Athletics Roundup: Wallace State Tennis Earns Top Finishes at ITA Cup; Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Race at Royals Cross Country Challenge; Volleyball Competes in Snead State Invitational Tournament

Hanceville, AL — The Wallace State Men’s Tennis team earned strong finishes at the 2024 Oracle Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Cup, held in Rome, Ga., from Oct. 10-13. The Lions competed against top junior college players from across the nation and secured top-three placement in both singles and doubles play. 

In singles play, freshman Alex Edley of Durban, South Africa reached the final round after defeating the No. 3 seed Minjae Kim of Collin County Community College 6-4, 7-5 in the quarterfinals, followed by a 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 win over the No. 2 seed Alex Despoja of Tyler Junior College in the semifinals. Edley ultimately finished as the tournament’s singles runner-up.  

In doubles action, sophomore Zac Riley of Brisbane, Australia and Edley advanced to the semifinals with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Gavin Sonntag and Enrique Silveria of American River College. The duo placed third overall after falling to Jose Castillo and Cem Atlamis of Collin County Community College in the semifinals. Edley and Riley finished the tournament with a win over Mississippi Gulf Coast's Gonzalo Cotter and Vicente Faria 6-4, 6-3 to clinch third place in the tournament. 

Wallace State Cross Country Delivers Strong Performances at Royals Cross Country Challenge 

The Wallace State Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams both delivered solid performances at the Royals Cross Country Challenge hosted by Queens University of Charlotte on Oct. 11. Competing against a deep field of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and II programs, the women’s team finished 16th overall in the 5K Gold division, while the men’s team secured 11th place in the 8K Gold division. 

Men’s Team Top Seven Finishers 

Sophomore Luke Kennedy of Huntsville led the way for the Lions in the men’s 8K race, finishing with a time of 25:35:00. Freshman Tyler Anthony of Fort Payne followed, crossing the line at 26:01:60, while sophomore Daniel Leija of Albertville posted a time of 26:33:80. Freshman Harper Branscome of Muscle Shoals clocked in at 26:35:70, and freshman Carson Masterson of Hatton finished at 26:55:50. Sophomore David Robles of Springville recorded a time of 26:58:70, and freshman Elliot Denard of Springville rounded out Wallace State’s top seven with a time of 27:06:30. 

Women’s Team Top Seven Finishers 

Freshman Grace Gosline of Arab paced the women’s team, finishing the 5K with a time of 19:38:50. Freshman Eden Brumer of Fort Thomas, Ky., followed closely at 19:46:70, while sophomore Ivy Edge of Eva posted a time of 20:10:60. Sophomore Abigale Vega of Fort Payne finished at 20:26:30, and freshman Reagan Parris of Bremen crossed the line at 20:27:70. Sophomore Claire Deaton of Madison clocked in at 20:35:60, with freshman Bernarda Tizapa-Robles of Cullman completing the team’s top seven at 20:35:60. 

Both the men’s and women’s teams will next compete at the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Conference Meet on Oct. 25 at John Hunt Cross Country Park in Huntsville. 

Wallace State Volleyball Sweeps Northeast Mississippi at Snead State Invitational  

The Wallace State Volleyball team secured a dominant 3-0 sweep over Northeast Mississippi Community College on Oct. 11 as part of the Snead State Invitational, hosted by Snead State Community College. The Lady Lions won with set scores of 25-13, 25-8 and 25-18.  

Freshman Kailey Dickerson of Wellington led Wallace State with 15 kills, 14 digs and four blocks, while freshman Rachel Mecklenburg of Madison contributed nine kills, 11 digs, six assists, three blocks and one service ace. Freshman Molly Shiflett of Corner added seven kills, three digs and two service aces. Sophomore Chloe Jackson of Athens chipped in with six kills, two digs, two blocks and one service ace, while freshman Aliana Quesada of Orlando, Fla., provided two kills and six blocks.  

Defensively, freshman Abby McDonald of Fairview led the team with 17 digs, adding one assist and one service ace. Freshman Ali Price of Rainsville rounded out the effort with seven digs.  

Wallace State Volleyball Defeats Jones College at Snead State Invitational  

Wallace State won against Jones College on Oct. 11 during the Snead State Invitational, finishing the match with a 3-0 sweep. The Lady Lions secured set scores of 25-19, 25-16 and 26-24.  

Mecklenburg led the team with 11 kills, 16 assists, nine digs and two service aces. Shiflett contributed 10 kills and three digs. Dickerson added nine kills and 14 digs. Monge recorded five kills, 10 digs, one assist, two blocks and one service ace. Jackson added four kills, six digs, one block and two service aces, contributing to the Lady Lions’ overall success.  

Defensively, McDonald anchored the back row with 15 digs, while Price added seven digs. Quesada chipped in with one kill and one block, rounding out the team's effort.  

Wallace State Volleyball Triumphs Over Pearl River in Five-Set Match  

Wallace State came back from two sets down to defeat Pearl River Community College 3-2 on Oct. 12. The Lady Lions won with set scores of 22-25, 17-25, 25-20, 25-20 and 15-12.  

Jackson led the team with 18 kills, eight digs, two blocks and four service aces, playing a crucial role in the comeback. Dickerson contributed 16 kills and 20 digs, providing strong offensive support and solid defense throughout the match. Monge added 10 kills, 18 digs and three service aces, while Shiflett chipped in with five kills and one dig. Mecklenburg recorded six kills, 10 digs and 27 assists, orchestrating the Lions' offense.  

McDonald anchored the defense with 15 digs, two assists and three service aces. Price contributed 13 digs, and sophomore April Burgess of Alabaster added one kill and two digs. Quesada recorded two digs while freshman Kaylee Roman of Deltona, Fla., tallied one kill and one dig.  

Wallace State Closes Out Snead State Invitational Against Walters State 

Wallace State concluded the Snead State Invitational Tournament on Oct. 13 with a hard-fought 1-3 match against Walters State Community College. The Lady Lions secured a second-set victory but ultimately fell to the Lady Senators with set scores of 19-25, 25-20, 7-25 and 11-25. 

Jackson led Wallace State with 10 kills, one block and one service ace. Dickerson added seven kills and 10 digs. Mecklenburg contributed four kills, six digs, four assists and two service aces. Monge added three kills and eight digs. Freshman Ava Calvarese of Fairview chipped in with four kills and four digs, while Burgess added one kill and four digs. 

Price had a strong defensive showing with 17 digs, nine assists and three kills, while McDonald tallied 16 digs and one service ace. Freshman Amelia Fowler of Sardis City tallied nine digs.  

The team will next face off against Snead State Community College at home on Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. The Lady Lions will play another at-home showdown against Gadsden State Community College on Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. 

The Wallace State Volleyball team is currently 28-9.

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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. 

 

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