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MONTGOMERY – Huntsville High  School volleyball coach Melanie Donahoo has been at  the  top of her game for a lot of reasons.
     Huntsville High School principal Kari Flippo has observed her coach’s many successes on and off the court.”
     “Coach Donohoo has not only demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication to the sport of volleyball but has also profoundly impacted the lives of countless student-athletes,” said Flippo. “Throughout her career, she has exemplified the qualities of a true leader, mentor, and educator. Her commitment to fostering teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship is evident in the culture she has built within the program. Under her guidance, student-athletes have not only excelled on the court but have also developed essential life skills that will  serve them well beyond high school.”
    Donahoo is one of 12 individuals who will be inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame on Monday, March 10 at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center. The banquet will get under way a 6 p.m.
     A native of West Point (MS), Donahoo graduated from Oak Hill Academy in West Point in 1990. She attended the University of Alabama-Huntsville on a full basketball scholarship, graduating in 1994. She then attended Athens State University with a double major in English and history. She earned  a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of West Alabama in 2021.
     One of the AHSAA’s most prominent volleyball coaches, her teams at Huntsville have won 10 state championships. She ended the 2024 season with a career record of 879-181. Her 10 state titles rank third all-time among state volleyball coaches. She had a string of six consecutive state championships from 2003-2007. In a remarkable decade of play, her Class 5A teams won in 2002, 2003, and 2004. That was followed by a stint in Class 6A and titles in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The following year, Huntsville was the runner-up and then state champions again for four more consecutive years (2009-2012).
     She began her teaching and coaching career at Whitesburg Middle School in Huntsville in 1996. She taught 8^th grade history and coached boys’ and girls’ basketball as well as volleyball. Over three years, her volleyball teams won city championships twice and also had a runner-up team. They won a city championship in girls’ basketball and made the semifinals of the city tournament in boys’ basketball.
     While continuing to coach all sports at Whitesburg, she went to Grissom High School in 2000 as assistant coach in volleyball and girls’ basketball. She helped the team finish as the Class 6A runner-up in volleyball, a team coached by her close friend Tanya Broadway, who is also being enshrined in AHSAA Sports Hall of Fame in the Class of 2025.
      Donahoo accepted the position of head volleyball coach at Huntsville High School in 2000, where she has remained for the rest of her career.
     She has also served as assistant athletic director at Huntsville. She coached girls’ basketball from 2000-2010, compiling a record of 146-143 and winning two Area championships. She has taught English and history at Huntsville and managed the Dragonfly Max program. She participated in the Huntsville City Schools’ switch to all digital learning in 2013. She became athletic director in January 2024.
     She has served on the AHSAA Volleyball Coaches Committee and is currently serving as president of the Alabama High School Athletic Director and Coaches Association (AHSADCA).
     Retired Sparkman and AHSAA Hall of Fame basketball coach June Seals said,  “Coach Donahoo is one of the most competitive and successful coaches I know. Her teams are knowledgeable and prepared for all athletic events. She has the ability to discipline while maintaining a relationship with her student athletes, which is one of respect and character building.
     “Melanie is a thoughtful, considerate, and kind individual on and off the court. Her passion for teaching and coaching is evident by all she has accomplished, especially competing in the 7A classification. The student-athletes from Huntsville High School have certainly been coached by a superior individual.”
     Flippo adds, “The ten state championships achieved under Coach Donahoo’s leadership are a testament to her expertise and unwavering dedication. Each championship season is marked not just by victories but by the personal growth of the student athletes. Coach Donahoo has a unique ability to recognize and nurture individual talents, creating a cohesive and formidable team.”
     Flippo points out her reach of influence goes well beyond the school.
     “Moreover, she is deeply committed to the community, often going above and and beyond to engage with families and support local initiatives,” Flippo said. “Her passion for volleyball is matched only by her desire to inspire and uplift those around her.”
     Coach Donahoo was inducted into the Madison County Sports Hall of Fame in 2022. She was  inducted into the Alabama High School Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2024.
SEVENTH INSTALLMENT IN A 12-PART SERIES FEATURING THE ALABAMA HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2025

 

         

 

 

