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Lady Cubs fall in final

Alexandria plays two intense sets in its first finals berth in five years, but lose momentum on a tough call in the middle of the match

Alexandria coach Whitney Welch listens to an official's explanation of a disputed point early in the second set of the Lady Cubs' 5A title match with St. Paul's. The point later was awarded to the Saints. (All photos by Kristen Stringer/Krisp Pics Photography)

Alexandria coach Whitney Welch listens to an official’s explanation of a disputed point early in the second set of the Lady Cubs’ 5A title match with St. Paul’s. The point later was awarded to the Saints. (All photos by Kristen Stringer/Krisp Pics Photography)

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

BIRMINGHAM – Monentum is such an important and fickle element in the game of volleyball.

When it’s on your side, it can carry a team to a championship. When it goes away, it’s difficult to get back.

Alexandria had it early in the second set of Thursday’s Class 5A state championship match at Bill Harris Arena, but three minutes of inactivity in the Bill Harris Arena snatched it away.

The Lady Cubs lost to top-ranked St. Paul’s 3-0 (28-26, 25-21, 25-13) in their first trip to the state finals in five years. The critical point came early in the second set.

The Cubs (48-10) appeared to have shaken the disappointment of losing an intense opening set with an early 4-1 lead in the second when Taylor Spradley played a ball near the net antenna.

The line judge called it off the antenna and St. Paul’s ball, but the chair official thought it was called out off the block in Alexandria’s favor. They conferred and after three times awarding the ball to St. Paul’s – which Saints coach Lisa Marston “reminded (them) gently” — and three times saying it was the Lady Cubs’ the point ultimately was awarded to the Saints (44-7).

Spradley said the ball did not contact the apparatus. Other players thought so much discussion warranted at least a replayed point.

“The weird call,” as Alexandria coach Whitney Welch called it, fueled a five-point run that gave St. Paul’s the lead.

“That took the momentum from us a little bit (on the contested point) and we couldn’t get back started again,” Welch said. “Bad luck there. We struggled to bounce back from it. … For that to happen and stop play, I don’t know if it would have been different if it wouldn’t have happened or not, I can’t tell you that, but for it to stop our momentum that was huge, kind of upsetting.”

The Lady Cubs did regain the lead briefly after that, but they weren’t quite the same again. St. Paul’s, focused on knowing where on the floor Alexandria’s all-tournament hitters Taylor Spradley, Tori Rae Stillman and Catelynn Howell were at all times, began finding openings on the floor and eventually took the lead 13-12 and never trailing again.

“It was only one point but we had had a lot of momentum,” setter Gracie Muncher said. “Regardless if we got the point or not we just had three or four minutes of just sitting there. Your adrenaline kind of stops pumping and I guess you lose intensity, and then they got the point to make it 4-2 and they went on a run. That was the momentum shifter for sure.”

The third set wasn’t close. It got away from the Lady Cubs quickly as St. Paul’s scored the first eight points and opened a 10-3 lead.

“It was critical at the time to stop their momentum, for sure,” Marston said of the contested point. “It would’ve put them up 5-1 and it also gave a little break of emotions for us to calm down a little bit and let their server think about it. At the time it was very critical. In the match, who knows what would have happened. Both teams tended to go on streaks except for the very last set, so to stop their streak it was super important.”

When the Big Three hitters are on their game, the Lady Cubs are virtually impossible to beat. They were just a little off after a big day Wednesday.

Spradley had 11 kills in the championship match, Stillwell six and Howell four. Muncher didn’t make the all-tournament team, but she was instrumental in the Cubs’ success. She had 27 of her 109 Elite Eight assists and 10 digs in the final.

“Today we couldn’t get anything going,” Welch said. “It’s like just didn’t have enough gas to finish it. We couldn’t get in system and we kept them in system and so we struggled offensively because of that. It was a big key to the game that we had to stay in system so we could swing and we struggled to do that.”

