Isabella’s dominance of the local volleyball scene continued Saturday as the Mustangs won their fifth consecutive Chilton County Volleyball Tournament championship.

Isabella defeated Jemison, 2-0 (25-20, 25-19) in the championship match.

Coach Glen Graham said the county title is a goal Isabella teams set each season.

“It’s always an honor,” he said. “It just shows that when you work hard and you do things right, you get rewarded for it.”

Isabella’s junior varsity squad also won its fifth consecutive county title, while the school’s junior high team has won both of the county tournaments, including this year’s, that have been held for that level.

Chilton County High School defeated tournament host Thorsby, 2-0 (30-28, 25-18) in the first match of the day, and then Jemison topped Maplesville, 2-0 (25-12, 25-14)

In its first match, Isabella found itself in a 10-1 hole to CCHS in the first set, but the Mustangs rebounded to win, 2-0 (25-13, 25-13).

Graham said the players’ response has been a common theme this season, despite their relative youth.

“They don’t usually panic,” he said. “They usually stay the course.”

The first set of the championship match was close throughout until IHS pulled away late.

Isabella staked out a 4-1 lead, but then Jemison tied the score at 4-all.

With Emily Spain’s jump serves proving effective, a block by Jemison’s Cassani Steele gave the Panthers a 10-7 lead.

Isabella fought back into the lead at 12-10, but a block by Jemison’s Jasmine Wright resulted in a 14-13 edge that would prove to be Jemison’s last of the set.

Unique Robinson blocked a Jemison ball to give the Mustangs a 20-15 lead, and then, with Alma Contreras still serving, a Robinson kill ended a long rally.

Still, JHS closed to within two points of the lead at 22-20, but Robinson ended the rally with an emphatic kill, and Brianna Tyler ended the set with an ace.

Robinson was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Graham said he is proud of Robinson’s work to come back from an offseason shoulder surgery and to make her senior season a memorable one.

“She really, really is all in this year,” Graham said. “She learns more of the game every week.”

Robinson totaled 16 kills and four blocks in two tournament matches.

Jemison held an 8-7 lead thanks in no small part to the net play of Steele, but Isabella pulled ahead 14-10 with Jayda Jones serving and then 18-11 with Hailey Underwood serving.

“I’m just proud of our kids,” Graham said. “They come to practice every day, they work hard, they do what we ask them to do.

“It’s been fun this year.”

Also named to the all-tournament team from Isabella were Kacie Adams, Caley Booth and Underwood.

Adams finished with 12 assists, 11 digs and four aces in two matches; Booth had 27 digs and two aces; Underwood had 13 digs, nine assists, two kills and two aces; Synia’ Chattman had seven kills and four blocks; and Tyler had six aces and three digs.

Jemison’s all-tournament selections were Steele and Ashley Dutton.

In the Panthers’ win over Maplesville, Hannah Northcutt had four kills; Taylor Ray had three kills and four digs; C.C. Wright had three kills and one block; Dutton had seven assists; and Spain had seven aces.

Against Isabella, Steele had five kills and four blocks, Spain had five kills, Dutton had eight assists and Ray had 10 digs.

Also named to the all-tournament team were Chilton County’s Kaley Lucas and Thorsby’s Madison McClain.