Point proven: Spartans pull off 3-peat
BIRMINGHAM – They had a point to prove.
Despite being the two-time reigning state champions, the Mountain Brook High School volleyball team didn’t enter the season with the most fanfare nor expectations of winning a third straight title. The Spartans shared that preseason love with a few other programs.
The players noticed and were eager to reclaim the spotlight.
They did just that. By the end of the season, the Spartans hogged the trophy and all the hype once again.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mountain Brook capped off yet another tremendous season, blowing past St. Paul’s in straight sets, 3-0, in the Class 6A state final at Bill Harris Arena in Birmingham.
“We played teams in 6A all year and in the back of my head was this thought that we are supposed to be No. 1,” state tournament MVP Greer Golden said. “We were meant to be in the championship no matter where we were ranked. That fueled us.”
It was Mountain Brook’s third straight state title, its sixth in eight years and the second time the Spartans have achieved a three-peat.
“We all wanted to win so badly. There was nothing that was going to stop us,” Lucy Redden said.
Mountain Brook (43-12) graduated several key seniors from last year’s squad and faced a coaching change. Instead of those being hindrances, it allowed new people to shine.
Seniors Hannah Hitson and Golden provided leadership and guidance, having been major contributors for multiple seasons. The likes of Redden and Alexandra Carlson — the team’s other two seniors — stepped into big roles this season and starred.
In the final, Golden led Mountain Brook’s attack with 13 kills and was named the MVP of the state tournament.
“I was really happy to be named that,” she said. “I’ve had four really good years on this team. Ever since I was a freshman, I’ve loved these girls and I’ve fallen in love with the sport.”
Mattie Gardner stepped up from assistant coach to head coach and helped the Spartans navigate a challenging area and tough schedule.
“It’s so exciting,” Gardner said. “It’s very little of my effort and it is a lot of these girls and our school, our students, administration and staff. I am surrounded by incredible people who support me.”
Gardner was a part of the last two titles as an assistant to Vickie Nichols and lauded this year’s team because of every player’s ability to step into a role.
“They’re unique because every person contributes,” Gardner said. “We’re not a team of heroes. We don’t need one or two heroes to come out of the blue and play out of their mind. I just need all 15 of my girls to play the way they know how.”
In Wednesday’s match, the Spartans dominated the first and third sets, but had to rally to pull off the second set win. In the opening set, they jumped out to a 13-4 lead and cruised to a 25-17 win. They trailed 23-21 in the second set before coming back and winning 27-25.
“We kind of slowed down [in the second set], but we got together and said we cannot let up at all. We got back into that mindset of winning every point,” setter Hannah Parant said.
The third set was all Mountain Brook in a 25-19 win.
The Spartans lived out their coach’s words in the final, getting contributions from everyone. Redden finished the match with 7 kills, followed closely by Hitson’s 6 kills and Sims Kilgore’s 5. Alice Garzon added 4 kills as well.
Parant directed the offense with 27 assists and added 10 digs. Carlson finished the day with 7 digs and 3 assists. Addie Holden had 6 digs, Anna Frances Adams tallied 5 digs and Redden and Paige Parant finished with 3 digs.
St. Paul's (45-10) was paced by Rachel Bell. She had 9 kills and 7 digs. Hannah Pearce also had 7 kills and Peyton Hass finished with 19 assists and 9 digs.
Having the experience from previous years in the state championship match, which is played on center stage with loud crowds, served the Spartans well.
“The environment is so different and the crowd is 10 times bigger,” Redden said. “You know the court and know how the excitement is growing each set.”
The Spartans won two matches Tuesday to earn their way into the final. They breezed past St. James 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-9) and fended off an intense challenge from Homewood 3-2 (25-16, 17-25, 18-25, 25-21, 15-7).
“All five games were really hard [against Homewood],” Hannah Parant said. “We fought as hard as we have all season.”
Mountain Brook swept the competition at the 6A North Regional. The Spartans took down Southside-Gadsden 3-0 in the opening round, before blowing away Cullman in three sets as well. The following day, Mountain Brook beat Hazel Green 3-1, then took the regional title in a 3-0 win over Athens.
The Spartans were perfect in Area 9 play throughout the season and won the area tournament in similar fashion.