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Submitted
From left to right, Briarwood Christian School volleyball seniors Colleen Lehane, Anna Reid Frost, Lindsey Butler, Caroline Jones and Stella Helms.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Briarwood’s Anna Reid Frost (3) rises to the ball at the net in a match against Gardendale at Briarwood Christian School on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Briarwood’s Stella Helms hits the ball in a match against Gardendale at Briarwood Christian School on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Briarwood’s Caroline Jones (4) gets low to keep the ball in play in a match against Gardendale at Briarwood Christian School on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Briarwood’s Lindsey Butler (6) sets up the ball in a match against Gardendale at Briarwood Christian School on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Briarwood’s Colleen Lehane (2) serves in a match against Helena at Briarwood Christian School on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
There is a shared opinion amongst the Briarwood Christian School volleyball seniors.
They think quite highly of their comedic abilities and believe everyone should be able to experience what the rest of the team hears on a daily basis.
“We are funny,” senior hitter Anna Reid Frost said confidently. “If you mic’d us up, you would laugh.”
Even their head coach, Carly Cline, can do nothing to counter that assertion. Along with Frost, Colleen Lehane, Stella Helms, Caroline Jones and Lindsey Butler keep things light on a daily basis.
“Each one has a great sense of humor,” said Cline, who has known the group since their junior high days. “I cry laughing at practice at least once a week.”
Several of them have played volleyball together in various capacities since third grade, so the familiarity is certainly there. Their bond has only strengthened over the years, and it is on full display each day at practices and in matches.
“We have very different personalities, but they all go together so well,” said Lehane, who moved to setter this season.
There is no telling what kind of jokes are told regularly in their group chat, but they also know when to flip the switch. Briarwood’s varsity volleyball team has put together an impressive season to date, finishing second in Class 6A, Area 8, and looking for a second consecutive regional tournament appearance.
“The fact that they all get along, they all love each other, they have a mutual respect, it has trickled down to all the other girls. That has made them be a better team than anyone expected them to be,” Cline said.
The team’s postseason fate hangs in the balance Wednesday afternoon, when the Lions play Helena at 4:45 p.m. at Pelham in the area tournament. A win in that match earns them a berth in the regional tournament next week. But there is reason to believe they are playing some of their best volleyball at the right time. They won the silver bracket championship at Homewood’s Margaret Blalock Tournament last weekend.
“We keep going up,” Jones said. “Usually, you’ll peak early and go down, but we’re still getting better every game.”
The players admit they were nervous heading to the regional tournament last fall, as they fell in the opening round.
“We will handle the pressure better this time,” said Frost, also Briarwood’s Homecoming Queen this fall.
They also say the improved crowds at home matches this year have gotten the Lions accustomed to playing in loud environments.
“When the whole school gets permission to watch you play, it’s so fun,” Butler said.
There have been plenty of milestones for this year’s senior group as well. Helms and Jones have surpassed 1,000 career digs, while Lehane is clear of 500 career assists.
When asked about the relationship amongst the five of them, the seniors exchange glances that seem to indicate their realization of the bond they share.
“I’ve never been so close to people,” Lehane said.
“I trust y’all,” Jones added.
“Things would be a lot different if we weren’t so close,” Frost said.
“It’s been one of my favorite seasons,” Helms said. “I have so much fun. I look forward to coming to practice.”
Briarwood has had three different varsity coaches in the four years the seniors have been in high school. Change hasn’t been easy, but it has certainly played a factor in bringing them together.
“It was hard to regroup,” Butler said of the most recent coaching change over the summer. “But coming out of that, we’ve grown really close.”
They have played different sports over the years. A few of them played basketball. Frost was a gymnast. Butler was on the track and field team at one time and lists show choir among her additional activities.
Four of them are headed to Auburn University next year, meaning they will keep trying to make people laugh a little longer. As for Helms, she’s still mulling her options.
During the senior night match last week, all five were on the court at the same time, something that doesn’t happen often because of rotations. Butler laughed and suggested they let the opponent score a few points in a row before ending the match because they enjoyed it so much.
“It was so fun,” she said.
They know they will miss playing with each other, but the 2023 season has been one that they will most certainly remember for their on-court production and off-court relationship.
“I love them so much,” Cline said.
