BIRMINGHAM – Montgomery Academy captured the school’s fifth state volleyball state title Thursday with  3-0 win over Carbon Hill at the 48th Class 3A State Volleyball Championships held at the CrossPlex’s Bill Harris Arena.
    Coach Julie Gordon’s Eagles used a balanced attack and gritty defense to post the school’s first state crown since 2013 winning 25-18, 27-25, 25-18. Montgomery Academy (38-9) lost a five-set battle to Bayside Academy in the 2017 finals.
   Junior setter Millie Stevenson dished out 34 assists – evenly distributed to a host of teammates including Brooke Horne, who had nine kills, Mary Gray Turner, who had eight kills, and Margaret Head, who had seven. Stevenson also had 12 digs to earn Class 3A state tourney MVP honors. Grace Jackson had 16 digs and Sally Shegon had 11.
    Carbon Hill (65-7) closed out one of the school’s best seasons in history with a strong comeback effort in the second set – finally dropping the intense game 27-25. Coach Saige Beaty got a strong performance from senior middle hitter Alyssa Dutton, who had a match-high 19 kills and eight digs. Grayson Evans also had seven kills and two service aces and setter Sidney Keeton had 27 assists and nine digs. The Bulldogs won three straight state titles in 1988, 1989 and 1990.
CLASS 3A ALL-STATE TOURNAMENT TEAM
Millie Stevenson, Montgomery Academy (MVP); Mary Gray Turner, Montgomery Academy; Brooke Horne, Montgomery Academy; Grace Jackson, Montgomery Academy; Grayson Evans, Carbon Hill; Alyssa Dutton, Carbon Hill.

48th Annual State Volleyball Championships

THURSDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
(All matches to be live-streamed over the subscriber-based NFHS Network; for more information go to www.nfhsnetwork.com)

Class 2A Championship
Addison (54-10) 3, Winston County (33-15) 2  (25-21, 20-25, 19-25, 15-8)
Class 7A Championship 
McGill-Toolen Catholic (48-5) 3, Bob Jones (37-11) 0 (25-17, 25-8, 25-23)
Class 5A Championship