Mountain Brook is the only volleyball team to win an AHSAA Class 7A championship.
Since AHSAA moved its biggest 32 schools to Class 7A in 2014, the Spartans captured the two following titles, which marked the only volleyball championships in school history.
The surge of Mountain Brook volleyball has created higher expectations. The Spartans know how to win, but seven newcomers to the roster bring different challenges.
“We’re not focusing on the past two years,” said senior Emmy Kilgore. “This is a new team and a new roster. Of course we want to win state again, but we just want to reach our potential whatever that is. We just want to play and have fun.”
The Class 7A third-ranked Spartans start the AHSAA season today hosting a tri-match featuring three of the best teams in the state. Class 7A second-ranked McGill-Toolen, which fell to Mountain Brook in last year’s title match, along with fourth-ranked Hoover, start play at 5 p.m.
It’s not the only marquee matchup slated for opening day.
Class 3A top-ranked Bayside Academy, which probably has the best team in the state regardless of class, plays at Class 7A fifth-ranked Oak Mountain.
Class 7A top-ranked Huntsville opens the season hosting the annual tri-match against sixth-ranked Grissom and No. 10 Bob Jones with the action beginning at 4.
The weekend should be even better with plenty of tournament action across the state.
Mountain Brook coach Haven O’Quinn expects a fun season with lots of surprises in the state’s largest classification.
“I really don’t think there’s a front-runner this year,” O’Quinn said. “It reminds me a lot of 7A volleyball that first year when there were a lot of good teams and it was a fun year with good volleyball and good matches. There are some teams that should be good, but I think there are a lot of teams that are contenders.”
The Spartans lost two Super All-State seniors last year in outside hitter Sara Carr — the two-time Player of the Year — and setter Sara Chandler Mitchell.
Kilgore, who’s the AL.com A-List No. 10 best senior player in the state, returns at outside hitter on the front line along with middle hitters Caroline Davies and Ellie Ritter. They form the senior triumvirate and are three of only six players returning.
Three juniors also have experience. Outstanding defender Lacey Jeffcoat will be back in her customary Libero spot as will Mimi Meadows on the front line, but defender Libby Grace Gann has moved to setter.
The seven newcomers include five freshmen. Carr’s younger sister Grace is one of the freshmen who has earned a spot in the rotation.
“It has been different, especially for the returning players,” O’Quinn said “We’ve had to go at a slower pace so some of younger ones can learn.
“I think some of the girls who haven’t been the go-tos before are in the spotlight now and I think they will surprise some people.”
Kilgore was a starter on both state championship teams and begins her senior season understanding the pressures of the past. Despite lots of new faces, Kilgore likes what she sees.
“We have some returners who are familiar with being on the court and we have a lot of leaders trying to show the newcomers what to do, what to expect,” Kilgore said. “It’s really an ongoing process. We have so many young people who are only going to get better.”
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