Jemison qualified for a regional playoff tournament berth with a second-place finish Tuesday in the Class 4A, Area 6 tournament.

The Panthers defeated Bibb County, 3-1, to advance the next playoff round but then lost to host Calera, 3-0 (25-14, 25-6, 25-11), in the championship match.

The top two teams in each area tournament advance to the regional round.

“Wehen we played Bibb County the first set tonight, we blew them off the floor,” JHS coach Leighsa Robinson said. “Then Bibb County started playing real scrappy defense and played us a good match.

“It’s like I told the team, there are a lot of people sitting at home that would love to be playing in the regional, and we’re sitting here disappointed because we didn’t win our area. That’s a good thing because it tells you the expectations of our team and our program is to win the area year after year after year.”

Chilton County failed to advance in its tournament Tuesday at Central-Tuscaloosa.

Maplesville failed to advance in its tournament Monday at Holy Spirit, leaving Isabella and Thorsby as the only other local teams still alive for the regionals, which will be played Saturday.

Isabella and Thorsby will compete at Millry beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday against a field that includes Zion Chapel, Highland Home, Leroy, Ariton, Millry and Goshen.

Thorsby plays Zion Chapel at 10 a.m., and Isabella plays Ariton at 11:15 a.m.

Jemison (12-19) will play its regional at the winner of the Area 7 tournament, which includes Sumter-Central, Holt, Southside-Selma and Dallas County. The result of that tournament was not available at press time.

“I’m proud that we’re going, but we’re going to have to step it up and play hard,” Robinson said.