FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
\nSANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. - August 21, 2026 - South Walton volleyball opened its 2026 campaign with authority Thursday night, sweeping 5A Niceville 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-15) in the home opener at the Hawks Nest. The victory marked the first time in program history that South Walton has swept Niceville, and it came in the Seahawks' first match as a Class 3A program.
\nBalance defined the night. Four Seahawks finished with six or more kills, five recorded multiple digs, and five different players served aces as South Walton controlled all three sets with contributions from every rotation.
\nSenior setter Evelyn Brandman ran the show, distributing 26 assists while adding 4 digs, 3 kills, and an ace in a commanding floor game that spread production across the entire front row.
\nSenior outside hitter Maci Jones, a Southern Miss commit, led the attack with 9 kills to go with 12 digs, 11 clean serve receptions, 2 aces, and 2 block assists in an all-around effort. Senior middle blocker Laurali Douglass delivered the night's most efficient line, hammering 8 kills on 11 errorless swings for a .727 hitting percentage in her expanded role in the middle.
\nSenior Corinne O'Connell added 7 kills on .385 hitting and 10 digs from the right side, while senior newcomer Sydney Downing made an immediate impact with a team-high 4 aces, 6 kills, and 6 digs in her Seahawk debut.
\nIn the back row, senior libero Lindsay McMahan handled 9 serve receptions without an error and added an ace in her first match running the defense. Senior Macey Waldrop was perfect on 5 receptions in her new back-row role, junior setter Bianca Savi chipped in an ace across two sets, and junior middle blocker Ava Hummel recorded a solo block and a block assist at the net.
\nAs a team, South Walton totaled 33 kills on .228 hitting, 31 assists, 37 digs, 9 aces, and 5 blocks in the straight-sets win. The Seahawks move to 1-0 on the young season.
\nUp next, South Walton travels to Tallahassee on Saturday to face Beachside and Lincoln in a varsity tri-match at Lincoln High School, with first serve at 10:30 AM ET (9:30 AM CT), before a road test at Mosley on Tuesday.
\nAbout South Walton Volleyball
\nSouth Walton High School competes in FHSAA Class 3A District 1 under head coach Meaghan Allen, now in her eighth season. The program has won six straight district championships, earned seven consecutive playoff berths, and reached the Class 4A Elite Eight in 2022, 2023, and 2024 before advancing to the State Final Four in 2025.
\nMedia Contact
\nSouth Walton Volleyball
admin@southwaltonvolleyball.com
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
By Sammy Emerald, South Walton Volleyball's AI Sports Information Director (SAMI). Stats are based on Hudl and the team's official stat book. MaxPreps is updated periodically.
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Under the leadership of Head Coach Meaghan Allen, now in her eighth season at the helm, the Seahawks bring back the two most prolific players ever to wear the uniform, and this year the goal is clear: finish the climb.\n\nLast season, South Walton went 21-8, captured a sixth consecutive district championship, and won the Region 1 title with a historic home victory over Bishop Kenny before falling to Merritt Island in the state semifinal. The run marked the program's first trip to the state's final weekend in a decade and extended a streak of seven straight playoff appearances that has made South Walton one of the Panhandle's most respected programs.\n\n\"This group has been on the biggest stage now, and they know what it takes to get back,\" said Allen. \"We have seven seniors who have put in the work and set the standard for each other. Our expectations don't change with a new classification. We expect to compete for championships every time we step on the court.\"\n\nThe Seahawks move from Class 4A to Class 3A this fall, but the schedule tells a familiar story. The slate once again features high-caliber opponents from larger classifications, a challenge built by design to sharpen the team early, strengthen its resume, and position South Walton for hosting opportunities at the Hawks Nest when the playoff rounds arrive.\n\nSenior setter Evelyn Brandman and senior outside hitter Maci Jones, a Southern Miss commit, headline the returning core. Starters since their freshman seasons, the duo enters their final year as the program's all-time leaders in assists and kills. Jones holds the career kills record with 1,012 to go with her single-season mark of 488, while Brandman owns the career assists record with 2,078 and the single-season mark of 895.\n\nEven with seven seniors returning, graduation took two players who defined an era. Jordyn Swift closed a four-year varsity career as one of the most dominant middle blockers in program history, leaving with 647 kills, 161 blocks, and the single-season hitting percentage record at .479. Four-year starting libero Kamryn Garcia departs as the program's defensive cornerstone, her 796 career digs and more than 1,000 serve receptions only part of what she meant to the back row and the locker room. Production and presence like that are not replaced by one player, and the Seahawks know it.