By Rubin E. Grant
Even though Spain Park volleyball coach Kellye Bowen has spoken little about the missing centerpiece of the 2021 Class 7A state championship team, senior outside hitter Emily Breazeale knew she would have to elevate her game if the Jaguars were to have any designs on repeating.
All-American Audrey Rothman graduated and took her immense talents and imposing 6-foot-4 figure to Florida State after leading the Jags to their first state volleyball championship.
“Honestly, we try not to talk about Audrey because this a new team and we needed to reset,” Bowen said.
But with Rothman gone, no one had to tell Breazeale the Jags would count on her more this season, despite the presence of seven other seniors, including libero Brooklyn Allison and setter Lilly Johnson, who were voted to the 2021 All-OTM team.
“I looked up to Audrey, but coming into this season, I knew I had to focus on doing what was best for the team and leading the younger players, making sure they understood the sacrifices we needed to make to do well,” Breazeale said.
For much of the season, Breazeale and her teammates were somewhat inconsistent, “up and down” as she described it.
But last week everything clicked for the Jags in the Class 7A, Area 6 tournament as Spain Park swept Hewitt-Trussville 25-10, 25-16, 25-18 and Oak Mountain 25-12, 25-9, 25-13 to claim the area title.
Spain Park (26-11) advanced to the North Super Regional and will play Sparkman (43-11) at 10:15 a.m. Thursday in Huntsville at the Von Braun Center. A victory will ensure the Jags of a berth in the Elite Eight state tournament Oct. 25-27 at the Birmingham CrossPlex and Bill Harris Arena.
Breazeale was dominant in the area tournament, recording nine kills, six digs and three blocks against Hewitt and 15 kills with a .464 hitting percentage and seven digs against Oak Mountain.
“Emily had one of her best nights of volleyball of the season,” Bowen said.
Breazeale agreed with her coach’s assessment but credited her teammates for her performance.
“I think having everybody on the same page pushed me to be better, and all of us fighting for each other made a difference,” Breazeale said.
For the season, the 5-foot-10 Breazeale has 438 kills, 207 digs, 32 blocks and 21 aces.
“She has a lot of athletic ability,” Bowen said. “She’s dynamic and does a lot of things other players can’t do. Even at her height, she’s explosive. She has done a great job for our program.”
A Transfer From Georgia
Breazeale didn’t arrive at Spain Park until her sophomore year, transferring from Etowah High School in Woodstock, Georgia. It was a seamless transition.
“I felt comfortable the whole time after transferring,” Breazeale said. “I clicked with a lot of the volleyball girls, so it was a positive transition.”
Breazeale established herself as a solid contributor, helping the Jags finish as Class 7A runners-up in 2020 and winning the 2021 title, earning all-tournament honors after tallying 31 kills and 21 digs in three Elite Eight games.
During the summer this year, she earned MVP honors in the AHSAA All-Star volleyball game while playing for the North squad.
She entered this season as one of the top seniors in the state after recording 484 kills, 258 digs and 61 aces as a junior. She has committed to the University of West Florida, which has one of the top NCAA Division II programs in the nation.
“I really wanted to play for a great program, be near the beach and in the South,” Breazeale said. “West Florida was exactly what I was looking for. I like the coaches and the players there.”
That’s next year. Right now, Breazeale is focused on winning another state championship.
“I believe in us a lot,” she said. “It’s a matter of getting the whole team to believe we can do it again.”
