Lady Spartans win 3rd straight title

The Mountain Brook High School girls tennis team knew it had the talent and experience to win its third consecutive Class 7A state tennis tournament.

But it wasn’t handed to the Lady Spartans on a platter. They had to earn it. 

“There was a lot of pressure because our section was so strong,” coach Susan Farlow said. 

Mountain Brook navigated that pressure at section and again at state to successfully pull off the three-peat, winning the state tournament on April 23 at the Jimmy Johns Tennis Complex. The Lady Spartans totaled 53 points and won six of the nine brackets. Vestavia Hills finished as the runner-up with 40 points.

In singles competition, Emma Karcher, Madison Jenkins, Liz Vandevelde and Warner Johnson all won titles. Karcher and Vandevelde won in No. 1 doubles, while Kate Jeffcoat and Sully Ferreira won the No. 3 doubles crown.

“I’m really proud of my team,” said Jeffcoat, who teamed up with Ferreira and defeated a Vestavia Hills duo 6-4, 6-2 in the final. “We have come a long way and we really had to work for this.”

Ferreira was the team’s lone senior and she lost just once the entire season in doubles. Jeffcoat didn’t join team until the middle of the season due to basketball and battled injuries as well.

“There was a lot of leadership on this team,” Farlow said.

Karcher and Vandevelde were the two players to win in singles and doubles competition. Karcher competed at No. 1 singles and won her final match 7-5, 6-3. Vandevelde won the No. 4 singles title with a 6-2, 7-5 win in the final. They defeated the top Vestavia Hills doubles pair 6-3, 6-1 to pull off the sweep.

Jenkins won her No. 3 singles final 6-1, 6-2, while Johnson picked up a 6-4, 6-2 victory in the No. 5 singles final. Charlotte Gillum was a finalist at No. 2 and May McInnis advanced to the semifinals at No. 6. Gillum and Jenkins paired up in No. 2 doubles and reached the semifinals.

“Once you get to state, anything can happen,” Farlow said. “It all depends on the draw. Our girls really competed well.”

Mountain Brook’s girls lost just once all season, to an elite program in Tennessee. But a victory over Vestavia Hills at state was no guarantee. The two times the teams met previously, Vestavia Hills earned wins at a combined six of the nine spots. 

“Not only did everyone work hard, but everyone worked together and it was a team thing,” Jeffcoat said.

Mountain Brook’s boys also made it to the state tournament and impressed with a third-place finish. Vestavia Hills won the title over Huntsville 38-36 in dramatic fashion, with the Spartans totaling 24 points, two clear of Auburn.

Considering that the boys team had lost to section foes Spain Park, Vestavia Hills and Hoover during the season, finishing second at the section tournament to qualify for state was considered a great accomplishment.

“They were so happy and really had a great tournament here,” Farlow said. “There’s some great competition here.”

Harrison Hitson made it to the final at No. 5 singles and the No. 2 pair of Elijah Barnes and William Watts also advanced to the finals. Watts, Zach Lewis and Brooks King were semifinalists in singles action. Lewis and Zach Shunnarah advanced to the semis in No. 1 doubles, while Sam Chitty and Drew Gresham did the same at No. 3.