Photo by Kyle Parmley
North Super Regional Volleyball
Hewitt-Trussville celebrates during the North Super Regional on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, at Finley Center in Hoover. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
A 36-year wait ended in October, when the Hewitt-Trussville High School volleyball team advanced to the Class 7A state tournament for the first time since 1989.
Now the challenge for the Huskies is turning last year's breakthrough into a springboard rather than a peak.
Hewitt-Trussville won the North Super Regional at the Finley Center to punch its ticket to the Birmingham CrossPlex, knocking off Hoover, Bob Jones and Austin to win the regional and knocking off Enterprise along the way before falling a few points shy of the state championship match. Head coach Andie Freedman guided that run and enters 2026 encouraged by what she has seen from her group this preseason.
"I'm loving the preseason vibe of this team," Freedman said. "I think that's actually one of our strengths this year, is our team chemistry."
The Huskies spent June and July working out, attending team camps and traveling to Foley for a multi-day playdate, all in an effort to build on last season's success.
A group of five seniors is tasked with setting the tone. Aleah Taylor returns in the middle after a breakout junior season, while Presley Hull and Harper Looney anchor the back row as defensive specialists. Setter Kayleigh Nguyen piled up 983 assists a season ago to earn first-team All-South Metro honors, and Jaden Padro rounds out the group after rejoining the program.
Looney was the Class 7A state tournament MVP this spring, as the Huskies won yet another state title. This will be her first season on varsity, and she said the carryover between sports has shaped her mentality on the court.
"Playing for each other was a big thing through last softball season for us," Looney said. “When something didn’t go our way, it was ‘What can I do for my team now?’”
Outside hitter Johnna Cox and libero Christiana Callens also return after each earning All-South Metro recognition last season, Cox with 466 kills and Callens with 544 digs. Sophomore Loren Purnell adds another proven piece after an honorable mention nod as a middle blocker.
Juniors Tenley Santiago and Hannah Osborne, sophomores Cooper Caradine and Arra Merchant, and freshman Sydney Lyle round out the varsity roster.
Freedman said she expects that experienced core, paired with the newcomers pushing for playing time, to keep the bar high.
"We've collectively set that standard and now we have agreed to hold each other to that standard," Freedman said.
The Huskies will again navigate one of the area's toughest gauntlets, in an area with Hoover, Tuscaloosa County and Vestavia Hills, but Freedman said the approach will stay fixed on process over outcome.
"We have a very tough area," Freedman said. "So, we can't be so hyper focused with the outcome, but more so about how we do things in our gym."
The Huskies opened the season Aug. 20 against Auburn before beginning to work through a schedule loaded with contenders like Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Spain Park and Mountain Brook. The Class 6A state tournament returns to the CrossPlex Oct. 29-30, with Hewitt-Trussville hoping to be back on that stage with more left to accomplish.
