Finishing CaroStrong
- Updated: August 23, 2025
Alexandria rebounds from early stumble to emerge as champion. Ohatchee takes runner up in a clash of teams adapting after big graduation losses.
CaroStrong Invitational
(Results from Saturday’s 8-team CaroStrong Invitational at Jacksonville)
POOL A
Jacksonville 3-0
Ohatchee 2-1
Benjamin Russell 0-3
Faith Christian 1-2
Matches
Jacksonville def. Faith Christian 25-18, 25-14
Ohatchee def. Benjamin Russell 25-18, 25-13
Jacksonville def. Benjamin Russell 25-19, 25-12
Ohatchee def. Faith Christian 25-15. 25-17
Jacksonville def. Ohatchee 25-22, 25-22
Faith Christian def. Benjamin Russell 16-25, 25-9, 15-9
POOL B
Westbrook Christian 3-0
Alexandria 2-1
Piedmont 1-2
Munford 0-3
Matches
Alexandria def. Piedmont 25-12, 25-8
Westbrook Christian def. Munford 21-25, 25-17, 16-14
Westbrook Christian def. Alexandria 25-23, 25-7
Piedmont def. Munford 12-25, 25-15, 16-14
Alexandria def. Munford 25-13, 25-20
Westbrook Christian def. Piedmont 25-19, 25-16
SEMIFINALS
Ohatchee def. Westbrook Chrstian, 25-22, 25-20
Alexandria def. Jacksonville, 25-20, 25-15
FINALS
Alexandria def. Ohatchee, 25-13, 25-16
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE — Whitney Welch’s latest Alexandria volleyball team stands seven matches into adapting to lots of new roles, and Welch finds herself adapting her thinking on the fly,
She was of two minds during Saturday’s eight-team CaroStrong Invitational at Jacksonville … the pool-play, not-so-favorable mind and championship-feels-better mind.
Alexandria rallied after going 2-1 in Pool B and won the tournament, beating Ohatchee 25-20, 25-15 in the finals to reach 6-1 on the season, which started Thursday,
“I was not happy with us earlier, because I thought we started real slow,” Welch said. “I think I’m going to have to be patient with this group.
“We’re going to look different than we did last year. We’re going to be a different team than we were last year. That doesn’t mean we can’t be a really, really good team, when the end of this thing comes.”
The annual CaroStrong Invitational, named in honor of late Jacksonville volleyball standout Caroline Neisler, is Calhoun County’s biggest early-season tournament and signals the onset of volleyball season. Neisler died of leukemia in 2013, after transferring from the University of North Alabama to Samford University.
This year’s field doubled to eight teams, which pool play.
Alexandria finished 2024 as Alabama’s Class 4A runner up and Calhoun County champion. That team lost a lot of hitting power, including county Class 4A-6A player of the year and North Alabama signee Eryn Spradley.
That means a lot of players in new roles and, perhaps, becoming a team that wins a different way.
Charlee Parris, the libero last season, is more involved in hitting this season. Landry Patterson has moved to libero. Kylie Jeffers becomes the focal point in the middle. Caylin Adams is new up front. Cali Hess, who was injured at the end of last season, is on the right side.
Welch said her latest team is “new all the way around.”
The Valley Cubs left their coach a good vibe while sweeping Lawrence County and Pleasant Valley to open the season Thursday. Saturday’s pool play, which included a loss to Westbrook Christian, left her less than pleased.
Alexandria dominated after that, beating Jacksonville and Ohatchee in straight sets.
“We definitely have to be better, ball control wise,” Welch said. “In these last two games, I thought we were. Serving and ball control got a lot better than it was earlier today.
“That’s going to be real important for us. If we have to control the game on serving and the first contact, obviously, and then we’re going to have to be really scrappy on defense.”
After seeing her team respond to win the tournament, Welch pledged to make self adjustments.
“I’m glad they fought back,” she said. “I know I was a little bit hard on them, probably, and I think I need to work on that, as well, with who this team is and how I can handle them. I think that’s going to be important, too.
“Us coaches have to learn, as well. Figuring them out and figuring me out and us meshing together is going to be important.”
As for Ohatchee, the reigning Class 3A runner up must make its own adjustments after losing four seniors, most notably outside hitter Rebecca Henderson. Alanah Fitch moves to outside hitter from setter, and the Indians have a new full-time setter, libero and middle.
Ohatchee went 2-1 in Pool A play Saturday then beat a taller Westbrook Christian team in straight sets in the semifinals.
“I was impressed for this being the first day,” said Ohatchee coach Rebecca Hughes, the reigning county Class 1A-3A coach of the year. “This was the first time on the court for us this season.
“We knew it was going to be a long road ahead with high expectations from where we ended last season. It’s a new group of girls, new positions for a lot of them, so I was impressed with their play today.”
Individual statistical leaders and more photos will come soon.
Alexandria’s top performers
— Charlee Parris: 17 kills, five assists, two blocks, seven digs, nine aces.
— Zayley Mobbs: 18 kills, five digs, nine aces, one block.
— Sophie Martin: 15 kills, 81 assists, six digs, nine aces.
— Kylie Jeffers: 21 kills, one dig, four aces.
— Cali Hess: 17 kills, nine digs, three aces, one block.
— Landry Patterson: 28 digs, seven assists, two kills, two assists.
— Caylin Adams: 11 kills.
— Brenlee Curvin: six digs.
Ohatchee’s top performers
— Katie Ryan: five kills, 61 assists, two aces, 16 digs.
— Ayla Crook: nine kills, two aces, 34 digs, one block.
— Emily Riddle: 12 kills, two assists, five aces, four digs, seven blocks.
— Bailey Fowler: six kills, one assist, three aces, eight digs, one block.
— Alanah Fitch: 41 kills, four assists, 13 aces, 28 digs, one block.
— Ellie Vice: eight kills, one dig, one block.
— Mollee Barnes: one ace, 32 digs.
Jacksonville’s top performers
— Sydney Soriano: five aces, five kills, 44 assists, six digs, seven blocks.
— Layna Wise: one kills, five assists, two assists, one block, one dig.
— Nyla Hoult: 25 kills, one block, two digs, one ace.
— Mya Swain: five aces, 18 kills, seven blocks, nine digs, two assists.
— Ke’Asiah Williams: two aces, nine kills, four blocks, one dig.
— Chloe Henderson: six aces, 18 digs.
Photo gallery by Brad Campbell/sport-shutter.com
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