The margin between Class 3A volleyball state championship finalists Bayside Academy and Madison Academy was razor thin.
The two battled evenly throughout the best-of-five match, two proud teams unwilling to surrender. The final set — the first to 15 with a two-point margin taking the victory — was even closer with Bayside leading 10-7 before the Mustangs fought back to earn match point at 15-14.
Madison Academy had its shot at the win, a screeching cross-court attack that Coastal Alabama Player of the Year Ariel Dulaney of Bayside deftly passed by to setter Ansleigh Dailey, followed by a kill to tie the score. The Admirals picked up the next points and their 13th straight title.
“That play, it wasn’t about me,” Dulaney said. “I wanted my teammates to win so badly I was going to do whatever it takes. I was in the moment and knew I could do it.”
Middle hitter Dulaney leads the AL.com Coastal Alabama team and is one of four Bayside players selected. Setter Dailey along with outside hitter and Class 3A state tournament MVP Lauren Chastang join Dulaney on the first team while outside hitter Julia Martin is honorable mention.
St. Paul’s Kelli Hillier is the Coach of the Year after guiding the Saints to their 15th state title, including two straight and seven in the past nine years. She recently retired from coaching with a 607-197 record in 14 years at the helm.
Dulaney seemed destined to succeed in volleyball.
Mom Ritchie played alongside Bayside coach Ann Schilling at McGill-Toolen under Hall of Fame coach Becky Dickinson. While at McGill, Ritchie won three volleyball titles and two basketball championships along with titles in track and tennis. She also played volleyball at Missouri, earning All-Conference three seasons, and is currently the volleyball coach at Faulkner State.
The younger Dulaney already has three titles with the Admirals, earning a starting spot on varsity as an eighth-grader. She has been in the lineup since.
“She stays composed and doesn’t seem to ever get rattled,” Schilling said. “She doesn’t take a mistake into the next play and can move on. She has a lot of athleticism, she’s very quick and pays great all the way around. She’s just very solid and very smart.”
It was a young Bayside team with no seniors and only one junior. Chastang and Dulaney are sophomores and Dailey is a freshman.
Dulaney and Chastang were stalwarts on the front line, but Chastang missed a portion of the season with injury. That put even more pressure on Dulaney.
“We kind of struggled in the beginning of the year because we didn’t know who our leaders were,” Dulaney said. “I felt like I was the same throughout the season. Julia and Lauren were the captains, but I thought I was a leader on our team. We all leaned on each other for support and you knew your teammates weren’t going to fail you.”
AL.com Coastal Alabama All-Region Volleyball Team
| Pos. | Player | School | Ht. | Yr. | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OH | Lauren Chastang | Bayside Acad. | 6-0 | So. | 429 kills, 300 digs, 36 blocks |
| OH | Avery Cooper | Saraland | 5-10 | Sr. | 474 kills, 118 blocks, 41 aces |
| OH | Abigail Hutchens | McGill-Toolen | 6-0 | Sr. | 311 kills, 41 aces |
| OH | Danielle Melton | Baker | 5-10 | Sr. | 313 kills, 206 digs, 56 aces |
| OH | Maegan Parrillo | Spanish Fort | 5-9 | Jr. | 272 kills, 249 digs, 67 aces |
| MH | Ashley Chapman | St. Luke's | 6-0 | Jr. | 489 kills, 59 blocks, 67 aces |
| MH | Ariel Dulaney | Bayside Acad. | 6-0 | So. | 544 kills, 411 digs, 63 blocks |
| MH | Morgan Eiland | St. Paul's | 6-1 | Sr. | 353 kills, 177 blocks, 66 aces |
| MH | Bentley Odom | Murphy | 6-3 | So. | 743 kills, 117 blocks, 79 aces |
| S | Ansleigh Dailey | Bayside Acad. | 5-6 | Fr. | 1,374 assists, 58 aces |
| ATH | Elise Polio | St. Luke's | 5-9 | Jr. | 303 kills, 593 assists, 40 blocks |
| ATH | Katherine Still | McGill-Toolen | 5-8 | Sr. | 336 kills, 355 digs, 71 aces |
Coastal Alabama Player of the Year: Ariel Dulaney, Bayside Academy
Coastal Alabama Coach of the Year: Kelli Hillier, St. Paul's
Honorable Mention
Outside Hitter: Hannah Fromdahl, Baker, Sr.; Natalie George, UMS-Wright, Jr.; Ellie Johnson, Fairhope, Jr.; Julia Martin, Bayside Academy, Jr.
Middle: Elizabeth Burnett, McGill-Toolen, Jr.; Bradley Carrington, St. Paul's, Sr.; Tori Morris, Spanish Fort, Jr.
Setter: Kersten Joyner, Murphy, Sr.; Ali Sutherland, St. Paul's, Sr.; Janna Terry, Baker, Jr.
Defensive Specialist: Macie Gatlin, Faith Academy, Jr.; Whitney Hinton, UMS-Wright, Jr.; Anna Kennedy, Cottage Hill, Sr.; Konner Wilks, St. Paul's, So.
Athlete: Caroline Hicks, Faith Academy, Sr.
