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Photo by Erin Nelson
Mountain Brook’s Pippa Roy returns the ball in a championship doubles match with Annie Lacey against Altamont at the Pelham Tennis Center on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Mountain Brook’s Mary Neale Polk returns the ball in a championship doubles match with Mary Jackson Darnall against Altamont at the Pelham Tennis Center on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Mountain Brook’s Luke Schwefler returns the ball in a singles championship match against Homewood during the Class 6A tennis sectionals at the Pelham Tennis Center on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Mountain Brook’s Guy Mitchell returns the ball in a doubles match with Will Andress against Homewood during the Class 6A tennis sectionals at the Pelham Tennis Center on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Mountain Brook’s Mae Mae Lacey returns the ball in a championship doubles match with Ann Coleman against Altamont at the Pelham Tennis Center on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Mountain Brook’s Ann Coleman returns the ball in a championship doubles match with Mae Mae Lacey against Altamont at the Pelham Tennis Center on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Mountain Brook’s Annie Lacey returns the ball in a championship doubles match with Pippa Roy against Altamont at the Pelham Tennis Center on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.
Mentality and mindset often go hand in hand. For Mountain Brook High School’s boys and girls tennis teams, the mentality continues to prosper, as the Spartans have gained an incredible competitive edge over the past few years.
The girls team has secured six AHSAA state championships over the last seven years (the 2020 season was canceled). They swept the Class 6A competition in singles and doubles last season to win its most recent state title.
Last year’s championship brings the girls’ tennis championship total in program history to 32.
The boys team also dominated last season, winning a 6A state championship, the first since 2017 and 27th in program history. The boys avenged its 2022 runner-up finish and reclaimed the title. At state, they won eight out of the nine state championships in singles and doubles.
Records continue to be broken for Mountain Brook and its tennis program, especially with the seniors, who are aiming for another championship run to finish their high school careers.
Between the boys and girls teams, a total of eight seniors make up the roster.
Six seniors are carrying the way for the girls squad and two seniors are doing the same for the boys team.
Ann Coleman, Annie Lacey, Mae Mae Lacey, Guy Mitchell and Luke Schwefler are all senior team captains, while Pippa Roy, Mary Neale Polk and Liza Brewer are also critical members in the lineup.
Each senior player has developed and received notable attributes throughout their careers.
But there is more to it than simply stacking wins and breaking records. The players have created an environment of family that has a bigger impact on the game.
Mountain Brook tennis coach Susan Farlow said the sportsmanship of the game brings the team together.
“They play tournaments all their lives, but on a team, when you lose a match, it’s like, ‘that’s okay,’” she said. “Everybody’s just pulling for you and you go to another court and hope your teammates win their match because it all counts together.”
Mitchell comes into the 2023-24 season after not dropping a set through sectionals and state last spring. He was a combined 12-0 in singles and 14-0 in doubles play. He dominated at No. 4 singles and No. 3 doubles with partner Thomas Austin.
Mitchell said he gives credit to the team for its support, helping him stay in tune with the game.
“If you don’t fight to win everything, you’re not getting anything and you know, you'll have like maybe your mom or your dad watching,” Mitchell said. “So it’s definitely nice to have that team camaraderie during the season.”
Schwefler has been a force on the court. He earned the 2023 state runner-up at No. 1 singles and was the doubles state champion on the 1 line with partner Max Gayden.
Schwefler said he’s excited to see how the season unfolds for the boys. He believes it is the strongest team he's been part of at Mountain Brook.
“Yeah, we've got a really strong team this year,” Schwefler said. “So we're looking to go back to back, so we definitely have some good odds.”
Annie Lacey is entering her senior season as the No. 2 seed state champion in singles and No. 1 in doubles play with partner Roy. She was undefeated last season.
Lacey said being team captain along with her twin, Mae Mae, and Coleman has been a rewarding moment.
“I just always looked up to the captains every year. And so, I was really close with the captain, freshman year and sophomore year,” Annie Lacey said. “Like every year, I love the captain, so I was just kind of always waiting for my chance to be able to be that – I think it's really fun to be able to do that with my sister.”
Roy is another name that has become household over her years at Mountain Brook. She was a No. 1 singles state champion for the third consecutive year and at No. 1 doubles, also for the third straight year. Roy has signed to play collegiately at Creighton University.
With all the pressures that come from being a student and an athlete, Roy said she tries to minimize the stressors on the court.
“I think I put a lot of pressure on myself previously, but I've learned to just kind of realize that you know, there’s ups and downs in tennis, it’s not a straight line of improvement,” she said. “You just need to weather the storm and keep working hard for your moment, really, and a big win.”
Mae Mae Lacey has done plenty to help the Spartans succeed. Mae Mae and Annie have also been part of the dominant Mountain Brook volleyball program, helping the Spartans win the 2023 state championship.
Mae Mae Lacey was undefeated last season, winning singles and doubles state titles. She said the championships are the motivation to keep going, especially for all the seniors who started freshman year with a state title.
“But there's some pressure that comes with having to defend having won state, not even just last year, but I guess the past three years for the seniors,” Mae Mae Lacey said. “So there's some pressure but I feel like we don't see it as pressure. We just kind of see it as motivation to keep the streak going.”
Mary Neale Polk is another sure-fire player with the stats to back it up. Polk earned a singles state title and a doubles crown with Mary Jackson Darnall at No. 3.
The culture of any team is indicative of the style of play and for both Mountain Brook teams, that is what has been a vessel in their growth.
Polk said practices and tournaments are never an uptight situation, but more of a fun atmosphere where everyone genuinely wants everyone to succeed.
“When we're all together, we're having fun and it makes us want to try harder and just win for each other and not just ourselves,” Polk said.
In a similar way, Brewer credits the supporters for providing much of the needed adrenaline boost on the court, even in intense moments at the state tournament.
“That's why people cheering everyone on helps a lot. Everybody gets so into it and that's kind of awesome, especially at state,” Brewer said. “Everybody's cheering really loudly and it pumps everyone up. The vibes on the court are awesome and really exhilarating. There’s nothing that beats it.”
The Mountain Brook tennis season has recently begun, with the Spartans already notching match wins over the likes of Hewitt-Trussville, Albertville and Hoover. The season runs through late April, when the Spartans will set their sights on capturing a few more pieces of hardware for the trophy case.
