Birmingham, AL – Spring Garden is awakening of the 2007-08 season with the second state volleyball title. Panthers will attempt to secure another crown to their collection for the basketball season.
State volleyball team pairings
BIRMINGHAM Crossplex
CLASS 6A
Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.
Bayside Academy def. Oxford, 3-0
CLASS 5A
Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.
Alexandria def. Rehobeth, 3-0
Arab def. Alexandria, 3-2 (Semifinals)
CLASS 4A
Wednesday, 9 a.m.
UMS Wright def. Cherokee County, 3-0
CLASS 3A
Tuesday, 9 a.m.
Mobile Christian def. Glencoe, 3-0
Plainview defeats. Wellborn, 3-0
CLASS 2A
Tuesday at noon
Pleasant Valley def. Wicksburg, 3-1
Pleasant Valley def. Washington County, 3-0 (Semifinals)
G.W. Long def. Donoho, 3-1
Wednesday
Pleasant Valley def. Sand Rock, 3-0
CLASS 1A
Wednesday, noon
Spring Garden def. Faith Christian Faith Christian, 3-0
Spring Garden def. Addison, 3-0 (Semifinals)
Thursday
Spring Garden def. University Charter, 3-0 (Championship)
Joe Medley Joe Medley
In the range of “Just a Girl in the Garden” to the “Garden GRIT” shirts Spring Garden’s volleyball team were wearing during warm-ups to play in the state final on Thursday The slogan shirts provide a narrative for Spring Garden girls who play sport.
They must keep coming in with fresh slogans as they continue to add to their success stories, and Ricky Austin has coached for many of the time.
The Panthers added their second state volleyball championship and their first title since 2007 winning University Charter 25-12, 26-24 25-11, 26-24 in Bill Harris Arena. Austin was the coach of the 2007 champion as well as the newest champions.
He coached the final 7 of the Spring Garden’s state championships in girls basketball, so please forgive him for slipping between past and present. The entire thing is inside his brain as well as a collection of Xs and Os, reports on scouting and motivational phrases.
The man who’s message to live in the present and slipped into the realm of talking about history Wednesday night, as his most recent Spring Garden volleyball match was able to rid itself of many a painful history against Addison in the finals.
He was reminded about Paige Anderson and crew and the 2007-08 school season, where eight basketball players assisted him to put Spring Garden volleyball on the blue map for three months prior to adding the third blue basketball map to his wristwatch.
It’s starting to feel like … the 2007-08 period, Austin told me on Wednesday. Austin felt it and he admitted it.
“I felt a bit anxious when I said that however, I’m having the same feeling about this group,” Austin said.
Spring Garden took home their second consecutive state volleyball championship with a roster of nine players from the basketball team. It also includes the daughter of Ace Austin, undoubtedly Spring Garden’s most influential woman athlete after Anderson.
Do you know the point guard that has all those offers from major colleges?
Heck after seeing a the 5-foot-8 junior scream from the floor with 26 low-speed kills in an MVP performance Thursday why should she not be the first point guard who can handle jump shots?
The reason is that the 6-1 center Chloe Rule can handle that exactly the same way as she blocks volleyball nets. That’s why.
There’s a reason for everything. If Austin can think of that his crossovers from 2007-08 went there and received the t-shirts and he could give reasons that the 2023-24 parallels could do the similar. All they need to do is be repeat Class 1A state basketball champions that seemed more likely heading into this year’s school year than winning a volleyball state championship.
The feeling of the past was evident throughout the Spring Garden crowd in the Bill Harris Area on Thursday. Many of Austin’s champions from the all-season from 2007-08 accompanied the match according to the coach.
“If there wasn’t (there) the person has already messaged me this morning,” he said.
The belief that a tradition like Spring Garden’s has an advantage to the Panthers take the lead in the opening set. It allowed them to take on the challenge of University Charter in the second set winning the final six points of the set winning the set 26-24.
The third set appeared similar to the first set in addition, Garden GRIT grew another championship.
This isn’t a time just to cross-check the lines. Libero Layla Ingram, who has joined Austin, Rule and Avery Steward on the all-tournament squad, now has something that her basketball teammates are sporting.
“The basketball girls always had a ring and I was aware of this sport was a good one,” Ingram said. “I wanted an ring, as well, and I was sure that this group would achieve it.”
Austin says the volleyball season is focused on volleyball. There was no basketball practice.
Although Thursday was the first time the AHSAA allowed basketball teams to play in the regular season, Austin said he plans to help the team get ready for the next title hunt. Austin hopes that they will enjoy the winning the title they recently taken.
“They’re exhausted,” he said. “I’ll recognize when they’re more interested than me, it’s the time to make more effort for them.
“For now the 2023-24 team has the first gem in the crown of doubles. Do we hear of a triple crown for softball players?
The Panthers haven’t received the shirt however they’ve been around. They’ve been a regular at state tournaments, along with “Girls on the Green” have a method of knocking doors down once they’ve knocked enough.
There’s something about this Garden GRIT and this group is sporting the T-shirt.
“I cannot really speak to anything other than it’s an amazing group who’s arrived in the right moment,” Austin said. “I’m grateful to crossed by theirs. I’m just riding with them.”
Updates to the match
FIRST Set
Back and again 10-10.
Four points in consecutive games for SG to lead 14-10. Timeout, UCA. All of these points were a result of Ace Austin hits, one UCA blocked out of the bounds of.
The SG team has run nine straight, leading 19-10. Maggie Jarrett serving through the run.
The SG team wins 25-12 and leads by 1-0. Warning: Austin is in beast mode, with 16 attempts at attacking as well as nine kills.
SECOND Set
UCA is gaining steam, leading 8-3 when SG announces a timeout. Austin has taken several hits outside of the bounds.
An Austin hit ends an UCA streak. SG leads 11-4.
Four points for SG and he is trailing 11-7.
Set has been become more slack … 17-15 UCA. SG serving.
Austin converts a slow ball over the net into an attempt to tie it 17-17. Timeout, UCA.
A hit from the -Chloe Rule block the block gives SG an advantage of 18-17.
Three UCA points in a row, leading 20-18. SG timeout.
Down 24-20, SG rallies to within the 24-23. Timeout, UCA.
-SG beats set 26-24 scoring six more points in the final stretch and leads by 2-0.
THIRD Set
-SG is off to a 5-1 start. Kristen Lewis with an ace in her backline.
Make the score 9-2. SG.
A Chloe kill puts it at 10-4.
Olivia lays in Olivia lays down the Law … 13-6.
Ace with a slam. 17-9.
Ace hits another 19-10.
Ace slams into ACA hands and onto the official’s face is smashed, 20-10. Timeout, UCA.
-Ace, merciless, 21-10.
-Chloe kill, 22-10.
Ace too much 23-10.
-Ace again, 24-10.
-” Final: Sweep you very thank you! SG takes the third set 25-11, and takes home the their second state championship, and the first since 2007. Ace Austin is MVP with 26 kills.
