Spartans down McGill-Toolen, face chance at three-peat
The two-time defending state champions weren’t supposed to be here.
Or at least that’s what they told themselves.
Whether or not outside perception matches the emotion in the locker room, the Mountain Brook High School volleyball team pulled off an impressive day at the Class 7A AHSAA State Volleyball Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex, capped off by a 3-1 win over McGill-Toolen, widely regarded as the top team in the state.
"(Advancing to the state final this year is) better than ever, because we weren’t supposed to do this,” Mountain Brook head coach Haven O’Quinn said. “This is sweet. This is my fifth season at Mountain Brook, and that win right there is hands down the best win Mountain Brook volleyball has had since I’ve been here, because we weren’t supposed to do it.”
Mountain Brook (43-8) put the final touches on the McGill match by winning the final two sets and finishing off the match, 25-20, 24-26, 28-26, 25-20.
The win sets up a match with local rival Hoover, who the Spartans also met in the 2014 state final and have defeated three out of four previous meetings this season. The Bucs are playing some of their best volleyball of the year currently.
“They’re going to be a force to be reckoned with tomorrow,” O’Quinn said.
Thursday’s state final is set for 2 p.m. inside Bill Harris Arena, adjacent to the Birmingham CrossPlex. Mountain Brook is aiming for the three-peat of state championships. It will also be the final matches of the careers of seniors Emmy Kilgore, Caroline Davies and Ellie Ritter.
“For these three and everything they’ve put in and the fact that they weren’t supposed to be here,” O’Quinn said. “They were an intricate part of the last state championships and I don’t think they were given the credit.”
Kilgore added, “Tomorrow is a bittersweet moment. We really want it.”
Mountain Brook made quick work of Murphy in the Class 7A quarterfinals on Wednesday morning.
The Spartans were awake and alert from the opening point, sweeping the match 3-0 (25-10, 25-21, 25-13).
“Our girls are designed to shine in these moments,” O’Quinn said. “They really buy into the process.”
“What I love about this team is that this is just such a good team,” O’Quinn said. “When the ball is distributed, it takes everybody on the court, it’s not one or two people that need to touch the ball. We need all six.”