Bucs cap off season in 7th straight state tournament
BIRMINGHAM – The Hoover High School volleyball team’s final match of the season summed up its season in a nutshell.
Hoover (34-15) gave Mountain Brook all it could handle in the Class 7A semifinals at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Wednesday afternoon, but the Bucs came out on the short end in four sets (21-25, 25-20, 22-25, 11-25).
“That’s probably the best we’ve played in maybe two or three weeks,” Hoover head coach Chris Camper said.
The fact that Hoover lost to Mountain Brook — which now heads to the final to face McGill-Toolen on Thursday — fails to tell the whole story. Hoover let opportunity slip in the first and third sets.
“I told them I’ve got a game plan that’s going to keep us in the match. All I need from you is 100% and to play for each other,” Camper recalled telling his team before the match.
It did and they did. Hoover jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the opening set but couldn’t hang on. The Bucs played a strong second set and won. They held a 21-19 edge in the third but also let that one get away. The fourth was a runaway train.
“The up-and-down is because we’re so young, so the rollercoaster’s been there all year,” Camper said.
In defeat, Hoover was led on offense by Rya McKinnon, who contributed 12 kills. Sydney Melton had 16 digs and Aly Durban tallied 37 assists. Durban and Laurel Burkhardt each had 10 digs, with Burkhardt registering eight kills as well. Melton had five kills, Mel Jones had four and McKinnon also put up six digs, one assist and four aces.
In the quarterfinal, played Wednesday morning, Hoover knocked off Enterprise in four sets (25-20, 25-16, 23-25, 25-16). In that match, McKinnon registered 23 kills and 20 digs. Gabbi Essix had 16 kills, while Melton had 10 kills and nine digs, Burkhardt had 17 digs and seven digs, Melton finished with 10 kills and nine digs, and Durban racked up 50 assists and 11 digs.
The appearance at the state tournament is Hoover’s seventh consecutive, a remarkable feat that has become commonplace for the Bucs’ program under Camper. Hoover has also won eight straight area championships without dropping an area match in that span.
“I’m proud of my girls, I’m proud of their effort,” Camper said. “I thought they played well. It’s the final four, there’s 28 teams at home. We’re not excited about getting to the final four because we’ve been here so much.”
The Bucs roster features three seniors in Burkhardt, Heather Hancock and Amelia Johnigan. The contributions of those three will be missed, Camper said, but the Bucs’ roster is equipped to be dangerous for the next few years.
“We’re excited about the future of this program, not just next year. We have an opportunity to continue what we’re doing,” Camper said.
Essix and McKinnon are two of the state’s top players and will be able to carry the load once again, as the Bucs aim to capture that elusive first state title.
“Winning a championship is about timing and matchups and health,” Camper said.
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