By james art BIRMINGHAM — The season ended for the Chelsea High School volleyball team on Tuesday afternoon, but the Hornets will certainly be proud of what they accomplished this fall.
Chelsea set a new standard for the program by reaching the state semifinals for the first time in program history. It was only Chelsea’s third appearance in the state tournament, having last been there in 2019.
Chelsea came out hot Tuesday morning to start the Class 6A state tournament at the Birmingham CrossPlex, defeating Cullman 3-0 (25-18, 25-10, 25-17) in the first round.
Lauren Buchanan was on fire from the outside, finishing with a match-high 21 kills to go along with eight digs. Alexis Rudolph was also an offensive force, posting 13 kills. Cara Belcher controlled the offense with 41 assists.
Defensively, Sofia Bagley had 15 tackles. Lila Willett also had three kills and a pair of aces.
In the semifinals later Tuesday, the Hornets fell to Special Fort in straight sets, 25-16, 25-16, 25-21. Chelsea beat Special Fort in the regionals the week before, but didn’t experience the same fortunes that day.
“We were a little nervous, for sure. We didn’t play as cleanly as we did at regionals,” Chelsea head coach Jamie Gill said. “We played with a little bit of nerves and just anxious to do well. Lots of tension and it’s our first final four. This is a big moment for everyone. You always want to come out on top, but sometimes you don’t.”
Buchanan led the Hornets with 20 kills, three digs and two blocks, and Rudolph added seven kills and three digs. Kara Belcher finished with 29 assists and 13 digs, and Bagley had 12 digs and two aces.
Chelsea has had strong teams over the past few years, but being in one of the toughest areas in the state has prevented it from advancing very far. But this year, led by a strong senior class, the Hornets were able to win the regional tournament and the South Super Regional.
“They trusted each other and played with a lot of confidence,” Gill said. “A large group of elderly people. It’s the biggest group of seniors who really stuck together and got along.”
Buchanan, a Texas Tech commit, led the way for this year’s senior class. Kaleigh Hall, Payton Walker, Lila Willett, UVA Wise commit Cara Belcher and Presley Durham also played a big role in the team’s success.
“They are such wonderful people when you don’t look at how talented they are. It will leave a hole in our program, but I am confident that we have players in our program ready to step up and become the new leaders,” Gill said.
Chelsea finished the season with a record of 37-14.