By Lee Davis
Any way you look at it, 2014 was a special year for Over the Mountain volleyball.
For the first time ever, area schools swept state championships in the top classifications. Mountain Brook claimed the title in the brand-new Class 7A, and John Carroll Catholic took the blue trophy in Class 6A.
Additionally, Hoover was a strong runner-up to the Lady Spartans in the Class 7A finals in the Elite Eight.
So there probably couldn’t be a better season to showcase the first Over the Mountain Journal All-Over the Mountain Volleyball Team.
The team was chosen by an exclusive poll of the Over the Mountain volleyball coaches.
A pair of junior outside hitters, Mountain Brook’s Sara Carr and John Carroll’s Kelsi Hobbs, were chosen Co-Players of the Year. The Lady Spartans’ Haven O’Quinn was named Coach of the Year.
Carr finished with 648 kills, 513 digs and 81 aces in helping lead Mountain Brook to its first-ever state crown in volleyball. Hobbs had 469 kills, 246 digs and 110 aces as the Lady Cavs also earned their first-ever volleyball top prize.
“It was an amazing year for volleyball in this area, and this is a great way to cap it off,” Hobbs said.
Joining Carr from Mountain Brook on the all-star squad are Sarah Chandler Mitchell, Abby Garrett and Julia Smith. In addition to Hobbs, John Carroll was represented by Morgan Adamson, Lucy Hart and Mary Catherine Hart.
Other members of the All-Over the Mountain team include Rachel Nix and Lauren Palmer, Briarwood; Kathryn Cather, Ali Lowe and Olivia Portera, Hoover; Savannah Francis and Cameron Rueschenberg, Oak Mountain; Jordan Nakayama, Spain Park; and Manon Burris, Vestavia Hills.
