Photo by David Leong
Mountain Brook's Sam Settle (5) taps the ball over the net during a matchup between the Spartans and Vestavia Hills on Sept. 9 at Braasch-Hatchett Court.
The Mountain Brook High School volleyball team is making steady progress as the season moves forward, blending a fun-loving personality with a drive to compete at a high level.
Coach Mattie Gardner said her players’ chemistry is their greatest strength.
“They are goofy and fun loving and just really fun to be around. They're just genuinely good people, and they care so deeply about how they perform because they want to do so well for their teammates,” Gardner said.
In some ways, that deep bond sometimes works against the players, especially when there is a tough stretch.
“When they're not playing well, they feel like they're letting their team down. And then they can begin to lose some self-confidence, because they just want to do so well for each other.”
Mountain Brook is a team on a mission this fall, determined to reach its potential and make a return to the Class 6A state tournament.
The Spartans are guided by two seniors, Sam Settle and Elizabeth Lell, who set the tone for their teammates.
“They are so good at seeing the value in their teammates,” Gardner said. “We need each one of these players and we need them to be confident in what they can do on the court. I feel like the younger girls feel that from them, and that helps them.”
Another key contributor has been libero Sullivan Lell, who returned to the program this season and recently committed to the University of Southern Mississippi.
“It's been great to have her back in the program,” Gardner said.
The Spartans really challenged themselves in the early portion of the season, playing top-tier competition in the Juanita Boddie Tournament in Hoover, the Nike Tournament of Champions in Gainesville, Florida, and the Battle by the Bay tournament in Daphne.
One regular season match in particular gave Gardner a glimpse of what the Spartans can become, a four-set win over a strong 7A Hewitt-Trussville team.
“That was when I got my very first glimpse of the potential of this team, because we really stepped up to the plate and really cleaned up our play, and they were able to keep an aggressive mindset,” she said. “Be the aggressor, be fearless, go for the win — not wait for something to happen to the other team.”
For Gardner, the path to success will be gradual, not sudden. She believes the Spartans will be on a gradual ascent for the entire season.
“We're not going to be a team that's going to spike all of a sudden,” she said. “We will be steadily improving and I think we'll still be on that trajectory by the time the state tournament comes up.”
The goal is clear, and the coach believes in her team’s potential.
“I want us to get there. I think we can,” Gardner said. “I just need them to believe it as much as I do.”
Mountain Brook should win its area tournament and play in the Class 6A North Regional, held at the Finley Center in Hoover, Oct. 23-24. The Spartans will look to advance to the state tournament the following week at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
