Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

HOOVER – The Spain Park Jags continued the first week of their season at the Juanita Boddie Tournament at Hoover High School on Aug. 25-26, where they went 3-1 in pool play against some of the top teams from around the state.

The Jags advanced to the knockout round thanks to their impressive record, and they fell in their first game in bracket play to close out the weekend.

Spain Park opened its weekend on Friday against Fort Payne, and they opened the match with a close first set win after they won 25-20. However, the Wildcats came roaring back in the second set and swung the momentum in their favor with a 25-17 win.

In the third and final set, Spain Park took a 15-11 win to close out the match and open pool play with a win.

Megan Ingersoll racked up 17 kills over the match thanks to a 54.8% kill percentage. Cailyn Kyes also impressed with six service aces and 23 assists.

Spain Park used the momentum from their opening win to get off to a strong start against the Gulf Shores Dolphins. The Jags took the opening set with a convincing 25-14 win, and they followed it up with a 25-16 win to finish off the match.

Ingersoll recorded 17 kills for the second straight match, however, this time around, she completed the feat in two sets instead of three. Kyes also had 19 assists to continue her solid day.

Now entering day two of the tournament with an undefeated pool play record, Spain Park looked to make it three straight wins when they took on the Austin Black Bears on Saturday morning.

The Jags opened with as strong of a first set statement as they could as they dominated the opening frame, 25-8. Austin showed more fight in the second set, but Spain Park still won the set handily to close out the match with a 25-16 set win.

Ingersoll recorded three service aces, Grace Devlin earned four digs and Kyes broke the ten assists mark for the third straight match.

From there, the Jags took on their toughest test of the tournament so far in Montgomery Academy to close out pool play. With Spain Park looking to finish with an undefeated record in pool play and earn the top seed out of their pool, they took the fight to Montgomery in the opening set, forcing the set to extra points.

Unfortunately for the Jags, Montgomery took the opening set, 27-25, to finish the first set win in extra points. Montgomery would go on to take the second set, 25-19, to take home the match victory and the number one seed.

Kyes led the way with 18 assists, Reagan Gilbert led in digs with eight as Devlin finished just behind her with seven of her own and Ingersoll had 15 kills to lead in the category for the Jags.

In the knockout round, Spain Park was matched up with Vestavia Hills in a battle of Birmingham teams. The Rebels jumped out to an early lead thanks to a 25-12 first set win, and despite the Jags making the second set much closer, Vestavia Hills still secured the match victory thanks to a 25-23 win.

Gilbert led the Jags with ten kills, four digs and two aces, while Kyes recorded 14 assists and Bea Wiggins also earned a pair of aces.