2024 All-Franklin County Volleyball Team
Morgan Lauderdale, outside hitter/defensive specialist, Belgreen
Bryn Scott, libero, Belgreen
Gracie Weatherford, outside hitter, Red Bay
Laila Hill, outside hitter, Russellville
Blevyn Sappington, outside hitter, Russellville
Carly Cason, middle hitter, Tharptown
Honorable Mention
Lilliana Willingham, middle hitter, Belgreen
Carson Hovater, middle hitter, Belgreen
Britney Coffman, outside hitter, Phil Campbell
Bri McCulloch, libero, Russellville
Fatima Ramirez, setter, Russellville
Karrah Nichols, outside hitter, Tharptown
Malia McCullar, middle hitter, Tharptown
Alyssa Fischer, setter, Tharptown
Franklin County Volleyball Coach of the Year: Julianna Taylor, Phil Campbell
The Franklin Free Press has announced its All-Franklin County Volleyball team for the 2024 season. The team, chosen by the FFP sports editor, is based on nominations by the head coaches. This season there were six county volleyball players from four schools made up the all-county team with eight honorable mentions and a Coach of the Year.
Belgreen High School had two players selected for the All-Franklin County squad. Senior outside hitter and defensive specialist Morgan Lauderdale was a major contributor to the Lady Bulldogs’ success this season serving as an invaluable leader for the team. Lauderdale finished the season with 149 kills, 239 digs, 52 aces, a successful serve rate of 89 percent, and also added three solo blocks. Lauderdale, who signed with Northwest Shoals Community College on November 1, is the first Belgreen volleyball player to sign with a collegiate program.
Lauderdale was joined on the All-Franklin County team by junior libero Bryn Scott, who finished with a remarkable 574 digs. Scott had 204 perfect passes off serve receive and she added 18 kills from the back row.
Red Bay’s Gracie Weatherford was the Lady Tigers lone All-Franklin County Team member. The senior outside hitter was a force both on and off the court for the Lady Tigers. A team captain for Red Bay in 2024, Weatherford displayed strong leadership ability and “works just as hard in the classroom as she does in the gym,” according to Red Bay head coach Elizabeth Scott. Weatherford, the first player offered to sign with the nascent Northwest Shoals Community College volleyball program according to the Patriots’ head coach Susie Tverberg, made it official on November 1, giving her signature to NWSCC.
Russellville had two players selected for the All-Franklin County Team: junior outside hitter Laila Hill and freshman outside hitter Blevyn Sappington. Hill led the Lady Golden Tigers in kills this campaign with 246. Defensively, Hill did her part with 84 digs, seven solo blocks and 13 block assists. Sappington was right behind Hill in the kills department as she finished with 214 for the year. Sappington, one of two freshmen first team all-county selections, was Russellville’s leader in aces with 66, and she was second on the team in digs with 259.
The other freshman rounding out the All-Franklin County Team and representing Tharptown High School is the Lady Wildcats’ middle hitter Carly Cason. The tall ninth-grader recorded a remarkable 95 total blocks to go along with her 201 kills on the year. Cason also tallied 38 aces and picked up 21 digs in 2024.
The Franklin County Coach of the Year is Phil Campbell’s Julianna Taylor. The Coach of the Year selection was made based on votes by other coaches and team performance. Taylor led the Lady Bobcats to a runner-up finish in Class 3A Area 15 and a berth in the North regional for the second straight season. Phil Campbell was the only Franklin County team to make it to Hoover this season.
The eight All-Franklin County Volleyball honorable mentions are middle hitters Lillianna Willingham and Carson Hovater of Belgreen; Phil Campbell’s Britney Coffman, who was an FFP Athlete of the Week recipient in September; libero Bri McCulloch and setter/defensive specialist Fatima Ramirez from Russellville; and outside hitter Karrah Nichols, middle hitter Malia McCullar, and setter Alyssa Fischer from Tharptown.
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