ALL-STAR SPORTS WEEK: Short-handed South falls to North in five sets in volleyball

Montgomery Academy’s Morgan Springer prepares to serve during Thursday’s North-South All-Star volleyball match at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex. (Tim Gayle)

By TIM GAYLE

The South all-star team faced a challenging task long before the players took the court on Thursday for the Alabama All-Stars Sports Week volleyball match at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.

A short-handed South team battled back from an early deficit to force a fifth set before falling to the North all stars 3-2 in the final sporting event of all-star week.

“We had a great group of girls,” said South coach Jenn Denham of Catholic. “We knew going into it that we had some girls that were hurt so we knew we had lower numbers. We had six middle (blockers). We had two outside (hitters), zero right side, one libero, no DS. We knew going into it we were going to have to put people in positions they hadn’t played before or weren’t comfortable with, which is unfortunate because it’s an all-star game. You want everybody to have an opportunity to play the position they’re used to. But these girls did a phenomenal job of stepping in wherever we put them.”

Montgomery Academy senior Morgan Springer was one of those playing out of position. Although the middle blocker played some at that position, she found herself as a defensive specialist most of the afternoon, finishing with three kills, one assist, and three digs.

“I’m usually a middle hitter but I think we had six middles on the team,” Springer said. “It was a new experience, playing back row. I did serve-receive and I did defense, but we have a really awesome setter and a great libero, awesome personnel that helped me through it.

“We had a lot of injuries, obstacles and things that happened, but I’m just really proud of how our team rebounded from that and worked through some things. We had players playing out of position. We just fought really hard and I’m really proud of  us for that.”

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the all-star game was her former teammate, Kaci Armistead, transferred to Thompson over the summer and was selected to the South all-star team as a libero, but ended up playing that position for the North.

“I was, like, we have one libero and they wouldn’t let us pick anyone up,” Denham said. “We don’t even have a DS.”

The South looked shaky in the first set, falling 25-23, but rebounded to win the second set 25-17 before losing the third set 25-19. After cruising to a 16-11 lead in the fourth set, the South fell apart in an 11-4 run by the North before rebounding to score the final five points to pull out a 25-23 lead. In the fifth set, it was the North who scored the final five points, breaking a 10-10 tie by scoring the match’s final five points to win the game.  

“There are definitely some plays that I would love it if we could go back and make some adjustments and changes,” Denham said. “We literally had 90 minutes to practice this morning. From the first set to where we were in (set) three and four, we were a different team.”

For Springer, all-star week capped a spring and summer that included adjusting to her third coach in as many years.

“I’m really proud of our team because no matter what coach comes in -- we’ve had great coaches -- we always put in the work,” Springer said. “It doesn’t really matter who’s coaching us, all the girls around us are going to do our best.”

The senior stepped away from club volleyball during that time, adjusting to beach volleyball at Birmingham Beach during that time.

“I started beach because my knee started hurting,” she said. “Let’s take a break from club ball and I had a friend who said have you ever thought about playing beach during the spring and the summer. It’s been a great experience because it helps me work  on those skills that I don’t necessarily get as a middle, like I get serve-receive, I get defense. It’s really good for staying in shape and getting out in the sun.

“Beach really gets you in shape, but it also helps with the mental aspect of things because you only have two players on the court. When I transition to indoor, I read a lot better because I’m used to only having one other girl but now I’ve got this bigger group around me.”

Those qualities came into play on Thursday when she was put on the back row as a defensive specialist. Despite the adjustment -- and the loss -- she enjoyed her all-star experience.

“I was really grateful to be surrounded by so many amazing girls,” Springer said. “That was my biggest takeaway, all the talent that we have throughout Alabama but especially in the south. Just getting to meet all these girls that I play across the net from during the season -- being able to absorb some of their skills and being able to bounce ideas off of them.”

Among her South teammates was former Catholic standout and current Pike Road senior Kierstyn Green, who had 14 kills, two assists, two aces and 12 digs; Prattville Christian middle blocker Maren Diefenderfer, who had 10 kills, three digs and a block; Mobile Christian’s Hadley Kelly, who had 19 kills, two aces and two digs; and South MVP Alice Wood of McGill-Toolen, who had four kills, eight digs and 40 assists.

Hoover’s Abby Tingle was the North MVP after finishing with 15 kills, five aces and five digs. Two of those kills and one of those aces came in the final set.  

30th ALABAMA ALL-STARS SPORTS WEEK

Monday

Girls’ Golf:  North 44.5, South 45.5 (North girls lead series 5-2)

Boys’ Golf:  North 41.5, South 48.5 (North boys lead series 6-1)

Baseball:  North 5-3, South 1-7, (North boys lead series 26-19-5)

Tuesday

Girls’ Cross Country: North 17, South 44 (North girls lead series 7-2)

Boys’ Cross Country: North 24, South 32 (North boys lead series 7-2)

Girls’ Tennis: North 8, South 1 (North girls lead series 5-1)

Boys’ Tennis: North 7, South 2 (North boys lead series 5-1)

Girls’ Basketball: North 71, South 63 (North leads series 25-4)

Boys’ Basketball: North 74, South 67 (North leads series 52-31)

Wednesday

Softball: South 13-11, North 13-10 (North leads series 29-28-2)

Girls’ Soccer: South 2, North 0 (North leads series 19-5-1)

Boys’ Soccer: South 2, North 2 (North leads series 19-4-2)

Thursday

Volleyball: North 3, South 2 *North leads series 17-11)