-high 17 digs in the loss, received All-Area 15 honors for their efforts.

The season now over, Lamon, who led her team to a 17-29 overall record in her first year in charge, expressed her thoughts on the campaign as a whole. It was a learning experience, not just for her team but for herself as a coach, too.

“Reflecting on the season, it’s clear we faced challenges but also had moments of growth and resilience,” Lamon said. “As my first year as head varsity volleyball coach, I’ve learned a lot about team dynamics and the importance of building a strong foundation for the future, as well as assisting their growth into respectful young ladies as well as their character on and off the court.”

Though there were some roller coaster moments for the Lady Golden Tigers this year, Lamon said the future of the program is looking up.

“We have a pretty young team all around. However, they’ve definitely stepped up when it’s been necessary and blended as a team and showed they can compete and finish,” she said. “I've had several freshmen step into the role of being leaders, which is going to be beneficial in the future for us. Despite the ups and downs this season, I’m proud of the progress we made, and I'm super excited for what the future holds!”