Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Alana Jones will not only be representing Billingsley High School at the 2025 AHSAA North-South Volleyball All-Star Game on July 24, she will be representing for the entire 1A classification as the only Class 1A player selected for the game.

“It means a lot, and it shows that all the hard work you put into it is being shown to people,” Jones said. “It is cool to be able to play with some of the top athletes in Alabama and experience that type of volleyball.”

Jones was selected to the South team as an outside hitter and setter. The game is part of the 29th annual AHSAA North-South All-Star Week taking place in Montgomery from July 21-24. The teams are comprised of 2026 rising seniors, and the teams were announced in February by Director of Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association (AHSADCA) J.T. Lawrence.

When it comes to being the only Class 1A player in the game, Jones takes pride in going against the misconception that athletes from smaller schools do not get as many opportunities or make it as far because they are attending a smaller school.

“It proves that just because you go to a smaller school it does not matter as long as you work to get to where you want to be,” Jones said.

Billingsley’s head volleyball coach Carrie Ellis coached Jones during her time at Gulf Shore prior to her arrival at the Class 1A school. One of Ellis’ main focuses when she got to BHS was to ensure that her players were getting recognized to the fullest, and Jones’ selection to the South team goes directly into that. For Ellis, volleyball players at a young age need to have the mental toughness to get through things on the court, and Jones has always had that in her eyes.

“She has always had that mental toughness, the drive, but she has also had that leadership of being a good teammate, and that is really hard to find in players,” Ellis said. “Alana’s drive is just overpowering, and it just cannot be matched.”

Jones is a multi-sport athlete playing basketball, softball and running track, but volleyball is her biggest passion and the sport she dedicates most of her time and effort into. Her efforts have helped grow the Billingsley volleyball program tremendously over the last few years. Along with the growth in the program and improvement on the court come the expectations as well, but Jones has embraced that and welcomed them.

With aspirations to play at the college level, Jones will have an opportunity on July 24 at 2 p.m. at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex in Montgomery to show what she can do in front of the college coaches in attendance.

“It is going to be a very good experience,” Jones said. “Whenever I get in I want to show out for the college coaches that are there, and I think it is going to be very exciting.”