Jags take new season one day at a time

Many have named the Spain Park High School volleyball team as one of the preseason favorites in Class 7A.

For good reason. The Jaguars put together the best season in school history in 2020, finishing as the state runner-up to crosstown rival Hoover. They also return many of the key players from that team and should be one of the top teams yet again.

But head coach Kellye Bowen is having none of it.

She knows what her team can accomplish, but she is guarding heavily against losing the edge and hunger required to put together another great season.

“Our goal is to get 1% better every day,” Bowen said. “Wherever that lands us, it lands us. Our goal is to get better every single day.”

Midway through last season, it looked as if Spain Park would not achieve its potential. The Jags were struggling to find consistency and did not perform well in their own tournament in September.

But they used that failure as a rallying cry and went on a tear to finish the season. During that time, the team learned lessons that Bowen wants to see carry over to this year.

“They learned how to compete on a daily level,” she said. “We had a group that pushed each other to compete for every ball, every play and would never give up, no matter what.”

Even though many of the critical players return, each team has a personality and a life of its own. This year’s will be no different.

“You just try to regroup, try to figure out who does well on the floor together and has the chemistry. Every year is a reset,” Bowen said.

The conversation for Spain Park starts with Florida State University commit Audrey Rothman. Bowen believes Rothman is not only the top player in the state at the moment, but that “Audrey is one of the best players to ever play in Alabama high school volleyball.”

“I don’t think she’s peaked; that’s what scary,” Bowen said of her top outside hitter. “She’s a very humble athlete who is driving to get better every day, and that’s what makes her great.”

Rothman will play indoor and beach volleyball at Florida State after putting the finishing touches on a phenomenal career at Spain Park. Over the summer, she played in the AHSAA North-South All-Star Game, which features the top rising seniors in the state.

Emily Breazeale is another outside hitter who supplies Spain Park with plenty of offense as well. She stepped up in some of the biggest moments last year, including registering 19 kills in the semifinal win over McGill-Toolen.

Rothman is one of five seniors on the team. Paige Ingersoll is a versatile player Bowen believes is due for a breakout season. Olivia Myers is a middle blocker, while Brooke Gober and Bella Halyard can play multiple positions.

The rest of the varsity roster is composed of juniors. McKinney Shea, Brooklyn Allison, Lilly Johnson, Ashley Fowler, Macie Thompson, Haley Thompson and Nora Dawson will look to lift the Jags to another strong season.

Spain Park competes in Area 6 with Vestavia Hills, Hewitt-Trussville and Gadsden City. In regular season action, the Jags play Homewood, Sparkman, Hoover, Thompson, Mountain Brook and Oak Mountain.

The Jags already have won the prestigious Juanita Boddie Tournament in Hoover and will travel to Orlando for a big tournament, host the HeffStrong Tournament and play in Homewood’s Blalock Tournament.

Editor's note: This article was updated on Aug. 25 to indicate the Jags won the Juanita Boddie Tournament at Hoover High School.