South Walton Serves Past 6A Pace in Four on the Road
South Walton beat 6A Pace 3-1 on the road behind 13 aces and 62 digs, with 11 kills from Sydney Downing and a double-double from Maci Jones.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PACE, Fla. - September 22, 2026 - South Walton defeated 6A Pace 3-1 (25-13, 25-20, 22-25, 25-22) at Pace High School on Tuesday night, closing out a road win over an opponent three classifications above the Seahawks with 13 aces and 62 digs.
Senior outside hitter Sydney Downing led the attack with 11 kills and added 3 aces and 9 digs while handling 14 serve receive attempts. The College of Charleston beach commit was one of four Seahawks to reach at least 6 kills.
Senior outside hitter Maci Jones turned in a double-double with 10 kills and a team-high 20 digs, hitting .156 on 32 swings. The Southern Miss commit also passed 14 balls at a 1.86 rating, handed out 3 assists and put down 2 aces, playing all four sets in every rotation.
Senior right side Corinne O'Connell added 6 kills, 8 digs and 2 aces. Junior middle hitter Ava Hummel matched her with 6 kills on .188 hitting, and sophomore middle hitter Henley Beauchamp was the most efficient hitter on the floor at .429, putting down 3 kills on 7 swings without an error.
The setter committee split the offense again. Junior setter Bianca Savi distributed 18 assists and added 6 digs and an ace, while senior setter Kailey Gorman ran the second rotation for 12 assists, 3 digs and a team-high 2 blocks. The pair accounted for 30 of the team's 35 assists.
Senior libero Lindsay McMahan anchored the back row with 21 serve receive attempts, 7 digs and 2 aces. Senior Macey Waldrop passed 15 balls at a 1.93 rating and added 3 digs, and freshman defensive specialist Sienna Montoya served a team-high 26 times for 3 aces.
South Walton controlled the opening set from the start and built the margin to 25-13, then held off a closer second set for a 25-20 win and a two-set lead. Pace pushed back to take the third 25-22, but the Seahawks closed the match in the fourth, holding the lead late for a 25-22 finish.
The Seahawks served at 91.5 percent with 13 aces against 8 errors, their cleanest night from the service line on the season, and dug 15.5 balls per set. Ten players recorded a stat in the win.
The victory moves South Walton to 15-5 overall. The Seahawks return home to host Gulf Breeze at the Hawks Nest on Thursday.
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 four straight seasons from 2022 through 2025, winning the region in 2025 to reach the State Final Four.
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.