South Walton Opens 2026 With First-Ever Sweep of Niceville
The Seahawks swept 5A Niceville 3-0 in the home opener, the first sweep of Niceville in program history and their first match as a Class 3A team.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SANTA 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.
Balance 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.
Senior 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.
Senior 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.
Senior 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.
In 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.
As 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.
Up 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.
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.