Flash Facts on the AHSAA volleyball playoffs:
Three teams move to the regional round for AHSAA volleyball:
Flash Facts:
Stage one of the AHSAA volleyball playoff format is done with three local teams accomplishing the task in moving on to the next phase, the North Regional.
Good Hope did it Wednesday in dramatic fashion with a 3 to 2 victory vs. Danville in 4A, Area 13 play from West Morgan.
A day later, Vinemont and Holly Pond battled semifinal challenges from Blount County schools, getting victory then the opportunity to continue their intense rivalry in the 3A, Area 11 championship hosted by Holly Pond.
One player can impact a team's performance:
Vinemont is balanced with good talent, but Mabri Smith plays a huge role. Smith is the setter that gets her team ready to be aggressive when they receive the ball and look to score from that status.
Smith was injured September 18 when Vinemont lost the regular season area title to Holly Pond 3 to 1.
Vinemont would fall to defeat in 5 of its next 6 matches. The Lady Eagles closed out their regular schedule with 3 consecutive setbacks.
While Smith was unable to play, Vinemont posted a 5 & 9 record. With her performing, the Lady Eagles were 19 & 5 and on a hot streak coming to Holly Pond in mid September.
Smith got medically cleared as she was back Thursday to help the Lady Eagles defeat JB Pennington and Holly Pond to repeat as 3A, Area 11 champions.
Vinemont & Holly Pond VB very much even:
A pair of rivals that battle one another from the county and in AHSAA 3A, Area 11, Vinemont and Holly Pond are very much even.
Vinemont edged Holly Pond 3 to 2 in area play at home September 4.
Holly Pond compiled a 3 to 1 triumph with the Lady Eagles two weeks later at Dwayne Adams Court/Felton Easterwood Gymnasium.
Both reached the area title bout Thursday and Vinemont pulled it off 3 games to 1, taking the 4th set in dramatic fashion 26 to 24. The three wins by Vinemont were narrow triumphs of 4 points and a pair of 2 point breath takers.
Vinemont was 7 & 5 overall this season with Holly Pond.
Consistency and steady play:
The last 2 years have been steady play for Vinemont with two different coaches.
Bobby Daniels took over in 2024 and Vinemont soared like never before with 49 wins against 12 losses and to the quarterfinal round of the 3A North Regional.
Daniels got courted to the ACCC and became head coach at Bevill State.
Vinemont then hired Kaydi Woodard that had great credentials while coaching nearby at Addison High School.
Woodard has seen Vinemont in a high/low mode in her first season. Vinemont began the season winning 19 of its first 24 matches before a slump sent the Lady Eagles to 5 wins & 9 losses from September 18 to last week.
For Holly Pond, consistency has been the detail with Adrien Adams.
From 2022 to this season, Holly Pond has been 28 & 18, 26 & 15, 20 & 20 and 26 & 12. A total of 100 victories with Adams in command in this span.
Both went 7 & 1 in 3A, Area 11 regular season play, splitting the two matches.
Vinemont and Holly Pond are back in the North Regional for the 2nd straight year with the event being held at the Finley Center in Hoover.
Very good area playoff volleyball:
Intense play has become the tone from the area segment of the 2025 AHSAA volleyball playoffs.
Good Hope went to 5 games with Danville in 4A, Area 13, claiming a 3 to 2 semifinal victory from West Morgan. The Lady Raiders challenged West Morgan in the final but fell in 4 sets.
From the 3A, Area 11 tournament, Locust Fork got by Hanceville and Vinemont edged JB Pennington in 5 grueling games.
The title match with Vinemont & Holly Pond went 4 games and was played in 1 hour, 43 minutes Thursday evening.
For the record:
Five of the seven teams from the Cullman County system enjoyed a winning 2025 volleyball season.
Vinemont is 26 & 14 with Holly Pond 26 & 12 heading to the 3A Regional round.
Good Hope has 25 victories & 21 losses.
West Point was the Cullman County champion, but eliminated in 5A, Area 15 semifinal play. The Lady Warriors went 22 & 14 for the season.
Fairview claimed 15 wins out of 29 matches.
Very few wins were claimed by Cold Springs and Hanceville.
Cold Springs did finish the final week of the regular season beating Vinemont 3 to 1 and winning a 3 to 2 thriller at Cullman Christian School.
Hanceville swept Locust Fork then took JB Pennington to 4 games prior to the start of the postseason.
Photo of Vinemont's Arleigh Thomason (8) and her teammates in a Quad Match vs. Good Hope at Joe Shults Gym in Fairview September 23.
Photo courtesy of Cathy Pope McSwain.
