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If a 19-23 overall record can be misleading, that was certainly the case for the Briarwood Christian School volleyball team in 2016. All season long, the Class 5A Lions challenged themselves with a schedule consisting largely of tournaments and individual matches against 6A and 7A teams.
Coach Jeff Robertson reinforced the point time and again with his team to focus on the process and not the results of each match, and it paid off with a state tournament berth in his first year at the helm.
“Last year as a whole was very successful,” Robertson said. “Record-wise, we didn’t have a winning season, but as far as getting out of the girls what we could and to get to where we did, it was a successful season.”
As a whole, last year’s group was fairly young, with just a pair of seniors in Alexandra O’Brien and Natalie Crumpler leading a bevy of juniors. Now those juniors are seniors, making for a roster equipped with maturity and experience on the highest stage.
“Now they’re learning how to lead and how to assert and take initiative,” Robertson said. “This summer’s really been a growing and learning time for them. They’re going to have fun, because that’s who they are.”
Robertson believes their experience can only help moving forward, as the Lions will know what to expect down the stretch of the season.
“Not ever having that type of experience before, to now have that under their belts, we’ve been here, we’ve done this, we’re not going to have a ‘deer in the headlights’ mentality,” he said.
Anna Donohue and Sophie Muir-Taylor will take on the role of captains for the team. Donohue is the Lions’ libero and “backbone of our defense,” according to Robertson. Muir-Taylor missed last season due to injury but will likely end up in the middle for Briarwood this fall. She may also get some looks on the outside as a hitter because of her athleticism.
Grace Patterson is likely to join Muir-Taylor as a middle, with Carlie Foust and Grace Mulvaney on the right side. Mulvaney played middle last fall, but moved to the right side over the offseason.
Kaley Bruce has solidified her spot in the lineup as a setter. The junior is “learning how to take control of the court,” and Robertson credited assistant Luann Causey for helping bring Bruce along in that regard.
Anna Grace Portillo, Lauren Smith and Sage O’Brien are all solid all-around players that can play on either side of the court. Linley Green will play as a defensive specialist.
The Lions’ roster will consist exclusively of juniors and seniors, which will give Briarwood one of the oldest teams around. Robertson plans to use that to his advantage by keeping the sophomore group together on the junior varsity team, in hopes that the chemistry formed with that group will translate onto varsity next fall.
“They’re going to have a really solid JV season,” Robertson said. “We’re putting them into some good tournaments to challenge them.”
On the court, the Lions will open up the season Aug. 31 at home against Gardendale and will host the annual Serve-Off Tournament Sept. 1-2 in the season’s opening weekend.