Recently, Bob Jones Volleyball competed in the statewide competition. They played three matches against Baker, Hoover, and McGill-Toolen in Birmingham, AL.

Their first match against Baker left the crowd worried when Bob Jones lost the first set 19-25. After a near perfect season, fans of Bob Jones volleyball feared maybe their team wouldn’t make it to finals, but in typical fashion, the players pulled through and managed to take the win. Throughout the next three sets, Bob Jones dominated and managed to keep the other team under twenty in each set.

That night, our lady Patriots played against Hoover in another tough match. Bob Jones had to push through five sets to take the win, losing the first set, then winning both the second and third, before losing the fourth, and finally taking the last set with 15-10.

The next morning, storms devastated the students hoping to catch the bus to Birmingham. The team lost in three sets to McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, and without much of a student section.

Head coach April Marsh said, “I feel like position for position on paper, we were outmatched, but I feel like, ya know, the last game we were ahead 23-22 and that they never quit and they did all that they could do. They gave them a run for their money and they tried as hard as they could and never gave up.”

96% of students polled at Bob Jones High School believe that the crowd has an impact on the athletes’ playing. When a crowd roars, it excites the players. Coach Marsh stated, “I feel (the crowd) does affect the momentum shifts. The crowd definitely gives off energy, and you know with the rain moving in and the bus being canceled, it wasn’t in our favor necessarily.”

Bob Jones may have lost the first chair seat, but the players continue to have positive views of the season. Defensive Specialist Michelle Davis said, “I’m so very proud of our team and how far we made it! Being the underdog brought us even closer as we (became) a team. In the finals, we knew that we would have to leave everything we had on the floor and fight through our last game. We came out strong and as a unit. We fought and came close in the end, but we were still winners at heart.” She also said that they never had any drama on the team and that the memories they made would last a lifetime. “I wouldn’t want to play with any other team of girls and we are all blessed to have such amazing coaches.”