When Carly Falcione arrived this fall as the new volleyball coach at Montgomery Academy, she had to rebuild her front line, replacing two outside hitters and a setter.
She was thankful she didn’t have to worry about the defensive backcourt of the Eagles with three-year starter Kaci Armistead returning.
“She is blessed athletically in certain ways but has earned every honor and every bit of recognition she’s getting now,” Falcione said earlier this year, “because she’s our extra-rep kid, the first in the gym and the last to leave, things you just can’t coach. She’s such an example to the rest of the girls.”
The area’s volleyball coaches agreed, naming Armistead as the Capital City Conference Player of the Year after her role in guiding the Eagles back to the postseason in Class 6A.
“I just really want to say thanks to my teammates because without them I don’t think I could be the player I am today because they push me in practice,” Armistead said. “It’s kind of like the saying that iron sharpens iron, without them I wouldn’t the player I am today. And Coach ‘Fal,’ she really pushed me to become a great player this year.”
Armistead had 101 aces and 645 digs this past season, setting a new school record for career digs with a season left to play. More importantly, she became one of the leaders for the Eagles on a team that had lost a trio of four-year starters.
“My group of girls (juniors), we’re like the oldest, the people who have been on the team the longest,” Armistead said. “It was cool how we all stepped into a leadership role, having different aspects. I kind of led by example.”
Armistead and Saint James’ senior Kaylin Corley are repeat first-team selections to the all-Capital City Conference team and are joined by Montgomery Academy’s Bennett Britt and Morgan Springer and the Catholic duo of Joi McGuire and Zaria Rudolph.
Catholic coach Jenn Denham was chosen as the Capital City Conference Coach of the Year after guding her team back to the Class 5A state tournament. The Knights defeated defending state champion UMS-Wright in the semifinals in a rematch of last year’s battle in the semis.
Catholic reached the championship match before losing to Guntersville, ensuring the Knights of climbing up to Class 6A next fall to comply with Competitive Balance Factor.
2025 ALL-CAPITAL CITY CONFERENCE
VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Kaci Armistead Jr. DS-L Montgomery Academy
Bennett Britt Jr. OH Montgomery Academy
Kaylin Corley Sr. OH Saint James
Joi McGuire Sr. DS-OH Catholic
Zaria Rudolph Jr. S-OH Catholic
Morgan Springer Jr. OH Montgomery Academy
Player of the Year: Kaci Armistead, Jr. Montgomery Academy
Coach of the Year: Jenn Denham, Catholic
Honorable mention: Morgan Bond, MB, Jr., Alabama Christian; Ellie Causey, S, Sr., Trinity; Lizzie Causey, DS-OH, Sr., Trinity; Cate Chapman, MB, Sr., Trinity; Emily Darby, DS, So., Saint James; Kierstyn Green, OH, Jr., Catholic; Kaitlynne Keller, OH, Sr., Trinity; Ragan King, S, Sr., Saint James; Harper Johnson, OH, Fr., Trinity; Sydney Johnston, L, Sr., Saint. James; Lucy Logsdon, MB-S, Jr., Catholic; Kaitlin Mitchell, OH, So., Saint James; Micaiah Shelton, OH, Fr., Trinity; Rehmat Sidhu, S, Jr., Montgomery Academy; Lilly Smith, L, So., Trinity.