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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

After an unforgettable fall of volleyball, I feel confident in saying this may be the deepest the county has ever been.

Between a trip to the state championship match for Pelham, a Final Four appearance and regional title for Chelsea, trips to regionals for Briarwood, Calera, Indian Springs, Montevallo, Oak Mountain, Vincent and Westminster OM and successful years from Thompson, Spain Park and Helena, just about every team stood toe-to-toe with the best in the state and put Shelby County on the map as one of the best volleyball areas around.

With another incredible year comes a strong field of nominees for the All-County volleyball team, and this year’s field is loaded from top to bottom. It was hard to limit the team to just 28 players, but I’m confident that the 2024 team honors the best performances from the season, including for the first time, right sides as their own separate position.

Without further ado, here are the selections to the 2024 All-County Team:

 

First Team

Outside Hitter: Lauren Buchanan, senior, Chelsea. Buchanan ended the season with numerous accolades, including a Shelby County Player of the Year award, All-American and All-State selections and multiple program records, and it’s all because of her stellar statistical season. The Texas Tech signee finished the year with 764 kills, 346 digs, 95 aces and 35 blocks during the Hornets’ Final Four season.

Outside Hitter: Camryn McMinn, senior, Pelham. After leading all of 6A in kills last year, McMinn had another incredible season in 2024 earning a county-high 797 kills, finishing in the top five of digs with 397 and securing 70 blocks and 53 aces during Pelham’s run to the state championship game, earning an All-State First Team selection in the process.

Outside Hitter: Londyn Wynn, senior, Pelham. Wynn came up big with crucial points for the Panthers on their road to the 6A finals and finished the year with 556 kills, 383 digs, 67 aces and 41 blocks to earn an All-State selection to the Second Team.

Outside Hitter: Addison Dockery, senior, Helena. Dockery surpassed 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs to cap off her Huskies career, securing 423 kills, 226 digs and 37 aces while leading Helena’s offensive attack.

Outside Hitter: Zoe Jones, junior, Montevallo. Jones secured All-State Second Team honors while helping the Bulldogs get back to super regionals, and she did it by leading the offense with 582 kills, 175 digs and 78 blocks.

Middle Blocker: Alexa Benda, senior, Spain Park. Benda was the county leader in blocks as she ended the year with 112 blocks, which helped win crucial points for the Jags. She also earned 279 kills, 72 digs and 28 aces to cap off her Spain Park career.

Middle Blocker: Hunter Jordan, junior, Montevallo. After a stellar sophomore season, Jordan only improved in 2024, finishing with 324 kills, 115 digs, 80 blocks and 51 aces to earn an All-State Honorable Mention, reach the super regionals and set herself and her fellow juniors up for a big senior season to come.

Setter: Kylee Hester, senior, Pelham. Hester took advantage of her two All-State outsides and orchestrated the offense with a county-high 1,438 assists. She also had 416 digs, 62 kills, 60 aces and 47 blocks as the Panthers reached new heights in her senior season.

Setter: Cara Belcher, senior, Chelsea. In her first year as Chelsea’s sole starting setter, Belcher was an invaluable part of the Hornets in their run to the area and regional championships. She ended the year with 1,357 assists, 365 digs and 58 aces and used her background as a hitter to secure 87 setter kills and 30 blocks to earn an All-State selection ahead of playing college ball at UVA-Wise.

Setter: Cailyn Kyes, junior, Spain Park. It’s hard to imagine where the Spain Park offense would have been without Kyes holding the keys, especially after she set a school record for assists with 895. She also ended the year with 334 digs, 75 kills, 67 aces and 21 blocks as she made contributions all over the floor.

Right Side: Maddy Henderson, sophomore, Thompson. Starting as an underclassman in her first year at Thompson, Henderson immediately became one of the most valuable members of the Warriors as she split time as a right side and setter. She hit for +.229 while earning 452 assists, 287 kills, 204 digs, 70 aces and 46 blocks against 7A competition.

Libero: Kamryn Rouveyrol, senior, Pelham. Rouveyrol finished over 100 digs clear of the next highest earner in the county as she racked up 608 digs to save crucial points for the Panthers. She also earned 67 digs and 134 assists to secure an All-State Honorable Mention.

Libero: Camdyn Kyes, eighth grader, Spain Park. Already in her second year as a varsity starter while still calling Berry Middle School home, Kyes has solidified her spot as an invaluable part of the Jags defense, earning the second-most digs in the county with 485 as well as 108 assists and 37 blocks.

