MONTGOMERY — A consistent Donoho swept Pleasant Home 3-0 in the first round of the Class 1A South Super Regional Volleyball Tournament in the Multiplex at the Cramton Bowl on Friday morning.

The Lady Eagles fell 13-25, 13-25, 10-25 to a powerful defending state champion, whose middle hitters dominated the match throughout. Corey Phillis had 14 kills and Peyton van Ekvis had 11 kills for DHS. Arma Torwen had five aces.

“They just don’t make mistakes,” PHS coach Jerry Davis said about Donoho. “They’re just so consistent.

“We didn’t pass the ball very well today. You don’t get it to the net and hit it, they hit it pretty much right at you the third time, which is pretty hard to do.”

PHS trailed 9-2, 11-5, 16-7 and 17-11 in the first game; 16-6, 20-7 and 23-9 in the second game; and 12-5, 13-7, 22-8 and 23-9 in the match-deciding third game.

“I’m proud of my girls,” Davis said. “This is where it all started at (for them). It was bad luck at the draw. They’re the defending state champions, and until somebody beats them, they still are. They’ll be one of those teams to beat in Birmingham.”

Pleasant Home finished its season 18-6 and will lose eight seniors to graduation this year.

Davis, a basketball coach by heart, said he’s come to really enjoy coaching volleyball because of the girls.

“It still doesn’t make it any easier for these girls,” he said about the loss. “They’ve been a good group of girls. They’ve worked hard at it.”

Additionally, PHS will be able to reload a bit with a strong junior varsity team who will be able to fill the vacant holes left by the seniors.

“We’ve got five girls back, which all played roles this year,” Davis said. “We feel good about the future.”

 

Winterboro 3, Red Level 0

Despite falling 15-25, 14-25, 24-26 to Winterboro on Friday at the South Super Regional Tournament, Red Level played a good match of volleyball, Lady Tigers coach Gail Lee said.

“They looked like a team today,” Lee said. “They looked good, too. None of these girls have done any type of competition like this.”

When things starting getting out of hand for RLS, the Lady Tigers didn’t back down, landing points when they could at necessary times in the match.

The Lady Tigers took their first lead of the match in the third game at 23-22, but let WHS come back to tie it at 24-24.

This was a big environment to compete in for the girls, Lee said.

“They did well,” she said about handling the crowd noise and hecticness of the tournament. “They were scared to death to start out with. I don’t think they were bothered once they got in the game and settled down.”

Lee said she’s looking forward to getting back to work for next year.