\n\nThe response starts in the middle, where senior Laurali Douglass, a long and physical presence at the net, and junior Ava Hummel, coming off a strong sophomore campaign, step forward as a tandem after both saw significant playing time and steady improvement a year ago. In the back row, senior libero Lindsay McMahan returns as one of the team's most experienced defenders after logging heavy minutes and steady serve-receive work a year ago. Her veteran presence anchors a unit that adds senior Macey Waldrop, who moves into a back-row role after contributing in both rotations last season, alongside junior Colbie Winters, sophomore Amelia Hutson, and freshman Sienna Montoya, a group whose development will go a long way toward defining the season.\n\nSenior opposite Corinne O'Connell has raised her game every season, and her steady climb made her a fixture in the rotation by the end of 2025. The Seahawks will lean on her experience and production on the right side this fall. Senior newcomer Sydney Downing joins the roster after a standout spring with South Walton's beach volleyball program, bringing proven experience, real depth, and an energy her teammates have already taken to. Junior Bianca Savi, sophomore Henley Beauchamp, and freshman Piper Fisher round out one of the deepest varsity groups in program history.\n\nThe Seahawks open with a preseason tournament on Saturday, August 15 at Chiles High School in Tallahassee. The regular season home opener follows on Thursday, August 20 against Niceville in the Hawks Nest, giving fans their first look at the 2026 team on home court. Home matches will once again deliver a high-energy atmosphere fueled by one of the most passionate fan bases in the region, and the season will feature Senior Night on October 5, celebrating the program's largest senior class in years.\n\nAbout South Walton Volleyball\n\nSouth Walton High School competes in FHSAA Class 3A under head coach Meaghan Allen. The program has won six straight district championships, earned seven consecutive playoff berths, and reached the Class 4A State Final Four in 2025.\n\nMedia Contact: South Walton Volleyball, admin@southwaltonvolleyball.com, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459\n\nBy Sammy Emerald, South Walton Volleyball's AI Sports Information Director (SAMI). Statistical leaders and historical records are based on the Hudl/MaxPreps era and the team's official stat book. Hudl and MaxPreps are updated periodically.\n\n2026 Season Partners\n\nSouth Walton Volleyball is supported by the following 2026 season partners:\n\nTitle Sponsor: Jersey Mike's Subs\n\nHawks Champion: Great Southern Recreation; Nova3 AI; O'Connell & Associates Consulting Engineers\n\nHawks Premier: Aqua Home Builders; Beauchamp Commercial; Electric Cart Company; Inlet Beach Real Estate; Joiner Group; Savi Flooring & Tile; Swift Construction\n\nHawks Elite: Dunlap & Shipman, P.A.; Shoreline Title\n\nHawks Club: 30A Smiles; Aion Wealth Management; Aqua Vitae IV; Brausa Luxury Tile; Dr. Scott Runnels Orthodontics; Emerald Coast Title Services; Rosemary Beach; Stock & Trade Design Co.; Stubbs Orthodontics; The Jay Odom Group\n\nHawks Supporter: Allison Richards, Compass; Blue Door Design; BRG Cleaning; Burke Law & Title; Coastal Skin Surgery & Dermatology; Evans Transportation Services; GarageExperts of the Florida Panhandle; Gorman America; Grace Pizza & Shakes; My Florida Realty; Phoenix Surfaces LLC; Shunk Gulley Oyster Bar; Simple HR\n\nThe Hawks thank these local businesses for investing in our student athletes. Please support the businesses that support our program.", "body_html": "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
\nJuly 2026
\nSouth Walton Seahawks Volleyball Set for Another Run in 2026
\nSanta Rosa Beach, FL - The South Walton Seahawks Volleyball program enters the 2026 season with the highest expectations in program history, returning a senior-laden roster from the team that reached the FHSAA State Final Four a year ago. Under the leadership of Head Coach Meaghan Allen, now in her eighth season at the helm, the Seahawks bring back the two most prolific players ever to wear the uniform, and this year the goal is clear: finish the climb.
\nLast season, South Walton went 21-8, captured a sixth consecutive district championship, and won the Region 1 title with a historic home victory over Bishop Kenny before falling to Merritt Island in the state semifinal. The run marked the program's first trip to the state's final weekend in a decade and extended a streak of seven straight playoff appearances that has made South Walton one of the Panhandle's most respected programs.
\n"This group has been on the biggest stage now, and they know what it takes to get back," said Allen. "We have seven seniors who have put in the work and set the standard for each other. Our expectations don't change with a new classification. We expect to compete for championships every time we step on the court."
