Lady Patriots take regional crown on way to state tournament
Bob Jones (50-9) takes on Bayside Academy (32-11) at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Birmingham CrossPlex
HOOVER – The Bob Jones volleyball juggernaut is headed back to the state tournament, this time harboring intentions on being crowned champions instead of accepting the role of bridesmaids.
The Lady Patriots, runners-up the past two seasons to McGill-Toolen in the Class 7A Elite Eight championships, earned the top seed out of the North Regional with a 3-0-win Thursday over Hoover at the Finley Center.
“I was very proud, again, of our focus and grit,’’ Bob Jones head coach Jenny Jarrett said after the school’s third straight regional championship. “Hoover had beaten us earlier in the season in a very tough, very long five-set match. We had prepared ourselves for a similar match (Thursday). It was still a very tough match, but we managed to come out on top.’’
Bob Jones’ statistical leaders against Hoover: Kennedy Vaughn 11 kills, seven digs and one ace; Riley Lovell 23 assists, 13 digs, five kills; Kali Beigh 24 digs, nine assists; and Mya Lacey eight kills, one ace, two blocks.
Tuesday, Bob Jones (50-9) takes on Bayside Academy (32-11) at 1:30 p.m. at the Birmingham CrossPlex. The winner will play either Vestavia Hills (28-13) or Fairhope (38-18) in the semifinals at 6 p.m. The opposite bracket has McGill-Toolen (42-9) against Huntsville (32-9) and Hoover (39-10) against Enterprise (36-11).
The championship match is set for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“I am thrilled that this group of girls gets to compete in the state tournament, as they have worked really hard, not just this year, but ever since they started playing for me,” Jarrett said. “We are all excited to get back in the gym and start preparing for the state tournament.’’
The Lady Patriots journey to the state tournament began in the regional Wednesday when they defeated Oak Mountain 3-0 and Huntsville 3-1 to advance to the title match.
