Orange Beach Volleyball Falls to Guntersville in Program’s First State Final

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Orange Beach volleyball reached a place no Makos team had been before Thursday, playing for a state championship at Bill Harris Arena. Defending champion Guntersville made sure the breakthrough stopped one step short of a title, sweeping Orange Beach 25-23, 25-20, 25-8 to win the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Class 4A championship.

Orange Beach finished its season 41-13 after its first appearance in a state final. Guntersville (38-14) won its second straight title and the seventh volleyball championship in school history.

The Makos had reached the state tournament’s Elite Eight in each of the previous two seasons, only to fall in the semifinals both times. This year they cleared that hurdle, and even in defeat, their head coach said the season showed what the program has become.

“There’s a lot of grit here. It’s just learning how to compete and stay competitive in the big moments,” the Orange Beach coach said.

Two close sets, then a Guntersville surge

The first two sets were played on even terms. The teams traded points through most of the opening set before Guntersville closed it out 25-23, and the second set followed a similar back-and-forth pattern before the Wildcats pulled away to win 25-20.

The third set was a different story. Guntersville built an early 3-0 lead and never let the Makos settle in, rolling to a 25-8 win to finish the sweep.

The numbers reflected how difficult it was for Orange Beach to score against Guntersville’s defense. The Makos finished with 18 kills and 23 hitting errors, leaving them with a negative hitting percentage for the match. Guntersville also won the serving battle, recording 12 aces to Orange Beach’s six.

The Orange Beach coach credited the Wildcats’ poise. “They were composed the whole time and they can make a variety,” the coach said. “They’re just well-coached. I thought they were very smooth.”

Who led the Makos

Isadora Wall led Orange Beach with four kills and added a block. Charlee McInnis had three kills, and Bella Rumley served three aces. Ava Capri finished with five assists, an ace and seven digs. Tynleigh Rowlett had 10 digs and an assist, and Saylor Rambo added eight digs and five assists.

McInnis, Rowlett and Wall were named to the all-tournament team.

McInnis, a junior, said she was already thinking about next fall. “I’m just trying to soak up every memory because I’m just a junior,” she said. “And next year, I’m aiming for a state championship.”

How Orange Beach got to the final

The Makos earned their spot in Thursday’s final with a strong run through the postseason. Orange Beach won the Class 4A, Area 2 tournament and then captured the Class 4A South Super Regional title in Montgomery, beating Mobile County rival Satsuma 3-1 in the regional final. That made the Makos the South’s No. 1 seed at the state tournament.

In Birmingham, Orange Beach swept Moody 3-0 in Wednesday’s first round, then beat West Morgan 3-1 in the semifinals, a win that finally carried the program past the semifinal stage where its last two seasons had ended. Satsuma, the South’s No. 2 seed, was eliminated 3-0 by West Point in the first round.

Guntersville reached the final by beating Headland 3-1 and sweeping West Point 3-0.

Guntersville reloads and repeats

Guntersville’s title answered a question that followed the Wildcats all season. The program lost nine seniors from last year’s Class 5A championship team, and many wondered whether it could keep winning at the same level after moving to Class 4A under the AHSAA’s new classification alignment.

“We wanted to win state, and we weren’t going to let anybody else have that,” said Shiloh Stanley, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Stanley led Guntersville with 11 kills and 14 assists. Haley May added nine kills and 12 digs, and Ellie Brown had seven kills. Natalie Brown anchored the back row with 16 digs, and Emery Brown added 15 assists.

Asked about winning back-to-back championships, May kept it simple. “We wanted one that said 2026 on it and we got it,” she said.

Guntersville coach Melissa-Paul Gardner said she was proud of what her players earned. When she accepted the championship trophy from AHSAA Executive Director Heath Harmon and lifted it overhead, her players ran off the bench to mob her, a celebration she said was very different from a year ago.

“Last year, they just kind of sat there,” Gardner said. “To see that excitement, I think it really showed how much they wanted it.”

The volleyball title is part of a broader run for girls athletics at Guntersville. The school’s girls basketball team won the Class 5A state championship last season, and its girls soccer team reached the state tournament. “Female sports at Guntersville have just taken off,” Gardner said.

All-tournament team

• MVP: Shiloh Stanley, Guntersville
• Guntersville: Haley May, Jesslyn Hincy, Ella Tate Campbell
• Orange Beach: Charlee McInnis, Tynleigh Rowlett, Isadora Wall

A big week for Baldwin County volleyball

Orange Beach’s appearance in the final was one of several deep runs by Mobile and Baldwin County teams at this year’s state tournament. Earlier Thursday, Spanish Fort beat Jasper 3-1 for the Class 5A championship, the Toros’ third straight state title. On Wednesday, McGill-Toolen won the Private Class AA championship for its fifth straight title, and Mobile Christian reached the Private Class A final.

The 2026 tournament was the first played under the AHSAA’s new structure, which separates public and private schools for state championships. Public schools now compete in Classes 1A through 6A, and private schools compete in Private Class A and Private Class AA. Eight teams in each classification advance to the state tournament, four from the North Super Regional and four from the South Super Regional.

Looking ahead for the Makos

Thursday’s loss ended a season that rewrote the program’s record book. Orange Beach has now reached the state tournament in three straight seasons, and this year’s team became the first in school history to win a semifinal and play for a title. McInnis, an all-tournament selection, is a junior, and she has already made clear what the goal will be next fall.

• Final: Guntersville def. Orange Beach 25-23, 25-20, 25-8
• Records: Guntersville 38-14; Orange Beach 41-13
• Milestone: First state championship match appearance for Orange Beach
• Guntersville titles: Seven all-time, two in a row
• Aces: Guntersville 12, Orange Beach 6