Savi Steps In as South Walton Defeats 4A Arnold in Four Sets
South Walton beat 4A Arnold 3-1 behind Bianca Savi's 14 assists and a setter committee, closing its opening road stretch at 4-2.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. - September 2, 2026 - South Walton closed out its long opening road stretch with a 3-1 victory (25-18, 22-25, 25-19, 25-23) at 4A Arnold on Wednesday night, taking the latest meeting in what has become a beach rivalry between the neighboring programs. The win moves the Seahawks to 4-2.
South Walton played its first match without senior setter Evelyn Brandman, sidelined by an elbow injury, and the offense answered by committee. Junior setter Bianca Savi stepped in as the primary distributor and delivered 14 assists, 3 aces on 90 percent serving, and 10 digs in the biggest night of her varsity career. Kailey Gorman, in her first match with the program, added 8 assists and a kill while running the offense in stretches, and senior libero Lindsay McMahan chipped in 8 assists of her own alongside 13 digs and 2 aces. Every one of South Walton's 33 assists came from that committee.
Senior outside hitter Sydney Downing led the attack with 11 kills on .219 hitting and filled the stat sheet with 18 digs, 3 blocks, and an ace. Senior Corinne O'Connell matched her with 11 kills and added 16 digs in a second Seahawk double-double.
The night belonged to the block as much as the offense. Senior middle blocker Laurali Douglass stuffed Arnold 8 times, including 3 solo blocks, while sophomore middle blocker Henley Beauchamp added 5 blocks and junior middle blocker Ava Hummel contributed 7 kills, 2 blocks, and 3 aces from the service line. South Walton totaled 19 blocks in the match.
Senior Macey Waldrop added 5 digs and an ace in the back row, and freshman Sienna Montoya took a turn in the service rotation.
After the teams split the first two sets, South Walton retook control in the third and held off Arnold's late push in a 25-23 fourth to close out the match. As a team, the Seahawks finished with 34 kills, 33 assists, 66 digs, 11 aces, and those 19 blocks.
Up next, South Walton returns to the Hawks Nest on Thursday to host North Bay Haven in the first home match since the season opener.
About South Walton Volleyball
South 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.
Media Contact
South 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.