Photo by Kyle Parmley.
Mountain Brook’s Sam Settle (5) and teammates celebrate during a match between Mountain Brook and Spanish Fort in August 2024, at Spartan Arena.
The players and coaches in the Mountain Brook High School volleyball program would almost rather forget how last season ended. Losing in the regional tournament is uncommon for a proud Spartans program.
But head coach Mattie Gardner has seen it fuel her players. The Spartans had won four of the previous five state championships before last season, and they would love nothing more than to return to the mountaintop this year.
“It motivated the returners,” Gardner said. “It gave them a renewed sense of drive and focus.”
The 2025 Spartans return six players and feature a roster that has embraced a different mindset. Gardner said the team’s maturity and leadership have grown significantly since last fall.
“What I’ve seen so far is a team that truly loves to be together,” she said. “It feels like a team of equals, not a team of hierarchy.”
Two seniors — Sam Settle and Elizabeth Lell — lead the way and have embraced that vision. Gardner said the group’s summer workouts focused not only on skills but also on communication and building genuine trust.
“In the past, the younger players often had the attitude, ‘I’ll just follow the lead of others,’ and now it’s, ‘Let’s do this together,’” she said. “The girls have talked a lot about their goals: being disciplined, building genuine relationships, having a role and fulfilling it.”
Settle and Lell are experienced varsity players set to lead the charge this fall. Settle plays in the middle, while Lell anchors the back row.
Junior Adele Moffatt played a key role on last year’s team and appears ready to take on the role of the Spartans’ top outside hitter.
Sullivan Lell has returned to the program and will be Mountain Brook’s libero this season. Lucy Comer is an up-and-coming outside hitter who headlines an impressive sophomore class.
While there are holes to fill, Gardner is confident the new contributors are prepared.
“Our bread and butter is ball control,” she said. “Serve, pass and ball control are the things we will excel at. That truly is our foundation.”
The Spartans’ schedule will test them all season. They open with the Juanita Boddie Tournament in Hoover, followed by the Nike Tournament of Champions in Gainesville, Florida, the next weekend. They will also compete in tournaments at Bayside Academy and Homewood.
Mountain Brook’s regular season also includes matches against Spanish Fort, Hewitt-Trussville, Thompson, Chelsea, Vestavia Hills, McGill-Toolen, Spain Park, Saraland, Hoover, Homewood, Briarwood and Jasper.
Gardner believes the Spartans have what it takes to get back where they belong. Having former head coaches Jackie Cox and Tien Le, along with experienced varsity assistants Erin Godwin and Alana Schouten, is also a positive for the program.
“The expectations don’t change,” she said. “The expectation is to win state. This team has a chance for significant growth over the course of the season. That will be fun and is what makes us dangerous, too.”
