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David Leong
Briarwood Christian Lion Leighton Hendley (10) reacts after a successful play during a Class 5A volleyball state championship semifinal match between Briarwood and Guntersville on Tues, Oct. 28, 2025, at the Birmingham Crossplex. Photo by David Leong.
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David Leong
Briarwood Christian Lion Julie Roberts (5) spikes the ball during a Class 5A volleyball state championship semifinal match between Briarwood and Guntersville on Tues, Oct. 28, 2025, at the Birmingham Crossplex. Photo by David Leong.
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David Leong
Spain Park Jaguar Madden Scott (4) serves the ball during a Class 6A volleyball state championship semifinal match between Spain Park and Hazel Green on Tues, Oct. 28, 2025, at the Birmingham Crossplex. Photo by David Leong.
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David Leong
Spain Park Jaguar Chloe Shumate (7) goes up for the block during a Class 6A volleyball state championship semifinal match between Spain Park and Hazel Green on Tues, Oct. 28, 2025, at the Birmingham Crossplex. Photo by David Leong.
With the high school volleyball season getting underway, many local teams participated in a preseason OTM Media Day at Hoover High School in August. Briarwood, Chelsea, Oak Mountain and Spain Park are among the teams looking for big 2026 seasons.
LIONS EXPECTED TO BE ONE OF TOP TEAMS IN NEW CLASS
The Briarwood volleyball team enters head coach Chris Camper's third year with a simple, if lofty, goal.
"I want them to be the best team ever put on the court at Briarwood," Camper said. "We just want to make sure that when we get to October, we're playing the best volleyball that we've ever played."
Two seniors, Peyton Gibbons (middle blocker) and Julie Roberts (pin), lead a group Camper said is the deepest he has had at Briarwood.
The Lions also return first-team All-South Metro setter Noelle Suellentrop, welcome Hazel Green transfer Lily Nelson and expect contributions from sixth-rotation outside hitter Helen Morrison and middle blocker Coley Barnes, even after losing last year's libero to a torn ACL.
Briarwood moves into a new classification this fall, but Camper said the schedule hasn't softened, with matches against Vestavia Hills, Hewitt-Trussville, Homewood and Mountain Brook, along with the Juanita Boddie Tournament against a full slate of public schools.
Jordan Camper, Stella Woods, Scarlett Freeman, Carsyn O'Quinn, Taylor Sanders, Leighton Hendley and Delaney Whitehead round out the varsity roster.
HORNETS EAGER TO BUILD
Three seniors were voted captains by the Chelsea this preseason: outside hitter Alexis Rudolph, right side Braylee Allen and defensive specialist Ashley Fritz. Head coach Jamie Gill said the trio brings a consistent standard.
"It's just good work ethic and leading by example," Gill said.
Rudolph said the team has rallied around a single word this preseason.
"We've had a team word this year and our team word is grit," Rudolph said.
Rudolph, a fourth-year varsity player who recently committed to New Orleans, led the offense last season, but Gill said balance matters more.
"We need a balanced offense in order for her to be effective, too," Gill said. "Contribution from everywhere and not necessarily just being outside heavy is going to be a key for us to have success."
Returning middle Chloe Owens and setters Anna Burnett and Sienna Arceneaux give Gill more pieces to work with.
Senior Lillian Chapman, who tore her ACL throwing javelin in the spring, won't play but remains a fixture at every practice.
"She is the one that hypes us up and she's been at every practice," Gill said. "And I think the girls have really embraced her role."
Fritz said the team's tight bond makes accountability easier.
"Pushing each other as well and keeping all of us accountable through hard moments too," Fritz said.
Sophie Garrard, Emerson Britt, Jordan Knight, Abbigail Price, Makenzie Moon, Layne Moller and Juliana Morrow round out the varsity roster.
EAGLES SETTLED AND READY TO COMPETE
Five seniors anchor Oak Mountain this fall under head coach Anna Claire Harris: Molly O'Dell (right side), Vivian Harris (libero), Alexis Heard (right side), Caroline Ohlson (outside) and Ally Ross (middle).
"This is the group that I've had the longest," Anna Claire Harris said. "I think that going into this last year for them is going to be really big on team growth with community. We have a lot of 10th graders and ninth graders this season, and so bridging that gap is going to be very big for them."
Coach Harris said the senior group's belief in each other stands out.
"Not one of them cares about themselves," she said. "That's what's been so enjoyable so far to see is that they genuinely just want to win."
"Common, well-known fact, volleyball is a game of errors," Harris said. "At the end of the day, who makes the least, that's who wins. If you're fulfilling your role, holding others accountable, then you have a solid base in which adversity comes and you can go back to that."
Team bonding at the annual Shrimp Fest tournament in Gulf Shores remains a highlight for the group.
Sophomores Makayla Bailey, Elizabeth Tillery, Brayden Bentley, Aubrey Williams, Hallie Kelly, Ella Tipton and Kaitlynn Turman, freshmen Ashley Fey, Maddie Ball and Ann Carlton Oxford and junior Bailey Lawyer round out a young roster.
JAGS CHASING WHAT GOT AWAY
Spain Park is chasing something it came within one match of reaching a year ago: an appearance in the state championship.
The Jaguars finished as South Regional runner-up, beat Hartselle in the first round of the state tournament, then fell to Hazel Green in the semifinals at the CrossPlex.
That near miss still fuels this year's group, according to sophomore libero Camdyn Kyes.
"I feel like that gives us more motivation because we didn't make it to where we wanted to make it," Kyes said. "But also, we are such a young team with so many great, amazing girls, and our team chemistry is unmatched."
Madden Scott is the lone senior among four players who lived through that postseason run.
"It's kind of crazy because I started with so many girls my freshman year, and now it's just me," Scott said.
Junior Chloe Shumate said the group is chasing the same goal this year.
Spain Park also moves up in classification this fall, a change head coach Justin Kisor welcomed.
"I just want to play the best, wherever, whenever," Kisor said. "It doesn't matter if I was a 1A, I'd want to play a 6A. I don't care."
Peyton Harrington, Abbi Jones, Anna Kate Sheffield, Emilie Taylor, Peyton Bohan, Maggie Cline, Mary Alice Dunn, Bailey Hubbard, Kenley Earls, Lynlee Franks, Sarah Latham and Kendall Hyde round out the varsity roster.
