South Walton Tops No. 4 Class 5A Gulf Breeze for First Time in Program History
South Walton beat No. 4 Class 5A Gulf Breeze 3-1 at the Hawks Nest for the first win over the Dolphins in program history, behind a relentless attack led by 16 kills from Corinne O'Connell and 15 on .355 hitting from Maci Jones.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. - September 24, 2026 - South Walton volleyball beat Gulf Breeze 3-1 (25-17, 23-25, 25-15, 25-22) at the Hawks Nest on Wednesday night, the first win over the Dolphins in program history.
Gulf Breeze came in at 13-3 and ranked No. 4 in Class 5A and No. 27 in Florida in the FHSAA Power Rankings by MaxPreps, two classifications above the Seahawks, who sit No. 15 in Class 3A. The Dolphins went 26-4 and won a district title last season, and they had taken every previous meeting on record, including a 3-0 decision in Gulf Breeze on August 27.
The Seahawks answered with a relentless attack. South Walton took 122 swings across four sets and hit .238 as a team, and four different hitters finished with 8 or more kills and accounted for 47 of the Seahawks' 48 on the night.
Senior outside hitter Corinne O'Connell led the way with 16 kills on 33 swings and added 13 digs. Senior outside hitter Maci Jones, the program's career kills leader and a Southern Miss commit, was the most efficient hitter on the floor at .355, putting away 15 kills on 31 swings, and she served 19 times without an error. Senior right side hitter Sydney Downing added 8 kills, and junior middle blocker Ava Hummel matched her with 8 of her own in the middle.
The two setters split the offense and kept the ball moving all night. Senior setter Kailey Gorman distributed 23 assists with 3 digs and a kill of her own, and junior setter Bianca Savi added 18 assists, 2 service aces and 5 digs.
Senior libero Lindsay McMahan led the service game with 5 aces and added 8 digs and 12 serve receptions. Downing carried the heaviest passing load with 21 receptions at a 1.86 rating and matched O'Connell with 13 digs. Senior Macey Waldrop handled 12 receptions at a 1.75 rating and added 4 digs.
Sophomore middle blocker Henley Beauchamp changed the net in two sets with 3 solo blocks, and Jones added 2. Hummel, Gorman and O'Connell were each credited at the net as well. Junior Colbie Winters served seven times without an error across three sets, and freshman Sienna Montoya went 3 for 3 from the line in two.
South Walton took the first set 25-17, dropped the second 25-23, answered with a 25-15 third and closed out the fourth 25-22. The Seahawks finished with 48 kills, 63 digs, 47 assists, 9 aces and 7 blocks, and served 93 percent.
The victory moves South Walton to 16-5 overall. The Seahawks host Chiles at the Hawks Nest on Monday.
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)
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.