Carr wins 2nd straight Player of the Year award
Following the Mountain Brook High School volleyball program’s fourth Class 7A state title in 2019, the Spartans were represented well on this year’s All-South Metro team. For the second consecutive year, outside hitter Grace Carr was named the overall and Offensive Player of the Year after another stellar campaign.
Vickie Nichols was also named Coach of the Year, as she led the Spartans to the title. Nichols took over the program following the Spartans’ three-peat of championships from 2014-16. Chelsea libero Victoria Schmer, an Alabama signee, is the Defensive Player of the Year.
1ST TEAM
- Outside hitter – Grace Carr, Mountain Brook, senior: finished a record-breaking career with a school record 713 kills in 2019, 583 digs, 86 aces and 53 blocks.
- Outside hitter – Rya McKinnon, Hoover, sophomore: has already amassed over 1,000 career kills and finished 2019 with 530 kills, 217 digs and 72 aces.
- Outside hitter – Paris Morris, Spain Park, senior: the UAH signee led the Jags’ offense with 445 kills, 117 digs and 77 aces.
- Outside hitter – Zoe LaBreche, Chelsea, senior: led the offensive charge for Chelsea, piling up 463 kills, 325 digs and 90 aces.
- Setter – Ann Vandevelde, Mountain Brook, senior: set a new single-season record at Mountain Brook with 1,767 assists, while also adding 478 digs, 32 aces and 44 blocks.
- Setter – Ainsley Schultz, Vestavia Hills, senior: the West Georgia signee was one of the area’s most versatile players, compiling 607 assists, 208 kills and 326 digs on the season.
- Libero/Defensive specialist – Victoria Schmer, Chelsea, senior: helped lead the Hornets to the state tournament for the second time in school history and amassed 716 digs, 70 assists and 87 aces.
- Libero/Defensive specialist – Liz Vandevelde, Mountain Brook, senior: piled up 622 digs and 13 aces as she finished her career with a title.
- Middle hitter – Gabbi Essix, Hoover, junior: the Florida commit registered 338 kills and 66 blocks on the year.
- Middle hitter – Olivia Brown, Homewood, sophomore: led the Patriots with 141 blocks on the year and was the team’s leader in kill percentage at over .350.
- Right side hitter – Mackenzie Yoakum, Homewood, sophomore: averaged over five kills per game for the Patriots and had 68 blocks for the season.
- Right side hitter – MK Fowlkes, Mountain Brook, senior: contributed 405 kills, 50 blocks and 59 digs for the Spartans.
2ND TEAM
- Outside hitter – Hope Wright, Chelsea, junior: contributed 323 kills and 324 digs for the Hornets’ strong offense.
- Outside hitter – Audrey Rothman, Spain Park, junior: the Florida State commit had 360 kills, 344 digs and 40 blocks.
- Outside hitter – Emma Crawford, Briarwood, junior: helped lead the Lions to super regionals with 166 kills on the season.
- Outside hitter – Laurel Burkhardt, Hoover, senior: the Sewanee commit registered 224 kills and 164 digs on the year while also playing on the right side.
- Setter – Bailey Drew McIntyre, Chelsea, senior: racked up 1,252 assists, 350 digs and 121 aces in the Hornets’ historic season.
- Setter – Jessica Veal, Spain Park, senior: racked up 1,021 assists in her final season to go along with 307 digs, 41 aces and 21 blocks.
- Libero/Defensive specialist – Audrey O’Brien, Briarwood, senior: the Samford signee registered 321 digs and 35 aces for the Lions.
- Libero/Defensive specialist – Maggie Gann, Vestavia Hills, senior: finished her Rebels career with 286 digs and 185 kills.
- Middle hitter – Josie Ohlson, Oak Mountain, senior: had 160 kills and 98 blocks for the Eagles.
- Middle hitter – Greer Golden, Mountain Brook, sophomore: contributed 311 kills and 113 blocks for the Spartans.
- Right side hitter – Amaya Rudolph, Chelsea, junior: put up 390 kills playing on the right side and outside throughout the season.
- Right side hitter – Angelica Vines, Vestavia Hills, sophomore: finished the season with 239 kills and 30 digs.
HONORABLE MENTION
- Middle hitter – Zoe Atkinson, Oak Mountain, senior; Savannah Gann, Vestavia Hills, freshman; Ansley Greer, Briarwood, junior; Hannah Hitson, Mountain Brook, sophomore.
- Setter – Aly Durban, Hoover, junior; Avery Fletcher, Oak Mountain, junior; Avery Rose Ochsenhirt, Briarwood, senior; Abby Wilson, Homewood, junior.
- Libero/Defensive specialist – Lexie Fowler, Spain Park, senior; Amelia Ragusa, John Carroll, junior; Emma Johnson, Homewood, junior; Madison Smith, Vestavia Hills, senior.
- Right side hitter – Jayni Thompson, Oak Mountain, sophomore
AWARDS
- Player of the Year: Grace Carr, Mountain Brook
- Offensive Player of the Year: Grace Carr, Mountain Brook
- Defensive Player of the Year: Victoria Schmer, Chelsea
- Coach of the Year: Vickie Nichols, Mountain Brook
- Starnes Publishing produces seven monthly newspapers, and members of the All-South Metro team include players from Briarwood, Chelsea, Oak Mountain, Hoover, Spain Park, Homewood, John Carroll, Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook. The team was compiled by the staff of Starnes Publishing in consultation with local coaches.