‘Brand new’

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: October 31, 2024

Ohatchee falls to powerful Mobile Christian in 3A title match but soaks in the experience of the Indians’ first-ever appearance in a state volleyball final.

**Cover photo: Ohatchee, the 2024 Class 3A state runner up. (Photo by Joe Medley)**

Pairings

STATE TOURNAMENT

CLASS 4A
Tuesday, Oct. 29
Birmingham CrossPlex
Alexandria def. Straughn, 3-0
Orange Beach def. Central-Florence, 3-0
Prattville Christian def. Cherokee County, 3-0
Madison County def. St. Michael, 3-0
Semifinals
Alexandria def. Orange Beach, 3-0
Prattville Christian 3, Madison County 2
Wednesday, Oct. 30
Championship
Bill Harris Arena
Prattville Christian def. Alexandria, 3-1

CLASS 3A
Wednesday, Oct. 30
Birmingham CrossPlex
Ohatchee def. T.R. Miller, 3-1
St. Luke’s def. Lauderdale County, 3-1
Mobile Christian def. Geraldine, 3-0
Donoho def. Alabama Christian, 3-0
Semifinals
Ohatchee def. St. Luke’s, 3-2
Mobile Christian def. Donoho, 3-0
Thursday, Oct. 31
Championship
Bill Harris Arena
Mobile Christian def. Ohatchee, 3-0

CLASS 2A
Tuesday, Oct. 29
Birmingham CrossPlex
Pleasant Valley def. Horseshoe Bend, 3-0
Mars Hill Bible def. Tuscaloosa Academy, 3-0
Winston County def. G.W. Long, 3-1
Lindsay Lane def. Washington County, 3–0
Semifinals
Pleasant Valley def. Mars Hill Bible, 3-2
Lindsay Lane def. Winston County, 3-1
Wednesday, Oct. 30
Championship
Bill Harris Arena
Pleasant Valley def. Lindsay Lane, 3-1

CLASS 1A
Wednesday, Oct. 30
Birmingham CrossPlex
Spring Garden def. Millry, 3-0
Ider def. Kinston, 3-0
University Charter def. Faith Christian, 3-0
Addison def. Brantley, 3-0
Semifinals
Spring Garden def. Ider, 3-0
University Charter def. Addison, 3-0
Thursday, Oct. 31
Championship
Bill Harris Arena
Spring Garden def. University Charter, 3-0

By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today

BIRMINGHAM — Rebecca Hughes has coached Ohatchee to the Elite Eight twice, a state final once, and into competitiveness in a stacked Calhoun County high school volleyball scene.

She played in a state-championship game as Saks’ softball catcher, in 2012.

Watching her latest Ohatchee team play in its first-ever state final Thursday, she saw what made her latest team special.

“I’ve never been a part of a team that has had this much love for each other and this much commitment for each other,” she said. “That made a huge difference the entire season.

“They had each other’s backs, on and off the court. When you have that, you’re pretty much unstoppable sometimes.”

The Indians battled back and led for much of the third set but fell to powerhouse Mobile Christian in Thursday’s Class 3A final in Bill Harris Arena, 19-25, 17-25 and 18-25.

The loss marked the finish to an historic season, which saw Ohatchee (41-10) break through to a state-title match.

Hitter Rebecca Henderson finished with a team-high 11 hits and joined libero Savannah Reaves on the all-tournament team. Reaves had 19 digs.

The Indians got to the title match by beating T.R. Miller and St. Luke’s in Wednesday’s quarterfinal and semifinal matches. They rallied from a 1-2 hole to force a five-set thriller against St. Luke’s.

Ohatchee made an impression on Mobile Christian coach Mallory Boyington, who saw part of the St. Luke’s match.

“They’re a great team,” she said. “They did not back down. …

“We got to sit yesterday and watch the later portion of the St. Luke’s-Ohatchee game, and they fought hard. We knew going into this game that they were not going to just roll over. They were going to make us work for it, and that they were going to be able to put the ball away. They did that, especially in that third set.”

As expected, Mobile Christian got the win.

Ohatchee got the experience of playing in Bill Harris Arena, where the finals are played. Quarterfinals and semifinals play out across the property, in Birmingham CrossPlex.

They lined up on their side of the net for pregame introductions.

After the match, Hughes accepted the runners-up red trophy, and the Indians posed for a team picture with it, before an AHSAA backdrop.

Hughes, Henderson and Reaves experienced a formal postgame news conference, a step up from the normal grab-and-gab postgame interviews done on the playing floor after earlier matches.

“This is brand new for our program to go this far,” Henderson said. “We’ve made history already, just making it to the state championship.”

Reaves called it “a really big thing for us and the community.”