BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE OBSERVER
BEAUREGARD — Beauregard High School’s volleyball team pushed Satsuma High School to the brink, but the season ended for the Lady Hornets (16-11) on Oct. 22, with a 3-2 loss to the Lady Gators (19-7) in the AHSAA Class 4A South Regional tournament at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex.
Beauregard grabbed the opening set 27-25 before Satsuma took control, winning the second and third sets by identical 25-17 scores. Facing elimination, the Lady Hornets answered with a 25-19 win in the fourth set to force a deciding fifth set, which the Lady Gators won 15-6.
Beauregard head coach Trent Powell said his team’s response after falling behind 2-1 was the highlight of the season.
“The way that the kids’ energy was the second and third set and how overly stressed we were, I wasn’t sure that we had that fourth set in us,” Powell said. “But watching them fight back to bring up that energy and create some momentum and get that fourth set, that was pretty inspiring.”
Kalise Culbertson led the Lady Hornets on both sides of the net, finishing with a team-high 13 kills and eight total blocks, including seven solo blocks. She also served 16 times without an error, recording two aces.
Anna Marie Conway ran the offense with 31 assists and added eight digs, a kill and an ace. Ellie Burroughs was Beauregard’s most efficient attacker, totaling 12 kills on 21 attempts for a .429 hitting percentage to go with six digs and a block.
Kenzie Handley led the team with 12 digs, and Ryleigh Bishop added 11 digs and two aces.
Powell said the Lady Hornets battled injuries earlier in the season, and a team meeting about a month ago marked a turning point. He followed it by challenging his players with tougher, higher-intensity practices.
“Ever since then, I mean, the kids really, really, really bought in,” Powell said. “They responded really, really well. We may not have pulled off some wins down the stretch against some of those better teams, but man, we really did compete night in and night out, and they left it all out on the court in Montgomery.”
Powell said the team’s biggest growth came in areas that don’t show up on a stat sheet.
“I think the main thing was things you don’t necessarily see on the court,” Powell said. “We really bought in and came together as a unit over the last month. They bought in with what I was preaching, they grew closer together, attitudes changed, and I think getting all of that out of the way allowed us to be a better team.”
Beauregard’s run to the Sweet 16 was led by seven seniors: Burroughs, Conway, Bishop, Ryleigh Ortiz, Madison Preston, Avery Parmer and Karlee Cooper. Powell, who just finished his second season coaching volleyball, credited the group for helping him learn the sport.
“They put in a lot of work over the last few years, and it really showed in the games,” Powell said. “There were times when I was first learning volleyball that they were teaching me, so I owe a lot to this group for even what I know about volleyball. I’m not ashamed to say it. We’ve come a long way together over the last two years, and the fact that we’re sitting here talking about a Sweet 16 is pretty wild if we go back to the beginning of last year.”