The championship was St. Paul’s 16th all-time, third in the last four years and eighth in the last 11. Saints outside hitter Parker Canada was the MVP. She had 13 kills, 11 digs and two aces in the match.

Gracie Muncher didn't make the all-tournament team but she was as important to Alexandria's success as any player. She had 27 assists, 10 digs and two aces in the title match, 109 assists in the Elite Eight.

Gracie Muncher didn’t make the all-tournament team but she was as important to Alexandria’s success as any player. She had 27 assists, 10 digs and two aces in the title match, 109 assists in the Elite Eight.

ST. PAUL’S 3, ALEXANDRIA 0

Alexandria (48-10) 26 21 13
St. Paul’s (44-7) 28 25 25

KILLS – Alexandria (31): Gracie Muncher 1, Tori Rae Stillwell 6, China Lane 3, Taylor Spradley 11, Catelynn Howell 4, Aubrey Pope 6; St. Paul’s (36): Parker Canada 13, Lily Myers 4, Ashley Dyas 5, Aleah Kennedy 4, Mary Hollingsworth 5, Kelly Honkanen 3, Konner Wilks 2.

ASSISTS – Alexandria (29): Gracie Muncher 27, Kinsley Gregoria 1, Mattie Wade 1; St. Paul’s (32): Lily Myers 14, Ashley Dyas 1, Mary Hollingsworth 2, Konner Wilks 1, Katie Albrecht 14.

ACES – Alexandria (5): Gracie Muncher 2, Mattie Wade 3; St. Paul’s (6): Parker Canada 2, Lily Myers 2, Mary Hollingsworth 2.

DIGS – Alexandria (74): Gracie Muncher 10, Tori Pope 7, Tori Rae Stillwell 7, China Lane 1, Taylor Spradley 4, Kaitlyn Harvey 5, Catelynn Howell 5, Aubrey Pope 5, Kinsley Gregoria 22, Mattie Wade 8; St. Paul’s (71): Parker Canada 11, Lily Myers 10, Ashley Dyas 10, Aleah Kennedy 3, Mary Hollingsworth 19, Kelly Honkanen 3, Konner Wilks 15.

BLOCKS – Alexandria (2-4): Tori Rae Stillwell 0-1, Catelynn Howell 1-1, Aubrey Pope 1-2; St. Paul’s (1-8): Parker Canada 0-1, Ashley Dyas 0-3, Kelly Honkanen 1-4.

AHSAA VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Championship Matches
Class 2A: St. Luke’s (46-14) def. Winston County (28-16), 3-0 (28-26, 25-11, 25-13)
Class 5A: St. Paul’s (44-7) def. Alexandria (48-10), 3-0 (28-26, 25-21, 25-13)
Class 4A: Madison Academy (45-20) def. Saint James (35-11), 3-0 (27-25, 25-20, 25-21)
Class 7A: Mountain Brook (44-8) def. Hoover (39-15), 3-1 (25-11, 23-25, 25-12, 25-19)
Class 6A: Hazel Green (56-10) def. Spanish Fort (58-5), 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-23)
Class 3A: Bayside Academy (57-5) def. Providence Christian (45-9), 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-18)
Class 1A: Addison (43-19) def. Decatur Heritage (46-11), 3-2 (23-25, 25-23, 26-24, 20-25, 15-6)

ALEXANDRIA’S ALL-TOURNAMENT PLAYERS

Taylor Spradley had 11 kills in the finals and 42 in the Elite Eight. (This is not the play that prompted discussion in the second set.)

Taylor Spradley had 11 kills in the finals and 42 in the Elite Eight. (This is not the play that prompted discussion in the second set.)

Tori Rae Stillwell had six kills in the finals and 22 in the Lady Cubs' last two matches.

Tori Rae Stillwell had six kills in the finals and 22 in the Lady Cubs’ last two matches.

Catelynn Howell (00) had four kills in the title match. She had 17 in the quarterfinals.

Catelynn Howell (00) had four kills in the title match. She had 17 in the quarterfinals.

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