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High school volleyball: 43 players to watch in Tuscaloosa area tournament play

As the high school volleyball regular season comes to a close in the Tuscaloosa area, here are players to watch from area schools in AHSAA tournament play gets underway.

Volleyball area tournaments begin Oct. 17, with the top two teams advancing to regionals from Oct. 25-27 and the state tournament being held Oct. 31-Nov. 2.

Here are 43 players to watch:

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Megan Fairburn, Northridge

Senior, setter

The setter has recorded 36 aces, 58 kills, 18 blocks, 684 assists and 171 digs in 2023. She is committed to Birmingham Southern.

Elise Fulgham, Northridge

Senior, right side hitter

She has a team-high 219 kills and 27 blocks. Fulgham also leads the team in kills per set at 2.6.

Kate Wilkin, Northridge

Senior, middle hitter

With 46 aces, 193 kills, and 53 digs, Wilkin also leads the team in total blocks (46) and hitting percentage (.262).

Olivia McDaniel, Northridge

Senior, outside titter

McDaniel has 49 aces, 148 kills and a team-leading 202 digs.

Amelya Russell, Sipsey Valley

Junior, middle blocker

The 5-foot-10 middle blocker ranks fifth in blocks among 4A schools with 81. Russell also leads the team in hitting percentage (.252) and kills per set (2).

Savannah Dockery, Sipsey Valley

Senior, libero

Dockery ranks third among 4A schools with 411 digs and leads the team in digs per set at 6.6.

Ansley Mason, Sipsey Valley

Senior, outside hitter

Mason ranks fifth in serving aces among 4A schools with 84 and leads the team in aces per set at 1.4.

Jayden Pearson, Tuscaloosa County

Sophomore, outside hitter

She has recorded 112 kills, 26 blocks, 49 digs, and 17 aces for the Wildcats.

Ashley Myers, Tuscaloosa County

Junior, setter

Myers has 12 kills, 8 blocks, 74 digs, 21 aces and 349 assists in her junior year.

Brinkli Wood, University Charter School

Junior, outside hitter

Wood has 211 kills, 95 aces and 183 digs. She also led the team in kills per set (3.0) and aces per set (1.3) with just nine errors on 192 serve receive attempts.

Maddy Gullahorn, University Charter School

Junior, middle hitter

Gullahorn has tallied 189 kills, 43 aces, 13 solo, 10 block assists and 33 digs. She led the team in total blocks (23) and hitting percentage (.356).

Ella Grace Larkin, University Charter School

Senior, outside hitter

Larkin has 189 kills, 34 aces, 174 digs and one block assist in her final season for the Trail Blazers.

Chyonna Hamlett, Paul Bryant

Senior, outside hitter/setter

The versatile senior has recorded 75 aces, 89 kills, 174 digs and 89 assists for the Stampede.

Kemara Thomas, Paul Bryant

Freshman, middle hitter

Thomas has 35 aces, 115 kills and 54 blocks in her first varsity season.

Sanaa Dothard, Paul Bryant

Junior, middle hitter

Dothard has recorded 28 aces, 118 kills and a team-leading 177 digs in her third season for the Stampede.

Berkley Young, Holy Spirit Catholic

Junior, setter

Young has team highs with 160 assists, 40 aces, 56 digs and 34 kills for the Saints.

Sally Poole, Tuscaloosa Academy

Sophomore, setter

Poole has 36 aces, 30 kills, 68 digs and a team-high 149 assists for the Knights.

Molly Corder, Tuscaloosa Academy

Sophomore, outside hitter

Corder has 31 aces, 30 kills, 65 digs and two blocks in her second season.

Kendall Tillery, Tuscaloosa Academy

Senior, middle hitter

In her final season for the Knights, Tillery has 22 aces, 28 kills, 10 digs and seven blocks.

Gabby Allred, Lamar County

Senior, middle hitter

Allred has a team-high 293 kills, 56 blocks, 12 assists, and 93 digs the Bulldogs and broke 1,000 kills late in her final season, currently sitting at 1,176 kills.

Bailey Curry, Lamar County

Senior, outside hitter

In her final season, Curry has posted 84 kills, 12 blocks, two assists, and 77 digs.

Caleigh Walker, Lamar County

Senior, middle hitter

Walker has 209 kills, 27 blocks, nine assists and 34 digs.

Caroline Rogan, Hillcrest

Senior, middle blocker

Rogan has 120 kills, 35 blocks and 45 aces for the Patriots.

Kameryn Browne, Hillcrest

Senior, setter

Browne has posted a team highs in kills and assists at 145. She also has 12 blocks along with 32 aces.

Brooke Benham, Hillcrest

Senior, middle hitter

Benham has 100 kills, a team-high 86 blocks, and 35 aces. Benham was the third player on the team to record 100 or more kills during the 2023 season.

Olivia McCollum, Hillcrest

Junior, setter

The junior has 45 kills, eight blocks, a team-high 115 aces and 120 assists in her third season.

Jaden Hollis, Sulligent

Junior, middle hitter

Hollis leads Sulligent in kills and blocks at 89 and 48. She has added three aces and 31 digs.

Maddie Lann, Sulligent

Junior, setter

Lann has recorded 42 kills, 27 aces, 77 digs, 121 assists and two blocks and leads the team in serving aces per set (0.6).

Madeline Chapman, Southern Academy

Senior

Chapman has 119 kills and a team-high 91 aces served in her final season for the Cougars.

Kaitlyn Sluder, Southern Academy

Senior

Sluder has 113 kills and a team-high 31 blocks.

Abby Sluder, Southern Academy

Freshman

Despite missing three weeks, Sluder has managed 76 kills in her first season.

Maggie Hubert, Fayette County

Senior, right side hitter

The senior has a team-high 170 kills, 143 assists and team bests in kills per set (3.3), hitting percentage (.225), and serving aces (40).

Ally Porter, Fayette County

Senior, middle hitter

Porter has recorded 111 kills, 39 aces and a team-high 22 blocks.

Lilly Beth Davis, Fayette County

Sophomore, defensive specialist

The Tigers' defensive anchor has team-highs in digs with 407 and digs per set at 6.2.

Jennifer Shipman, Demopolis

Senior, middle hitter

Shipman has 152 kills, 10 aces, 68 digs and 25 total blocks in her final season.

Sarah Helms, Demopolis

Junior, middle hitter

Helms has 183 kills, 75 aces and 27 blocks, all team highs.

Neely Atkinson, Demopolis

Senior, setter

Atkinson has 33 aces and a team-high 216 assists.

Chloe Key, Demopolis

Senior, libero

Key has recorded 177 digs and 39 aces in her final season.

Belle Cormier, American Christian Academy

Sophomore, setter/outside hitter

In her second year for the Patriots, Cormier has posted a team-best 199 kills, 52 aces, 21 blocks, 96 assists and 234 assists.

Raegan Morrison, American Christian Academy

Sophomore, setter/outside hitter

Morrison has team highs in aces (58), assists (183) and digs (266). She has also recorded 67 kills.

Chartavia Conwell, Chloe Mitchell, and Addyline Tillery, Bibb County

Seniors, right hitter, middle hitter, setter

"Chartavia and Chloe are tremendous blockers and the leading scorers for our team this season. Addyline is our leading server and reads the court extremely well," coach Jan Lowery said about her top performers of the 2023 season.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Players to watch as Tuscaloosa area-volleyball tournaments begin