A major realignment in Alabama high school volleyball has reshaped the preseason rankings this year. The Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) moved from seven total classifications to a new structure featuring six public school classes and two private school divisions, while the Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) remains at two classes.
Despite the shakeup, one thing held steady: every team ranked No. 1 in its class heading into the season is a former or defending state champion.
Among AHSAA public schools, Class 6A’s Thompson, Class 5A’s Spanish Fort (which won the Class 6A title last season), Class 4A’s Guntersville (last season’s Class 5A champion), Class 3A’s Plainview, Class 2A’s defending champion Pleasant Valley and Class 1A’s defending champion Addison all enter the season with at least one state title to their name. Addison leads all public schools with 15 championships, followed by Pleasant Valley (8), Guntersville (6), Spanish Fort (5), Thompson (3) and Plainview (1).
The private school classes remain dominated by two Mobile-area powerhouses. Double-A Private No. 1 McGill-Toolen has won 25 titles, all previously earned in the largest AHSAA classification before the reclassification. Single-A Private No. 1 Bayside leads the nation with 31 championships. In the AISA ranks, Macon East enters as the top team after winning last season’s A division title.
Volleyball practice began Aug. 3, with the first matches of the season set for Aug. 20.
Class 6A: 1. Thompson, 2. Hewitt-Trussville, 3. Hoover, 4. Bob Jones, 5. Vestavia Hills, 6. Spain Park, 7. Buckhorn, 8. Huntsville, 9. Oak Mountain, 10. Daphne. Teams to watch include Auburn, Albertville, Dothan, Enterprise and Fairhope.
Class 5A: 1. Spanish Fort, 2. Jasper, 3. Mountain Brook, 4. Austin, 5. Chelsea, 6. Saraland, 7. Homewood, 8. Hartselle, 9. Gulf Shores, 10. Pelham. Teams to watch include Arab, Boaz, Decatur and Pike Road.
Class 4A: 1. Guntersville, 2. Cherokee County, 3. Alexandria, 4. Orange Beach, 5. Deshler, 6. Priceville, 7. Brewer, 8. Lawrence County, 9. West Morgan, 10. West Point. Teams to watch include Andalusia, Satsuma and Scottsboro.
Class 3A: 1. Plainview, 2. Madison County, 3. Lauderdale County, 4. Central-Florence, 5. Glencoe, 6. DAR, 7. Geraldine, 8. Wilson, 9. Curry, 10. Vinemont.
Class 2A: 1. Pleasant Valley, 2. G.W. Long, 3. Lexington, 4. Fyffe, 5. Sand Rock, 6. Winston County, 7. Ohatchee, 8. Southeastern, 9. Zion Chapel, 10. Tharptown.
Class 1A: 1. Addison, 2. Meek, 3. Belgreen, 4. University Charter, 5. Kinston, 6. Spring Garden, 7. Marion County, 8. Fayetteville, 9. Lynn, 10. Waterloo. Teams to watch include Leroy, Millry and Washington County.
Double-A Private: 1. McGill-Toolen, 2. Briarwood, 3. Faith Academy, 4. Montgomery Catholic, 5. St. Paul’s, 6. UMS-Wright, 7. John Carroll, 8. Madison Academy, 9. St. Michael, 10. Houston Academy.
Single-A Private: 1. Bayside, 2. Prattville Christian, 3. Mobile Christian, 4. Montgomery Academy, 5. St. Luke’s, 6. Providence Christian, 7. Saint James, 8. Mars Hill Bible, 9. Donoho, 10. Trinity.
AISA: 1. Macon East, 2. Lowndes, 3. Southern Academy, 4. Edgewood Academy, 5. Abbeville Christian.
About Public Education in Alabama
Alabama’s public schools are administered through a combination of local boards of education and the Alabama State Department of Education, which implements statewide standards and accountability measures. Public universities and community colleges operate under the oversight of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education and separate governing boards. Education funding, teacher pay, and curriculum standards are perennial subjects of debate in the Legislature, and decisions made in Montgomery affect classrooms from the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee Valley.