High school volleyball preview: Jaguars, Eagles, Lions, Hornets aiming to build on last season

High school volleyball season is here, with schools up and down the U.S. 280 corridor looking to put together strong 2021 campaigns. Spain Park is aiming to back up its Class 7A state runner-up finish last fall, Oak Mountain and Briarwood are continuing to build under second-year coaches and Chelsea has a new coach, Jamie Gill.

Continued progression for Lions

Hannah Josey was encouraged by the progress she witnessed last fall. In her first season as the Briarwood Christian School head coach, the Lions improved throughout the season.

She wants to continue to see that progress in the development of the players that she has back this season.

“It was a lot of learning who I have,” Josey said. “We did a fairly good job. This year, we’ve upped it a little bit. If you’re on varsity, you should be able to do a little bit tougher things and hopefully we can throw in some different things.”

Josey sees the Lions being more than capable of doing those tougher things.

“This team is smart,” she said. “I can throw in something different and they are going to be able to pick up on it. Their volleyball IQ is very high.”

The Lions have four seniors this year, including Mae Shaw. She steps in as the team’s primary outside hitter after playing different positions last year. Sarah Frances McLoud is a senior setter, while Claire Lehane and Emma Ward are defensive specialists.

Bradford Latta and Lindsey Butler are middles, Stella Helms hits on the right side, Jolee Giadrosich and Colleen Lehane are setters, Caroline Jones and Katherine Jones are defensive players and Lindsey Weight is an outside hitter.

Briarwood has no easy road this season, playing in Class 6A, Area 9 with Mountain Brook, Chelsea and Homewood.

“We are excited about it, but also we know the talent level we’re playing against. I believe when it comes time to play, we’ll be prepared to play,” Josey said.

Hornets reloading under new coach

Jamie Gill has been here before, literally. This fall, she takes over as the Chelsea High School volleyball coach, a position she once held for six years.

Previous head coach Jessica Pickett was promoted to an administrative position at Chelsea and Gill was hired to take the reins of a program at the height of its power. The Hornets advanced to the state tournament as recently as 2019.

“It’s exciting to get to build from a higher place than from the bottom,” Gill said. “I’m very thankful for all the work [Coach] Pickett has done to get them where they are and to see if I can keep them going in the right direction.”

While many of the top players from that 2019 team have since graduated, the Hornets still look the part of a contender. Over the summer, many coaches noted their impressive performances at team camps and in a summer league at Hoover.

“We’ve got a lot of talent,” Gill conceded.

Gill has two of the strongest outside hitters in the area in junior Emma Pohlmann and freshman Lauren Buchanan.

“They’re both standout all-around skill players. They’ll definitely lead our team offensively,” Gill said.

Landi Rutledge returns as a middle, as well as libero Anna Sartin. Madison Moore and Morgan Martin both got plenty of time setting last fall and are back for another season. Addy Evans and Mackenzie Pierce are back on the right side.

Ava Morris, Mary Kendyl Dojonovic, Reagan Sartin, Danielle Sulenski, Carsyn Polk and Ashley Washington will also be expected to step into roles as well.

Chelsea plays in one of the most difficult areas in the state, with Class 6A, Area 9 boasting Mountain Brook, Homewood and Briarwood.

“Everybody in our area knows that we have to play at a really high level to come out of area, because we have several strong teams to compete against,” Gill said.

Eagles emphasizing energy, effort

Grace Burgess has simple daily expectations for her Oak Mountain High School volleyball team.

“Work hard every day, be disciplined, be grateful and show growth,” she said.

In her first year as the Eagles coach, Burgess laid the foundation for what she wants her program to look like. This year, it’s time to take the next step.

“Year one, I was coming in and making relationships so that they would know me. Year two, there is a higher level of expectation and the execution of our plan. They hold themselves accountable to do that every day,” she said.

Jayni Thompson and Kathryn Smith participated in the AHSAA North-South All-Star Game in Montgomery in July and are two of six seniors expected to lead the way for Oak Mountain this year.

Olivia Steed, Makenzie Price, Smith and Nora Ohlson joined Burgess at the Over the Mountain Volleyball Media Day event and echoed largely the same sentiments.

“We have worked a lot harder than any other year,” Ohlson said.

Smith added, “We’re a lot more competitive. Knowing that we have a hard area, we just have more drive behind us and more energy and effort.”

In Area 5, Oak Mountain will go up against the likes of Hoover and Thompson, two of the preseason favorites in Class 7A, along with Tuscaloosa County.

“It’s just unreal to be able to play against those types of teams and coaches and athletes. We’re ready,” Burgess said.

Jags taking season one day at a time

Many have named the Spain Park High School volleyball team as one of the preseason favorites in Class 7A.

For good reason. The Jaguars put together the best season in school history in 2020, finishing as the state runner-up to crosstown rival Hoover. They also return many of the key players from that team and should be one of the top teams yet again.

But head coach Kellye Bowen is having none of it.

She knows what her team is capable of, but she is guarding heavily against losing the edge and hunger required to put together another great season.

“Our goal is to get one percent better every day,” Bowen said. “Wherever that lands us, it lands us. Our goal is to get better every single day.”

The conversation for Spain Park starts with Florida State University commit Audrey Rothman. Bowen believes Rothman is not only the top player in the state at the moment, but that “Audrey is one of the best players to ever play in Alabama high school volleyball.”

Emily Breazeale is another outside hitter who supplies Spain Park with plenty of offense as well. She stepped up in some of the biggest moments last year, including registering 19 kills in the semifinal win over McGill-Toolen.

Rothman is one of five seniors on the team. Paige Ingersoll is a versatile player Bowen believes is due for a breakout season. Olivia Myers is a middle blocker, while Brooke Gober and Bella Halyard can play multiple positions.

The rest of the varsity roster is composed of juniors. McKinney Shea, Brooklyn Allison, Lilly Johnson, Ashley Fowler, Macie Thompson, Haley Thompson and Nora Dawson will look to lift the Jags to another strong season.

Spain Park competes in Area 6 with Vestavia Hills, Hewitt-Trussville and Gadsden City.