Athletics Roundup: Wallace State Hosts Fall Bash Volleyball Tournament; Cross Country Teams Finish Fourth at Firehawk Invitational; Men’s Tennis Excels at ITA Southeast Regional Championships; Men’s Golf Finishes Second at Chuck Kalanick Memorial Tournament

Hanceville, AL — Wallace State Community College hosted the Fall Bash Volleyball Tournament over the weekend, welcoming teams to campus for a packed slate of matches. The Wallace State Volleyball team competed in five games, earning three victories, including a 3-0 sweep over Walters State Community College on Sept. 21 to close out the tournament.

Wallace State Volleyball v. Chattanooga State on Sept. 20 (0-3)

Wallace State showcased strong individual performances during their match against Chattanooga State on Sept. 20. Despite falling in three sets, with scores of 23-25, 16-25, and 20-25, several players stood out for the Lions.

Freshman Molly Shiflett of Corner led the team with seven kills and added nine digs and two service aces, providing consistent energy on both sides of the ball. Freshman Amanda Monge of Davenport, Fla., added six kills and three digs. Freshman Ali Price of Rainsville orchestrated the offense with 13 assists while adding four digs and one service ace. Freshman Rachel Mecklenburg of Madison contributed three kills and one dig, rounding out Wallace State’s offensive efforts.

Freshman Amelia Fowler of Sardis City anchored the defense with 12 digs, ensuring strong back-row coverage and keeping Wallace State within striking distance during the tight sets.

Wallace State Volleyball v. Roane State on Sept. 20 (3-2)

Wallace State battled through five sets to secure a 3-2 victory over Roane State on Sept. 20. The Lady Lions won the match with several standout performances.

Freshman Kailey Dickerson of Wellington led the Lions with 17 kills and 18 digs, while also adding three service aces and a solo block. Mecklenburg contributed 11 kills, 26 assists, 10 digs, two service aces and three block assists. Shiflett added nine kills and four service aces, keeping pressure on Roane State’s defense with her aggressive serving. Monge tallied 10 kills, 11 digs, one service ace and a block assist. Sophomore Chloe Jackson of Athens added eight kills and three block assists, contributing to Wallace State’s strong performance at the net.

Defensively, freshman Abby McDonald of Fairview led the Lions with 24 digs, while Price added 10 digs, providing key coverage in the back row.

Wallace State Volleyball v. Vincennes University on Sept. 21 (0-3)

Wallace State showcased several standout performances in a competitive match against Vincennes University on Sept. 21. The Lady Lions kept pace throughout the contest, but ultimately came up short.

Dickerson led Wallace State with 12 kills and 10 digs. Monge contributed seven kills and seven digs, while also recording one service ace, providing consistency at the net and on defense. Mecklenburg tallied three kills, 14 assists, eight digs, two service aces and two solo blocks, demonstrating all-around versatility. Price added 13 assists and three digs, keeping Wallace State’s offense moving throughout the match. Jackson of recorded five kills and one dig, while freshman Kaylee Roman of Deltona, Fla., added one kill, two solo blocks and one block assist.

McDonald led the defensive effort with eight digs, while sophomore April Burgess of Alabaster and freshman Ava Calvarese of Fairview each added three digs.

Wallace State Volleyball v. Chattanooga State on Sept. 21 (3-1)

Wallace State earned a 3-1 victory over Chattanooga State on Sept. 21, thanks to strong performances from several players. The Lady Lions claimed the match with set scores of 25-17, 25-15, 14-25 and 25-19.

Jackson led the Lions with seven kills, five digs, three block assists and a match-high six service aces, helping Wallace State control the tempo throughout the match. Dickerson contributed 12 kills, 10 digs and one block assist. Monge added seven kills, 11 digs, five service aces, one solo block and one block assist, providing a balanced effort on offense and defense. Mecklenburg recorded eight kills, 15 assists, eight digs and two block assists, playing a key role in Wallace State’s offensive flow, while Roman chipped in with four kills and one block assist, rounding out the team’s attack.

Defensively, McDonald led the back row with 18 digs. Price and Burgess added five digs and two digs, respectively, while Shiflett contributed one dig. Wallace State’s balanced play on both offense and defense allowed them to bounce back after dropping the third set, sealing the victory in four sets.

Wallace State Volleyball v. Walters State on Sept. 21 (3-0)

Wallace State wrapped up the 2024 Fall Bash Volleyball Tournament with a commanding 3-0 victory over Walters State Community College. The Lady Lions secured the sweep with set scores of 25-20, 27-25 and 28-26, powered by strong performances across the board.

Dickerson led the offensive charge with 19 kills, 11 digs, three assists, one service ace, one solo block and a block assist. Monge added 13 kills, 10 digs, one service ace and one block assist, helping the Lions dominate both offensively and defensively. Mecklenburg contributed nine kills, 17 assists, 13 digs, one service ace, one solo block and one block assist. Jackson added five kills, five digs, one assist and one block assist, reinforcing Wallace State’s strong presence at the net. Roman added two kills and two block assists.

Defensively, McDonald led the team with 15 digs and six assists. Burgess tallied three digs, while Price added two digs, rounding out Wallace State’s defensive effort.

The Lady Lions will next face-off against Calhoun Community College in an away matchup on Sept. 26 at 5:30 p.m.

The Wallace State Volleyball team is currently 18-8.

