By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

HOOVER – Thompson came into the 7A Area 5 volleyball tournament on Monday night, Oct. 19, at Hoover High School in a tough spot. Two of the top five teams in the state in class 7A were in the Lady Warriors’ area, and Thompson had to beat one of them to keep its season alive. The No. 3 team in the area, Thompson was matched up against Oak Mountain, the 7A No. 4 team in the state which had beaten Thompson handily in all three of the two squads’ earlier season matchups, winning the three matches by a combined score of 8-1.

However, the tide changed significantly in the area tournament as the Lady Warriors came out of the gate firing on all cylinders against a notably young Oak Mountain team. After jumping out to a two-set advantage via 25-13, 25-21 scores, Thompson seemed to be in the drivers’ seat. Oak Mountain however showed why it was one of the top teams in the state all season in the third set, staving off elimination with a 25-16 win. This was Thompson’s night, however, as the Lady Warriors finished the Lady Eagles off in the fourth set, 25-17 to clinch a spot in the North Super Regional Championships in Huntsville on Oct. 22.

Thompson head coach Judy Green was proud of the way her team responded in the face of elimination against Oak Mountain.

“I think the number one thing is that after watching us play Oak Mountain three times, Oak Mountain did the same thing every time,” Green said by phone on Oct. 20. “We changed our offensive approach before the match, we showed them where they were going to hit. We were very prepared. We had a plan and stuck to the plan, even after Oak Mountain made a surge and won the third (set).”

Green is something of a volleyball coaching legend in the state of Alabama, having been the head coach at the University of Montevallo, the University of Alabama and Birmingham-Southern before arriving at Thompson High School in the spring of 2015. Green has been around volleyball in the state for over 30 years, and believes the game as a whole is at its most competitive currently.

“Having been in the state and watching high school volleyball as long as I have, the level of competition is as high as it’s ever been,” she said. “It’s entertaining to watch.”

Thompson was beat in the area finals by Hoover, but advances to the North Super Regional Championship as the runner up in the area regardless. Now, to advance to the state tournament, all Thompson has to do is win the first match of the Regional Championship on Oct. 22. Standing in the way of that reality is a first-round matchup with Mountain Brook, the No. 1 team in the state.

“We’ve only played Mountain Brook once, on Sept. 1,” Green said. “We were without Milea Ray, who was coming off a bad ankle sprain. We were out of sorts, trying to figure ourselves out at that point. Everybody’s healthy now. We’re a different team.”

The North Super Regional Championship will take place completely on Oct. 22 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville. Thompson is set to play Mountain Brook at 10 a.m.