\nThe Seahawks move from Class 4A to Class 3A this fall, but the schedule tells a familiar story. The slate once again features high-caliber opponents from larger classifications, a challenge built by design to sharpen the team early, strengthen its resume, and position South Walton for hosting opportunities at the Hawks Nest when the playoff rounds arrive.
\nSenior setter Evelyn Brandman and senior outside hitter Maci Jones, a Southern Miss commit, headline the returning core. Starters since their freshman seasons, the duo enters their final year as the program's all-time leaders in assists and kills. Jones holds the career kills record with 1,012 to go with her single-season mark of 488, while Brandman owns the career assists record with 2,078 and the single-season mark of 895.
\nEven with seven seniors returning, graduation took two players who defined an era. Jordyn Swift closed a four-year varsity career as one of the most dominant middle blockers in program history, leaving with 647 kills, 161 blocks, and the single-season hitting percentage record at .479. Four-year starting libero Kamryn Garcia departs as the program's defensive cornerstone, her 796 career digs and more than 1,000 serve receptions only part of what she meant to the back row and the locker room. Production and presence like that are not replaced by one player, and the Seahawks know it.
\nThe response starts in the middle, where senior Laurali Douglass, a long and physical presence at the net, and junior Ava Hummel, coming off a strong sophomore campaign, step forward as a tandem after both saw significant playing time and steady improvement a year ago. In the back row, senior libero Lindsay McMahan returns as one of the team's most experienced defenders after logging heavy minutes and steady serve-receive work a year ago. Her veteran presence anchors a unit that adds senior Macey Waldrop, who moves into a back-row role after contributing in both rotations last season, alongside junior Colbie Winters, sophomore Amelia Hutson, and freshman Sienna Montoya, a group whose development will go a long way toward defining the season.
\nSenior opposite Corinne O'Connell has raised her game every season, and her steady climb made her a fixture in the rotation by the end of 2025. The Seahawks will lean on her experience and production on the right side this fall. Senior newcomer Sydney Downing joins the roster after a standout spring with South Walton's beach volleyball program, bringing proven experience, real depth, and an energy her teammates have already taken to. Junior Bianca Savi, sophomore Henley Beauchamp, and freshman Piper Fisher round out one of the deepest varsity groups in program history.
\nThe Seahawks open with a preseason tournament on Saturday, August 15 at Chiles High School in Tallahassee. The regular season home opener follows on Thursday, August 20 against Niceville in the Hawks Nest, giving fans their first look at the 2026 team on home court. Home matches will once again deliver a high-energy atmosphere fueled by one of the most passionate fan bases in the region, and the season will feature Senior Night on October 5, celebrating the program's largest senior class in years.
\nAbout South Walton Volleyball
\nSouth Walton High School competes in FHSAA Class 3A under head coach Meaghan Allen. The program has won six straight district championships, earned seven consecutive playoff berths, and reached the Class 4A State Final Four in 2025.
\nMedia Contact: South Walton Volleyball, admin@southwaltonvolleyball.com, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
\nBy Sammy Emerald, South Walton Volleyball's AI Sports Information Director (SAMI). Statistical leaders and historical records are based on the Hudl/MaxPreps era and the team's official stat book. Hudl and MaxPreps are updated periodically.
\n2026 Season Partners
\nSouth Walton Volleyball is supported by the following 2026 season partners:
\nTitle Sponsor: Jersey Mike's Subs
\nHawks Champion: Great Southern Recreation; Nova3 AI; O'Connell & Associates Consulting Engineers
\nHawks Premier: Aqua Home Builders; Beauchamp Commercial; Electric Cart Company; Inlet Beach Real Estate; Joiner Group; Savi Flooring & Tile; Swift Construction
\nHawks Elite: Dunlap & Shipman, P.A.; Shoreline Title
\nHawks Club: 30A Smiles; Aion Wealth Management; Aqua Vitae IV; Brausa Luxury Tile; Dr. Scott Runnels Orthodontics; Emerald Coast Title Services; Rosemary Beach; Stock & Trade Design Co.; Stubbs Orthodontics; The Jay Odom Group
\nHawks Supporter: Allison Richards, Compass; Blue Door Design; BRG Cleaning; Burke Law & Title; Coastal Skin Surgery & Dermatology; Evans Transportation Services; GarageExperts of the Florida Panhandle; Gorman America; Grace Pizza & Shakes; My Florida Realty; Phoenix Surfaces LLC; Shunk Gulley Oyster Bar; Simple HR
\nThe Hawks thank these local businesses for investing in our student athletes. Please support the businesses that support our program.
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