Private world in volleyball

By By Todd Thompson, Hartselle Enquirer
Hartselle’s volleyball team’s dream of a state championship didn’t come true last week in Pelham, but the Lady Tigers can boast having the state’s top public volleyball team in Class 5A.
Three of the four teams in the 5A semifinals matches at the Elite Eight tournament last week were private schools.
That is of little consolation to the Lady Tigers, who were seeking their first-ever state volleyball championship.
Hartselle reached the semifinals for the first time in school history before being bounced from the Elite Eight field with a sweep at the hands of St. Paul’s, a private school out of Mobile.
The other semifinal match in Class 5A paired Briarwood Christian and Faith Academy, the eventual state champion.
Danville, who was knocked from the tournament in the first round, faced a similar situation in Class 3A. Three of the four teams in the 3A semifinals were private schools.
Three of the four semifinalists in Class 1A were also private schools.
Currently, the Alabama High School Athletic Association counts each student at private schools as 1.35 for classification purposes.
The ruling was ordered several years ago when public schools complained that private schools were able to recruit.
While the 1.35 rule has put private schools in higher classifications, it has done little to alleviate the dominance that private schools have enjoyed in recent years, especially in sports like volleyball.
Several sports, especially volleyball, that compete on the club level during the off-season have become powers in the AHSAA.
In short, it is easy to recruit players to come to programs that have become traditional powers on the state level. Talent can now be judged at an early age through club teams.
Recruiting goes on at almost all schools in the state, though with the bona fide move rule, it is hard to get a player to transfer when they are in high school.
But there is no disputing that the private schools enjoy a distinct advantage on the court. Just ask Hartselle and Danville players.
Sports editor Todd Thompson can be reached at 773-6566 or at todd.thompson@hartselleenquirer.com