HUNTSVILLE- The Bob Jones Patriots and Sparkman Senators both came within an eyelash of making their way to the AHSAA State Volleyball Tournament by falling just short of their goals of making the state event after falling in the North Super Regional Tournament.

For Bob Jones, the loss in the super regional was a super disappointment as the Patriots lost in the State Tournament a year ago to McGill-Toolen in the semi-finals. The early exit on the road to the 50^th annual AHSAA State Tournament this time around ended a three-year run of making a showing in the big show and closed out the chance for the four seniors on the team roster to grab a state title.

In the Super Regional held at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, eighth ranked Bob Jones (27-18) lost in a heartbreaker to unranked Vestavia Hills (16-23) in a thrilling five-game match. The Pats won the first two games before Vestavia Hills came back to win the next two forcing a fifth and deciding game. Final scores were 20-25, 18-25, 25-22, 27-25, 15-8.

For the sixth ranked Senators, who were ranked as high as No. 2 in Class 7-A during the regular season, they faced fourth ranked Thompson (25-8). The six-senior layered Senator’s squad forced a fifth game with a come-from-behind three-point victory making a fifth game winner-take-all scenario a reality.

Sparkman (36-12) fell to Thompson 25-22, 19-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-11.

In Class 5-A, the sixth ranked Madison Academy Mustangs were derailed by eighth ranked West Point (47-15) in the classification’s quarter-final round 3-1 with individual game scores of 25-17, 25-17, 18-25, 25-12.

The AHSAA State Tournament is set to be held at Birmingham’s CrossPlex Oct. 27-29.