Kyle Parmley
North Super Regional
Homewood's Andie Freedman instructs the server during the North Super Regional volleyball tournament on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, at Von Braun Center in Huntsville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
It remains to be seen what the Hewitt-Trussville High School volleyball team will look like this fall with Andie Freedman taking over as head coach.
But she certainly has big plans for her new program. Freedman has hit the ground running at Hewitt since taking over, after spending the last four years as the head coach at Homewood.
The energy she brings to the table has been contagious, and she has taken note of immense growth in her program over the spring and summer months. In the summer, particularly, the Huskies were challenged with matches at a few play dates and in the Over the Mountain Power League.
“What I saw in this team was they’re going to work hard,” Freedman said. “We competed every time we stepped on the court and competed well.”
That’s the main goal for Hewitt-Trussville this season: compete and work hard. Freedman believes with that mindset, a foundation will be laid that can be built upon.
When it comes to play on the court, Freedman’s focus is on first contact as the initial building block. Teams that can control the first contact and pass well can win any match, she said. Beyond that, progressing with the pace and connection of the offense and being a sound defensive team are keys as well.
On the outside, senior Madelyn Bromley enters her third year on the varsity team. Junior Reese Wolfe will contribute as an outside hitter, and versatile freshman Johnna Cox can play some in that position as well.
In the middle, senior Kennedy Vincent has the potential to be one of the team’s top players. Freedman said she has been a force at the net this summer as a blocker, and the Huskies are looking for her to be a more powerful offensive threat as well. She is joined in the middle by returning senior Jillian Schrecongost.
On the right side, Cox and juniors Emma Wright and Julia Stalls have garnered much of the playing time over the summer.
At setter, junior Anna Green has been on the team since her middle school days. Sophomore Kayleigh Nguyen and senior Layne Rutledge can set in addition to playing other positions.
Defensively, the battle to be the primary libero is ongoing, but multiple players have made their case to be in the mix. Senior Allie Claire Monski, freshman Christiana Callens and sophomore Presley Hull have made a strong impression on their coach. Reese Jackson is a back row player as well.
“It’s been a great competition over the summer, and all three have played really well,” Freedman said.
With the AHSAA’s most recent round of reclassification, Hewitt’s volleyball team will be in a five-team area the next two years, competing with Vestavia Hills, Huntsville, Grissom and Albertville.
Hewitt-Trussville will play each of its area foes once in the regular season, with the top two teams advancing out of the area tournament into the North Super Regional.
In September, the Huskies will host the Husky Challenge on Sept. 14, then play in Spain Park’s HeffStrong Tournament the following weekend. They also play in Homewood’s Margaret Blalock Tournament over Oct. 4-5.
