By Rubin E. Grant
Brooklyn Allison’s pass sailed toward the left end of the net where Audrey Rothman was waiting to strike.
Rothman went up and delivered a thunderous spike, then crumpled to the floor, where her jubilant Spain Park teammates rushed over to mob her.
Rothman, all 6 feet, 4 inches of her, had completed her mission to bring the Jaguars a state volleyball championship.
Her dramatic 24th kill was the final blow in the highly competitive Class 7A championship match, securing No. 1 Spain Park’s first state title against the No. 2 and legendary McGill-Toolen Catholic Dirty Dozen in a sweep, 26-24, 25-23, 25-23, in the 51st AHSAA Elite Eight state volleyball tournament last Thursday at Bill Harris Arena in Birmingham.
“Yeah, I knew it was over,” Rothman said matter-of-factly. “I just knew, like, this was a big moment and I needed to show right there and put that ball away.”
For Spain Park coach Kellye Bowen it was fitting that Rothman would be the one to deliver the decisive dagger.
“It was the prefect ending,” Bowen said. “The best player in the state put the final ball down.”
Rothman also delivered on a promise she made to Bowen after the Jags lost to the crosstown rival Hoover Bucs in the 2020 Class 7A final.
“Audrey told me, ‘Coach, we’re winning this next year,’” Bowen said.
Rothman, who is headed to Florida State, made sure of it, earning MVP honors. In addition to her 24 kills, she also had 12 digs showing her versatility from the back row and made an unbelievable, you-had-to-be-there-to-see-it save during a key sequence late in the second set.
The score was tied 22-22 when an errant Spain Park dig headed toward press row. Seemingly out of nowhere Rothman chased it down. Then in an incredible display of athleticism, she lunged over the table and got the ball back into play. The Jags eventually won the point and moments later the Jags secured a 25-23 set victory.
“It’s our standard,” Rothman said. “There’s nothing going through your mind other than it’s your responsibility to your team. Brooklyn had just made a phenomenal play and it was kind of on me because we really value playing for each other. I just knew I had to go get that ball.”
The Jags (47-4) trailed late in each set against the Dirty Dozen, winners of 21 state championships — the second most in state history — including consecutive Class 7A titles in 2017 and 2018. Spain Park was down 24-23 in the first set and 22-21 in the second and third sets, but they thrallied each time.
“We practice that every day,” Bowen said. “We practice being down, we practice facing adversity, how to overcome adversity. Practice prevailed today.”
While Rothman led the way, she had plenty of help in the final. Allison, a junior libero, had 14 digs, seven assists and two service aces. Junior outside hitter Emily Breazeale had 11 kills and seven digs. Junior setter Lilly Johnson tallied 22 assists and 12 digs and fellow setter Bella Halyard, a senior, had 10 assists and seven digs.
Breazeale, Allison and Johnson joined Rothman on the all-tournament team.
“They fought and they fought and I couldn’t be more proud, and honestly, I’m not shocked,” Bowen said. “It’s kind of a weird feeling. We did what we set out to do. I knew if we played our best game, nobody could beat us, and we proved that today.”
The Jags reached the final by sweeping Enterprise in the quarterfinals, 25-16, 25-22, 25-21, behind Rothman’s 25 kills and nine digs. Johnson and Halyard had 18 and 14 assists, respectively, and Allison had 12 digs. Breazeale added eight kills, four aces and two digs.
In the semifinals, Spain Park swept Sparkman 25-15, 25-10, 25-19 with Rothman recording 19 kills, five digs and two aces. Breazeale added 12 kills and 12 digs. Johnson tallied 18 assists and three digs. Halyard had 13 assists, four digs and three kills, and Allison had 12 digs.
McGill-Toolen (39-12) defeated Thompson 16-25, 25-14, 24-26, 25-18, 15-10 in the other semifinal, but the storied Dirty Dozen from Mobile couldn’t overcome the determined Jags.
Spain Park lost only one set in the postseason, when it eliminated Hoover 3-1 in the first round of the North Regional.
The Jags’ motto all season was “love, dominance and relentless energy.”
“We really do love each other,” Allison said. “I don’t think I’ve ever truly been around a team that can say we’re all best friends. Everybody knew their role and nobody had a problem with that role.”
Bowen said it was that camaraderie that brought Spain Park its first title.
“We’ve had some special groups and this group is really gritty and they played with a lot of guts,” Bowen said. “Plus, they love each other, and for that reason, they are probably one of my favorite teams, not just from a talent standpoint, but just their character.”
