Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Mountain Brook’s Mae Mae Beatty (3) hits the ball in the Class 6A state championship match against Saraland at Bill Harris Arena in November 2023.
This year has been a bit of a different story than last year for Mae Mae Beatty and the Mountain Brook High School volleyball team.
The goals entering 2023 were straightforward. The Spartans were disappointed after a state tournament exit the season prior, began the year with an experienced roster and knew exactly what was ahead of them.
Mountain Brook took care of business much of the 2023 season, with the campaign culminating in the program’s fourth state championship in five years.
Growing pains were expected this season.
“Just because we won [state] doesn’t mean we automatically win again,” Beatty said. “Our work ethic has to increase to where it was last year.”
This year, Beatty and the team’s other two seniors — Ella Kate Wright and Grace Stewart — have had a bit of a different task ahead. They are the elder statesmen on a roster that is not necessarily young in age, but certainly did not enter the year with a wealth of experience.
“We have a really good bond because we’ve all grown up together,” Beatty said of the seniors’ relationship. “We went to elementary school together, so we’re all really close. We’ve been great friends and we get along really well on the court.”
Beatty, who recently committed to the University of Montevallo to play for former Mountain Brook coach Haven O’Quinn, has been recognized as a strong outside hitter throughout the last few years.
Wright developed into one of the state’s top liberos last year, while Stewart is getting her first real opportunity this fall to be the Spartans’ primary setter. She has taken the reins after the graduation of Hannah Parant, who was a four-year starter and is now playing at the University of Alabama.
Stewart, a Wofford University commit, has stepped right in and played well.
“Grace set last year in practice all the time, and she knew the tempo that she’s supposed to set,” Beatty said. “It hasn’t changed the standard and she’s kept [the level] the same.”
As for her own game, Beatty has taken an immense amount of pride in being more than just an offensive weapon. She plays all six rotations for the Spartans, meaning her passing from the back row is an important element of her game.
Beatty believes her serve receive has improved, along with her leadership capabilities. She did not find the confidence to make her voice heard much until last season, when she stepped up and had a strong junior year.
To people who know her, Beatty has two different sides to her personality. Off the court, she possesses a disarming, dry sense of humor. But when she steps between the lines, there are no jokes. Her intensity becomes evident, a trait that implores teammates while sometimes irritating opponents.
“I don’t like to lose. I can’t stand it. I will make sure my team wins, and sometimes I’ll use my voice,” she said.
The trajectory of the 2024 Spartans may look a little different, but the objectives are the same. Head coach Mattie Gardner made note of that at a preseason media day event, stating that a state championship was still the goal for this team.
The Spartans are favored to win their area tournament. A trip to the North Super Regional tournament in Huntsville awaits Oct. 23-24. The state tournament would be the following week at the Birmingham CrossPlex, a familiar setting for the Mountain Brook program.
“We still have the same goal as last year,” Beatty said.
