Photo by Kamp Fender.
Hoover’s Gabrielle Essix (15) and Rya McKinnon (9) attempt to block a spike during a Class 7A state tournament semifinal match against Bob Jones in October 2018. The Bucs lost some strong senior leadership from the 2018 squad, but junior Essix, a University of Florida commit, and McKinnon are both back after earning All-South Metro honors a year ago.
The Hoover High School volleyball program is in a unique position.
The championship window is open. And it should be open for a few years.
Some of the Bucs’ most talented and experienced players still have at least two more seasons in the black and orange.
“Last year started a run where we need to take advantage of this experience we have in young players,” said head coach Chris Camper, who has led the Bucs to the state tournament each of the last six seasons. “Having young, talented kids that we’ve had in the system, there’s no reason why they can’t go deep.”
Even with a team plagued by injuries last year, Hoover still reached the Class 7A semifinals, where it lost a tight five-set match to Bob Jones.
“The girls persevered all year and got through a lot, and it was probably one of the most fun teams we’ve ever had,” Camper said.
The Bucs lost some strong senior leadership from the 2018 squad, but junior Gabbi Essix, a University of Florida commit, and sophomore Rya McKinnon are both back after earning All-South Metro honors a year ago.
“If we can stay healthy and keep working hard to get better, we have all the reason to think we can get back there,” Camper said.
Providing that senior leadership for Hoover this fall will be Laurel Burkhardt and Heather Hancock. Burkhardt plays right and left side, while Hancock will compete for a defensive specialist position.
“The two seniors we have now are phenomenal people,” Camper said.
Juniors Essix and Melodie Jones will play in the middle along with Kayla Jemison. The Bucs will boast a tall roster, as all three players are over 6 feet tall.
Aly Durban is also a junior and will step in as a setter after being on the varsity team a season ago. Sophomore Baxley Downs is also a setter and earned playing time in the state tournament last fall.
Camper believes McKinnon, who has started for the Bucs since eighth grade, is one of the top two or three players in the state. Kayli Walls and Kendal Thornton, both sophomores, will join McKinnon on the outside.
On the back row, junior Eva Guenster played several matches in 2018 as the team’s libero and figures to do so again this fall. Hancock and freshman Peyton David, who Camper called an “amazing athlete” will also contribute defensively.
“There are also two or three sophomores on JV that are competing to come up,” Camper said. “We’re real young and the core of this team that you’ll see day in and day out are going to be here for two or three years.”
As a team, Camper said the Bucs will need to improve on ball control and passing if they are to reach their potential. But Hoover’s tall front line should translate into strengths in putting the ball down and blocking.
The Bucs will have no shortage of opportunities to test themselves, playing what Camper characterized as the “most difficult schedule” he’s ever assembled. Hoover plays home-and-home series with defending state champs McGill-Toolen (7A) and Jasper (5A), while also playing Bob Jones and Mountain Brook, the other two teams in the 7A final four last fall.
His players are ready for the challenge.
“That’s they want to do, is play great teams the whole year,” Camper said.