Cross Country Teams Finish Fourth at UT Southern Firehawk Invitational

The Wallace State Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams both delivered fourth-place finishes at the UT Southern Firehawk Invitational held at Oakville Indian Mounds Park in Moulton on Sept. 21.

Men’s 8K Top Seven Finishers

Sophomore Luke Kennedy of Huntsville led the men’s team, crossing the finish line at 26:23.929 to secure Wallace State’s top spot. Freshman Tyler Anthony of Fort Payne followed with a time of 27:05.020, while freshman Daniel Leija of Albertville finished at 27:10.632. Freshman Elliot Denard of Springville recorded a time of 27:38.123, and freshman Carson Masterson of Hatton crossed at 27:48.352. Sophomore David Robles of Springville clocked in at 27:52.253, and freshman Harper Branscome of Muscle Shoals rounded out Wallace State’s top seven with a time of 28:26.412.

Women’s 6K Top Seven Finishers

Freshman Reagan Parris of Bremen continued to lead the women’s team, crossing the line at 24:13.749. Sophomore Grace Gosline of Arab followed closely with a time of 24:39.336, while freshman Eden Brumer of Fort Thomas, Ky., finished with a time of 25:05.554. Sophomore Kendall Harbison of Cullman completed the race at 25:14.632, and sophomore Abigale Vega of Fort Payne rounded out the top five for the women’s team with a time of 25:17.462. Sophomore Claire Deaton of Madison finished at 25:26.186, and sophomore Ivy Edge of Eva crossed the line at 26:20.458.

Both teams will next compete at the 2024 Topper Trails College Classic, hosted by Blue Mountain Christian University in Blue Mountain, Miss. on Sept. 28. The women’s 5K will begin at 9 a.m. and the men’s 5K will begin at 9:45 a.m.

Wallace State Men’s Tennis Excels at ITA Southeast Regional Championships

The Wallace State Men’s Tennis team delivered an impressive performance at the 2024 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Southeast Regional Championships, held at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville from Sept. 20-22. With standout showings in both singles and doubles play, the Lions secured multiple titles and set the stage for future national competition.

In doubles action, sophomore Zac Riley of Brisbane, Australia, and freshman Alexander Edley of Durban, South Africa, claimed the A draw doubles title. Their path to victory included hard-fought wins in the semifinals and finals, culminating in a 3-6, 7-6, 7-5 win over Eastern Florida State College’s Filip Sormaz and Salva Mulet. With this victory, Riley and Edley earned an automatic bid to the Oracle ITA Cup in Rome, Ga., where they will compete against the top players in the nation from Oct. 10-13.

Sophomore Juan Amor of Spain and freshman Samuel Monserrate of Port Saint Lucie, Fla., also secured a title in the B draw doubles, winning their final match with an 8-4 score. In the C draw doubles, freshman Marcos Cano of Madrid, Spain, and freshman Alexander Hernandez of Rome, Ga., delivered a dominant 8-0 victory to claim the title.

The Lions' success extended into singles play as well. Monserrate added to his impressive tournament run by winning the B draw singles title, taking the match with scores of 6-1, 3-6 and 6-3. Hernandez continued his strong form in the C draw singles, capturing the title with 6-1 and 7-5 victories. In the A draw singles, Edley battled through a tough draw, defeating the tournament's top seed, Alberto Perez from Eastern Florida, before eventually falling in the final to three seed Gian Rodriguez.

The Wallace State Women’s Tennis team will compete in the 2024 ITA Women’s Southeast Regional Championships, also held at Sand Mountain Park, from Sept. 27-29.

Wallace State Men’s Golf Finishes Second at Chuck Kalanick Memorial Tournament

Wallace State earned a second place finish this week at the Chuck Kalanick Memorial Golf Tournament, hosted by Snead State Community College at Cherokee Ridge Country Club. The Men's Golf team put together a solid performance over three rounds, posting a total team score of 889.

Sophomore Cole Lindeman of Priceville led the charge for the Lions, finishing third overall with a standout performance, including an impressive five-under-par in the final round. Both Lindeman and sophomore Sam Mitchell of Pottstown, Pa. earned spots on the All-Tournament team for their exceptional play.

The Lions shot a collective +2 (290) in the final round, overcoming an eighth place standing to secure the runner-up position.

The Men’s Golf team will next compete in the Calhoun Fall Invitational hosted by Calhoun Community College at Burningtree Country Club in Decatur on Oct. 6-8.

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About Wallace State

Wallace State Community College (Ala.), a member of the Alabama Community College System, is a comprehensive community college in north central Alabama offering more than 200 options in academic, health and technical programs of study leading to an associate degree, certificate or transfer, as well as workforce-credit training and adult education. An Achieving the Dream Leader College, nationally recognized by the Aspen Institute as a finalist for the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, ranked by Southern Business and Development among the Top 3 institutions in the South for workforce development, named a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing and the National Security Administration, rated the Top Online Community College in Alabama, a Military Friendly Institution and an All-Steinway School, Wallace State is an outstanding place for students to pursue their education and career goals. Classes are offered online and on campus, day, evening and on weekends, with numerous start dates each year. Visit Wallace State’s beautiful main campus located on 300-acres in Hanceville, Ala., our satellite location in downtown Oneonta, Ala., find us online at www.wallacestate.edu, or call 256.352.8000.