Utility: Caroline Whitehurst, junior, Oak Mountain. Splitting time as an outside hitter and defensive specialist in the Eagles lineup, Whitehurst was one of the biggest leaders on the floor and earned an All-State Honorable Mention after finishing her junior year with 391 kills, 322 digs and 61 aces.

 

Second Team

Outside Hitter: Alexis Rudolph, sophomore, Chelsea. Rudolph stepped up in a big way as an underclassman for the Chelsea offense, playing alongside Lauren Buchanan and earning 377 kills, 113 digs, 70 aces and 37 blocks while proving that the future is bright for her and the Hornets.

Outside Hitter: Bea Wiggins, junior, Spain Park. Wiggins became a valuable part of the Jags front row this season and finished out her junior campaign with 348 kills, 293 digs, 48 aces and 41 blocks.

Outside Hitter: Reagan Gilbert, senior, Spain Park. Gilbert was restricted from jumping for the entire last month of the season due to an ankle injury, but she still found other ways to contribute and finished her last season with the Jags with 249 digs, 149 kills, 38 aces and 18 blocks.

Outside Hitter: Georgia Valentine, junior, Westminster OM. The Knights dominated on the serve on their way to an area championship and the second round of regionals, but Valentine led the way from the line with a county-high 186 aces. She also finished with 181 kills, 151 digs and 15 blocks.

Outside Hitter: Kenzly Foote, junior, Thompson. Typically a libero by trade, Foote stepped up as an outside hitter as well to fill a need and ended the year with 188 kills, 320 digs, 78 aces and 33 assists as she continues to grow as a leader and athlete.

Middle Blocker: Hannah Drexel, senior, Thompson. Drexel ended the year with a +.237 hitting percentage while racking up 167 kills, 33 blocks, 29 digs and 15 aces to cap off her Warriors career.

Middle Blocker: Aubrie Lay, senior, Oak Mountain. The Mississippi College signee ended her Eagles career with a bang, earning 189 kills and 73 blocks while leading the front row as one of the team co-captains and earning an All-State Honorable Mention.

Setter: Mia Wilson, senior, Briarwood Christian. Wilson could have earned an All-County spot based on her leadership alone as the lone senior on the Lions, but she led the offense to an area championship and the second round of regionals with 807 assists, 190 digs, 69 aces and 42 kills.

Setter: Kylie Scoles, senior, Helena. Scoles finished her career with 1,600 assists thanks to 642 in her senior campaign, but that was all that she contributed to the Huskies. She also racked up 231 digs, 30 aces and 20 kills as one of the veterans on Helena.

Setter: Emeli Guardado, junior, Montevallo. Guardado continued her rise and secured All-State First Team honors in her first season in Class 5A with 582 assists, 256 digs, 99 aces and 21 kills.

Right Side: Lila Willett, senior, Chelsea. Willett secured 222 kills, 68 digs, 59 aces and 50 blocks to finish out her Chelsea career with an All-State Honorable Mention ahead of her college career at Pearl River Community College.

Libero: Anaya Patel, junior, Oak Mountain. Patel was one of the biggest keys to the Eagles’ success on defense thanks to her 442 digs, which were the third most in the entire county. She also secured 64 aces from the service line as she helped the Eagles return to regionals.

Libero: Sophia Bagley, junior, Chelsea. Bagley left her mark on the back row for the Hornets, earning 375 digs, 95 assists and 66 aces to fuel Chelsea’s successful season.

Utility: Kate Gordon, junior, Oak Mountain. Gordon ended the year as an All-State Honorable Mention after starring as both a setter and defensive specialist in her junior campaign, earning 437 assists, 203 digs and the third-most aces in the county with 104.

 

Honorable Mention: Julie Roberts, Briarwood Christian. Leighton Hendley, Briarwood Christian. JaNiya James, Calera. Kayla Wanene, Calera. Emma Janney, Calera. Monroe Bouler, Helena. Maddie Morris, Helena. Lauren Sivley, Helena. Riley Woods, Helena. Cara Huff, Indian Springs. Kennedy Doyle, Indian Springs. Ally Ross, Oak Mountain. Betsy Smith, Oak Mountain. Catelynn Davis, Shelby County. Maddie Baxley, Thompson. Anna Campbell, Thompson. Harley King, Vincent. Ja’Kaylynn McGinnis, Vincent. Brynlee White, Vincent. Olivia Montgomery, Westminster OM. Reese Robbins, Westminster OM.