A Raider rite
- Updated: October 29, 2025
Pleasant Valley reaches the Class 2A final for the fourth year in a row, seeks third consecutive state title. Cherokee County reaches 4A final, and Alexandria falls to defending champion in semifinals.
State volleyball pairings
NOTE: Matches involving area teams. Full brackets can be found on this link.
CLASS 2A
Oct. 29
Birmingham CrossPlex
Pleasant Valley def. Samson, 3-0
Semifinals
Pleasant Valley def. G.W. Long, 3-1
Oct. 30
Bill Harris Arena
Championship
Pleasant Valley vs. Mars Hill Bible, noon
CLASS 3A
Oct. 28
Birmingham CrossPlex
Houston Academy def. Ohatchee, 3-0
St. Luke’s def. Westbrook Christian, 3-2
CLASS 4A
Oct. 29
Birmingham CrossPlex
Alexandria def. Geneva, 3-0
Cherokee County def. St. Michael, 3-0
Semifinals
Prattville Christian def. Alexandria, 3-0
Cherokee County def. Orange Beach, 3-0
Oct. 30
Bill Harris Arena
Championship
Cherokee County vs. Prattville Christian, 2 p.m.
CLASS 6A
Oct. 28
Birmingham CrossPlex
Spanish Fort def. Oxford, 3-0
Class 2A
PLEASANT VALLEY: The two-time defending state champion Raiders (34-14) advanced to the Class 2A finals for the fourth year in a row, sweeping Samson 25-12, 25-14, 25-19 and then beating G.W. Long 3-1 in the semifnals.
Pleasant Valley will play the Mars Hill Bible winner Thursday at noon in Bill Harris Arena. Mars Hill beat Winston County, the team that beat Pleasant Valley in the North Regional final.
The Raiders seek their eighth state title and hope to make it three in a row for the first time in program history. They won back–to-back state titles in 2023-2024, 1996-1997 and 1987-1988.
Pleasant Valley made it to the 2022 and 2023 finals under then-head coach Dana Bryant, who retired after the Raiders won the 2023 state title. They’ll make their second finals appearance, and seek their second state title, under current head coach Jennifer Mann, a long-time Bryant assistant.
“It’s such a great feeling to see all of our work pay off!” senior outside hitter/defender Madison Schwabe said. “We’ve grown so much as a team and everyone has stepped up to play important roles. I’m just proud to be part of such a special team and super excited to play tomorrow!”
Mann credited her team with “grit and perseverance” in Wednesday’s quarterfinals and semifinals.
“Determined girls that work their butts off and buy into what PV volleyball is about,” she said. “So excited about this group and our future. It is bright.”
Pleasant Valley’s top performers from Wednesday’s matches:
— Madison Schwabe: 25 kills, three blocks, eight aces, 42 digs.
— Ella Parris: 35 kills, 28 blocks, three aces, 32 digs.
— Ellie Patterson: 18 kills, 26 blocks, five aces, eight digs.
— Cailey Almaroad: four aces, 11 digs.
— Elise Wheeler: three kills, six blocks, two aces, 14 digs, 54 assists.
— Zalie Curvin: two aces, 32 digs.
— Hanna Henry: six kills, three blocks, three digs.
— Avalyn Patterson: six blocks, one dig.
— Joe Medley, East Alabama Sports Today
Class 4A
ALEXANDRIA: The Valley Cubs (44-12) swept Geneva 25-20, 25-13, 25-17 then fell to defending state champion Prattville Christian 15-25, 17-25, 21-25 in a rematch of last year’s 4A final.
“This team will forever be one of my favorite teams to look back on,” Alexandria coach Whitney Welch said. “Since ’23, we’ve lost 10 players. Six of them playing in college currently. So at the beginning of this year, I was a little worried about what to expect and how things would go. I learned in the first few weeks of practice that these kids had a shot. They work hard. They never complain. Many of them got beat in the final a year ago and I could tell that they wanted to get back at all costs.
“This team won 44 games. We’ve been to the Elite 8 the past three years, which has never happened in a row since I’ve been here. They were special.”
Alexandria’s top performers from Wednesday’s matches:
— Charlee Parris: 10 kills, 11 digs, three aces, one block.
— Zayley Mobbs: 14 kills, five digs, three blocks.
— Sophie Martin: seven kill, 61 assists, five digs, one block, one ace.
— Kylie Jeffers: 25 kills, one dig, six blocks, two aces.
— Cali Hess: five digs, two aces.
— Landry Patterson: three assists, 22 digs, one ace.
— Caylin Adams: 13 kills, one assist, two blocks.
— Marley Edge: five kills, four blocks.
— Ava Browning: four digs.
— Joe Medley, East Alabama Sports Today
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