MONTGOMERY – Legendary high school volleyball coach Tanya Wigley Broadway grew up in Calhoun County and graduated from Pleasant Valley High School just outside Jacksonville in 1989. She was an outstanding athlete in high school, making All-State teams in basketball and volleyball.
     Broadway is one of 12 individuals who will be inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame on Monday, March 10 at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center. The banquet will get under way a 6 p.m.
      After high school, she continued her outstanding volleyball and basketball career at the University of Alabama-Huntsville. She was named to the All-Gulf South Conference Volleyball Team in 1993. She received the team Offensive Player Award in 1990-92 and the team Defensive Player Award in 1991. She held a number of team bests in statistical categories.
      Broadway received the UAH Citizenship Award in 1993, the Outstanding Leader in Sports and Fitness Award in 1994, and the Most Outstanding Secondary Education Student Award in 1994. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from UAH with certification in English and Psychology. She also earned a master’s degree from the University of West Alabama and a Driver Education endorsement from Jacksonville State University.
      Her teaching and coaching career began at Grissom High School in Huntsville in 1994. Over the next 27 years, she became one of the pillars of the volleyball community in Alabama.        At Grissom she compiled a volleyball record of 1,257-395, winning Class 6A state championships in 1998 and 2003. Her teams finished runner-up eight times (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005). In addition, she had another Final Four team in 2007 and an Elite Eight team in 2006. In 25 seasons, she had only three teams under .500. She also had 33 players who were named to the AHSAA State Championships Elite Eight All-Tournament team.
      A leader among her peers, Broadway was named Huntsville Coach of the Year seven times. She received four Huntsville Times All-Metro Coach of the Year honors and was named Birmingham News Coach of the Year in 2003. She coached in the North-South All-Star Game in 1998 and 2003.
     Like any good coach, Broadway’s influence stretched far beyond what happened on the court.  Pamela Galbreath, Grissom Health, Physical Education and Driver’s Education Chair said: “Under Coach Broadway’s guidance, her teams have not only excelled on the court but also have developed a strong sense of camaraderie and sportsmanship. Her commitment to excellence and integrity has left an indelible mark on many young women.
     “I have had the privilege to know several of her players, and their admiration for their coach is beyond amazing. I have heard several say they would not be a successful career person had it not been for her strong coaching style.”
     Galbreath said Broadway had the ability to not only push athletes to be great volleyball players but also strong young women.
     “She always amazed me because she didn’t always have the most talented team, but she always got the most out of each individual player,” said Galbreath. “To me, that is the epitome of a great coach. Coach Broadway would always have a team that you never wanted to play because they played hard and smart. I have watched her practices, and they were always methodical and paced at an unbelievable level.”
     Broadway moved to Kate Duncan Smith DAR High School in 2021, sharing her extraordinary ability and achieving new accomplishments.
      Huntsville High School Athletic Director and Coach Melanie Donahoo, also a member of the Hall of Fame Class of  2025, was a rival coach, but more importantly, a very close friend.
      “Tanya has taken the challenge of building the Kate Duncan Smith High School volleyball program from the ground up’” said Donahoo. “”Through her strategic planning, tireless efforts, and keen eye for talent, she has transformed the program into a force to be reckoned with, earning the respect and admiration of her peers and the community.
     “Beyond the impressive coaching achievements, Tanya’s character and integrity have been instrumental in shaping the lives of countless student-athletes. She has consistently embodied the values of sportsmanship, teamwork, and perseverance, and has instilled those qualities in every player she has coached. Her unwavering commitment to the sport, and her unwavering dedication to her players have earned them the respect and admiration of all who have had the privilege of working with her.”
     Broadway’s record is 86-65 at DAR.  She won the area title in 2023 and her 7^th and 8^th grade middle school teams have been Marshall County runner-up for four straight years.
     She served on the AHSAA Volleyball Committee from 2002 through 2018. She has been a member of the American Volleyball Association and the Alabama High School Volleyball Coaches’ Association since 1996. She has also served as vice president on the AHSVCA Awards Committee.
     Broadway was inducted into the Huntsville-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame (2022), the Alabama High School Volleyball Association Hall of Fame (2022), and the University of Alabama-Huntsville Sports Hall of Fame (2023).

FLORENCE, Ala. (March 3, 2025) – North Alabama Men’s Basketball advanced to the semifinal round of the 2025 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship on Monday night, deploying No. 7 seed Austin Peay with a 90-69 victory inside CB&S Bank Arena in Florence.

 

The No. 2 Lions will host No. 4 Jacksonville on Thursday night at 6 p.m. inside CB&S Bank Arena.

 

Tonight mark UNA’s first postseason home game as a Division I member, as CB&S Bank Arena drew a sold out crowd of 3,000 fans. The Lions last hosted a postseason game in 2017 during the first round of the Gulf South Conference Championship. UNA transitioned to Division I in 2018.

 

The Lions are in the semifinal round for a second straight season. Last year, UNA made national headlines with a buzzer beater to eliminate Lipscomb in the quarterfinal round. UNA is on the hunt for its first championship final appearance since 2021. 

 

Junior Jacari Lane was virtually unstoppable, scoring 31 points on 9-13 shooting from the floor and 7-8 shooting behind the arc. This is one point short of his career high last set against Samford in November.

 

Five Lions reached double figure scoring totals, including redshirt sophomore Corneilous Williams with 14 points and 14 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season. Off the bench, junior Donte Bacchus added 16 points. Seniors Taye Fields and Daniel Ortiz added 12 and 10, respectively.

 

UNA went 13-22 behind the arc for a new season-high percentage of 59.1. 

 

Defensively, UNA held Austin Peay below its season average of 71 points per game. A key reason for that was Isaac Haney, who averaged 30 PPG inside CB&S Bank Arena coming into tonight. He was held to just eight points.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

 

First Half: UNA shot over 50 percent in both halves, but started with a 54.8 percentage on 17-31 shooting. Lane set the tone immediately with a two-point jumper in the first 23 seconds, getting the crowd hyped. Later, UNA went on a 9-0 run to hop to a 20-9 lead. Austin Peay never pulled back within nine from that point on. Lane and Bacchus went on to combine for 30 points in the opening frame.

 

Second Half: Lane opened the second half with a triple in the first two minutes, pushing the lead to 21. The lead got as high as 30 points at one point as a Williams dunk made it 62-32 with 15:20 to go. Austin Peay dwindled the lead back down to 15 at one point, as the Lions dug into the rotation. However, Williams later caught an alley-oop from Ortiz to push it back to 20 in the final four minutes. UNA coasted the rest of the way and shook hands with the Govs at the end.

 

COMING UP NEXT

 

The Lions welcome Jacksonville to Florence on Thursday for the semifinal round. The winner will advance to face either No. 1 Lipscomb or No. 6 Queens in the championship game on Sunday at 1 p.m. With a win, UNA will host the championship game if Queens wins but will travel to Nashville if Lipscomb wins.

 

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