Montgomery Academy sweeps Donoho in state quarterfinals

BIRMINGHAM — Donoho's season ended Tuesday at the Birmingham CrossPlex with a three-set loss to Montgomery Academy, 25-11, 25-14, 25-13, in the Private, Single-A state volleyball tournament quarterfinals.

"We just got outplayed a little bit," Donoho head coach Kylie Smith said. "Just got beat by a better team."

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Donoho fell behind early in all three sets, trailing 6-0 in the first, 7-0 in the second and 3-0 in the third. Montgomery Academy led wire-to-wire in all three sets.

Despite the sour ending, Smith still expressed pride in what her first Donoho team was able to accomplish. The Falcons finished as the Private Single-A, Area 6 runner-up and reached the state tournament after missing it last season.

"I'm proud of them no matter what," Smith said. "That game does not define us as a team or what we did this season. We're not going to walk out of here with our heads down."

Alana Maldonado Maysonet led Donoho's offensive attack with seven kills. Defensively, she recorded two digs. Bentlee Pahman led the Falcons with 18 digs to reach 2,000 for her career. She also dished out six assists.

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Setter Gracelyn Plunkett finished with a team-high 18 assists, seven digs and one kill. Harper Draper added 11 assists and two digs, and Adalyn Mundy contributed four assists and two digs.

Taylor Worley put down three kills, passed for two assists and blocked one shot. Pierce Lawler had 11 digs and one assist. Cyan Duncan recorded three kills and two blocks.

Mary Marshall Perry had three digs and one kill. Nora Gibson blocked one shot, and Maddie Shute came up with one dig.

Donoho will lose six seniors from this year's roster: Pahman, Gibson, Duncan, Shute, Maldonado Maysonet and Plunkett. That group won 97 matches while reaching the Super Regional round three times and the state tournament twice.

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"That group is a great, great group. I'm so glad that I got to coach them and see them out," Smith said. "A lot of fight, a lot of hustle and aggression and passion for the game, and I will miss them."