Lions eager to return to state tournament

The number of players on the Briarwood Christian School volleyball team that remember the Lions playing in the Class 5A state tournament is dwindling.

Briarwood qualified for the state tournament last in 2016, when the Lions’ five seniors were just freshmen. Head coach Jeff Robertson recalls a couple of them dressing out but not playing and a couple others tagging along as ball retrievers.

The last two years, the Lions have hit a wall in the super regional tournament and haven’t been able to break through to the state tournament. They have a goal to change that this fall.

“They want to get back to state,” Robertson said. “They want to get back and experience that, get our program over that sweet 16 hump and into the elite eight and hopefully on.”

Robertson feels great about the leadership and experience of his roster, which boasts five seniors and two critical juniors. Among the seniors, setter Avery Rose Ochsenhirt and libero Audrey O’Brien — who recently committed to Samford — were significant contributors last fall and are back for one final run.

“We’ll be relying a lot on that experience,” Robertson said. “Because of that, we’re able to tweak some things and add some stuff to the program, as far as some complexity to our system.”

Lauren Danley is a defensive specialist, while Callie Tomlinson and Audrey Vickers are the team’s other seniors expected to play big roles. The two juniors are also highly thought of by Robertson, as Emma Crawford and Maddie Vaughn represented Briarwood at the local preseason media night in August.

Both juniors are being asked to change positions, with Crawford moving from the middle to the right side and Vaughn changing roles from the right side to setting. Vaughn set at times last year while Kaley Bruce was out with an injury.

“That experience is hopefully going to carry us,” Robertson said. “Most of them having had signifi cant playing time and being able to experience super regional and nerves and all that, once we get to that point, it won’t be deer in the headlights and hopefully we’ll be able to perform a little bit better there.”

Also expected to play roles for the Lions are Ansley Greer, Leah Coleman, Brooklyn Barger and Katrina Bush.

Briarwood plays in an area with Woodlawn and Ramsay, with the Lions facing both of those foes in the month of September. The top two finishers in the area tournament in mid October will advance to super regionals.

Also in September, the Lions face Homewood, Auburn, Benjamin Russell, Clay-Chalkville, Westminster-Oak Mountain, Corner, Mortimer Jordan and John Carroll, along with playing in tournaments at Muscle Shoals and Brooks.

While there is the stated goal to return to state, that will not be ultimately defines the success of the team’s season. In line with the school’s overall mission, Robertson said even more important than on-court success, “it’s more about growing them as young ladies and daughters of Christ.”

But he certainly believes they have what it takes to win their fair share of matches.

“Great group of girls,” Robertson said. “They love each other. They’re a tight group of girls that gets along well and that’s good for on the court as well as off the court."