By Rubin E. Grant
Lauren Schuessler has spent her share of time bouncing around the volleyball court for the Oak Mountain Eagles.
She was a middle hitter as a freshman, a six-rotation outside as a sophomore and a setter as a junior.
She has played multiple roles this season, including setter and opposite, but she believes setter suits her best.
“I like playing setter, having control over the court and showing the leadership we have to have on the court,” Schuessler said. “Moving around the court has helped my volleyball IQ. Knowing all the positions allows me to know what it’s like to be in the shoes of my teammates, and that helps me be a better setter.”
Oak Mountain coach Grace Burgess likes the versatility the 5-foot-9 Schuessler brings to the team.
“Lauren is a competitor,” Burgess said. “She has an extremely high volleyball IQ and finds ways to score for her team. She is an athletic kid who can fill whatever role her team needs. Her teammates trust her to get the job done for us.”
Schuessler has played multiple sports throughout high school, including volleyball, basketball, softball and bowling. She plans on bowling and playing softball again this school year, but her future is in volleyball. She recently committed to Pensacola State College in Florida.
“I like the environment, the players, the coaches and the volleyball program especially,” Schuessler said.
This has been a season of self-discovery for Schuessler, following a junior year in which she recorded 238 digs, 152 kills, 26 blocks, 424 assists and 74 aces as a junior.
“It’s been different,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about myself, playing consistently and controlling my emotions.”
Schuessler is one of seven seniors on the team, joining Mabrey Whitehead, Emma Hawkins, Ella Pierce, Jenna Burson, Ava Heath and Saiya Patel. Whitehead, an outside hitter, has committed to play at the University of North Alabama, and Hawkins, another multi-sport athlete, has committed to play softball at Montevallo.
The seniors led the Eagles to a 27-14 record during the regular season, going undefeated (6-0) to win the Class 7A, Area 6 title.
Oak Mountain was 3-2 in the Margaret Blalock Tournament last weekend at Homewood, finishing 3-1 in pool play with 2-0 sweeps of Hartselle, Ramsay and Montgomery Catholic and a 2-1 loss to Briarwood before being swept 25-16, 25-20 by Vestavia Hills in the Gold Bracket quarterfinals. McGill-Toolen ended up winning the tournament championship.
Schuessler recorded 21 kills in the tournament.
Oak Mountain will host its area tournament Thursday. The Eagles will play Hewitt-Trussville at 4 p.m. and Spain Park will meet Chelsea at 5:30 p.m. The winners will meet in the championship match at 7 p.m.
The area champion and area runner-up will advance to the Class 7A North Super Regional Tournament Oct. 25-27 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville.
The Eagles advanced to the regional in 2022 but were eliminated in the first round. They are hoping for a better result this season, looking to earn a trip to the Elite Eight state tournament Oct. 31-Nov. 2 at the Birmingham Crossplex and Harris Arena.
“We’re a really close team,” Schuessler said. “Going into the postseason, we’ve got to keep steady, stay together as a team and play our game.
“It would be so cool to make it to the Elite Eight. It’s been a long time since Oak Mountain has done that. It would mean a lot for the senior class, knowing we left that as a goal for the younger class.”
