After historic 2025 season, experienced Russellville volleyball squad embracing growth, challenges in 2026
Following on the heels of one of the most successful seasons in program history, what will the Russellville High School varsity volleyball team achieve in 2026?
The 2025 season was an historic one for RHS. The Lady Golden Tigers, led by head coach Madison Lamon, shortlisted for the Class 5A Coach of the Year award, won a program-best 41 games, captured the program’s first area championship, and advanced to the AHSAA regional tournament for the first time in over a decade.
But heading into the new campaign, the Lady Golden Tigers aren’t content with resting on last year’s laurels.
This offseason Russellville has focused on improving the little things that can make a big difference this fall.
“This summer has been very productive for our team,” said Lamon, who is entering her third season as head coach. “Coming off a successful 41–16 season, we were proud of what we accomplished, but we knew there was still room to grow. Our biggest focus was improving communication and becoming more connected on the court.
“We also emphasized pushing through adversity and controlling what we can control. We've worked on building mental toughness, strengthening our team chemistry, and creating habits that will help us compete at an even higher level this season,” she added.
In addition to improvements made this summer, the Lady Golden Tigers also return a ton of experience on the floor, indubitably a major strength for this team. With the exception of graduates Laila Hill, now playing college volleyball at Northwest Shoals Community College, and Fatima Ramirez, an All-State Honorable Mention last year, Russellville returns all of its key players.
“We're fortunate to have all but two of our starters returning from last season, so we have a lot of experience coming back,” Lamon told the Franklin Free Press.
The leaders among this group will be juniors Bri McCulloch and Blevyn Sappington and senior Alexia Groce.
The libero McCulloch, who earned a spot on the Alabama High School Volleyball Coaches Association (AHSVCA) All-State Second Team last season, enters her penultimate prep year already as the program’s career leader in digs. She also set the team record for digs in a single season in 2025 with 894, the most digs in Alabama and the sixth-most in the country according to MaxPreps.
“Bri McCulloch, the 5A AL.com Defensive Player of the Year, returns for her junior season and will continue to be the leader of our defense,” Lamon said.
Sappington, an outside hitter who finished with 366 kills and 80 aces last season, also earned her fair share of accolades in 2025. She was an FFP All-Franklin County Second Team player and an AHSVCA All-State Honorable Mention.
Sappington is expected to once again be a top offensive threat for the Lady Golden Tigers.
“Another junior, Blevyn Sappington, is our top returning hitter and will also play a big role defensively,” Lamon said.
And finally, Groce, the lone senior among the group, will be key in filling the hole left by Ramirez and directing the RHS attack.
“Alexia Groce is back for her senior season and will lead our offense with her ability to run the floor as one of our setters,” Lamon added.
The Lady Golden Tigers have some younger or less experienced players that they anticipate stepping up and contributing in big ways this season, as well.
Freshman Samantha Wilson and junior Brookelynn Davis are two players whose roles should expand in 2026.
“One young player we're especially excited about is Samantha Wilson," Lamon said. "She moved up as an eighth-grader for our area and regional matches last season and handled those moments extremely well. We expect her to step into a starting role this year, and we believe she'll be a key contributor to our success.
“We're also expecting Brookelynn Davis to take on much bigger roles this season, contributing in more rotations and becoming a key server,” the head coach added.
Like a lot of teams in the state, Russellville will face all new area opponents this season. For the past few years, Russellville’s former area, Class 5A Area 15, consisted of Lawrence County and West Point; following the AHSAA’s reclassification and realignment earlier this year, the Lady Golden Tigers’ new area, 5A Area 13, will include Florence, Muscle Shoals and Austin.
These new opponents, all formerly 6A and 7A and bigger schools than Russellville, will present challenges for the Lady Golden Tigers, but Lamon is confident in her team’s chances versus any team.
“The new alignment definitely brings some changes, but we have a lot of confidence in our team and our ability to compete with anyone,” Lamon said. “We played two of the three teams in our new area last season, so I think that gives us a good idea of what to expect and where we need to improve. Every team presents its own challenges, but we believe in the group we have and know they're capable of competing at a high level.
“The biggest challenge will come after area, with several teams that were previously in 6A and 7A now competing in 5A,” she added. “That certainly raises the level of competition, but that's something we're excited to embrace. Our focus is on continuing to prepare, working hard every day, and finding ways to get at least 1% better each day. If we do that consistently, we believe we'll put ourselves in a great position to make it out of the area again and compete with whoever is in front of us.”
Another typical challenge for a team like Russellville coming off a banner year is the pressure of increased expectations. But Lamon doesn’t quite see it that way. For her and her team, the expectations aren’t a burden to be carried but instead a positive opportunity.
“I don't view it as pressure as much as I view it as an opportunity and a privilege,” she said. “Last season set a high standard for our program, but our players understand that success has to be earned all over again.”
The Lady Golden Tigers know that talent and experience alone do not promise another successful season; the expectation is that everything has to be earned.
“We have a talented group returning with valuable experience, leadership, and a competitive mindset, but we also know that what we accomplished a year ago doesn't guarantee anything this season,” Lamon said. “Our expectations are always to compete at the highest level possible. We want to contend for another area championship, advance out of the area tournament, and make another deep postseason run. More importantly, we want to continue building a culture centered on accountability, resilience, and daily improvement.”
Lamon feels that if her Lady Golden Tigers continue to embrace this approach then another fantastic and successful season is well within their reach.
“If we stay committed to getting at least 1% better each day and focus on controlling what we can control, we believe we'll give ourselves every opportunity to achieve our goals and make this another memorable season,” she said.
Russellville’s 2026 journey starts on Thursday, August 20 with road matches against East Lawrence and Elkmont.