By Antony Richards

Isabella’s run through the volleyball state playoffs came to an end in the Class 1A quarterfinals as the Mustangs lost a 3-2 marathon contest against Brilliant High School on Wednesday at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

“Our effort was inconsistent, and that’s not the team that I have coached for much of the season,” Isabella head coach Glen Graham said. “We’ve really been coming together and had played great the last three games.”

After grabbing a 2-1 lead, Isabella was up 11-5 and staring at a trip to the semifinals if it could finish off the fourth game.

However, Brilliant quickly erased the lead with six consecutive points en route to a 25-19 victory. The scoring run not only changed the game but also played a deciding role in Isabella’s playoff fate.

“In the games we won, we were consistent when it came to hitting the ball,” Graham said. “That wasn’t the case in the games we lost.”

The Mustangs could not overcome the sudden momentum swing and were forced to play a fifth and final game.

It was an up-hill battle for Isabella throughout the final set, which was controlled from start to finish by Brilliant.

“You’ve got to just keep playing hard,” Isabella senior libero Caley Booth said. “We didn’t hit the ball, and we just didn’t play with our hearts.”

Despite the loss, there were plenty of positives for Isabella, mostly due to the play of Synia Chattman and Kinley Tuttle. They established a presence around the net early on and were focal points both offensively and defensively.

Brianna Tyler’s service game created havoc for Brilliant and was a catalyst on several lengthy scoring runs. She helped set the tone to start the first game, as the Mustangs jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first game and eventually won 25-18.

“She’s a really strong server,” Graham said. “She hits the next one as good as the last.”

The loss is the last game for the senior class on a high school volleyball court. Though the outcome hits hard, their leadership was showcased throughout Isabella’s 29-8 final record.

“I’ve been kind of quiet and timid in previous years, but this year I tried to step up and be one of those leaders,” Booth said.

The volleyball program appears in good shape as the focus shifts to next season and beyond. Some of the most impactful players are underclassmen, and their journey to the state playoffs should provide a building block for head coach Glen Graham.

“I see a very bright future for them,” Graham said. “You hope that this gives them more confidence that they can use.”