Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By SETH HAGAN | Special to the Reporter

ALABASTER ­– The Thompson volleyball program got their second top 10 win of their season Wednesday, Sept. 5 when they hosted the Spain Park Jaguars.

The Warriors came in ranked No. 7 in Class 7A while the Jags claimed the fourth spot, so it figured to be a tight contest, but Thompson played one of their best matches so far and took a 25-17, 25-14, 25-16 sweep in front of the home crowd.

“It was one of our most complete games of the year,” Thompson head coach Judy Green said.  “We were running around having fun. Our attackers put some great shots together, and our serve and our block tonight was impressive.”

The now 10-2 Warriors didn’t waste any time and jumped out to a big lead in the first set and never trailed. Thompson’s outside hitters Chloe Mittelstadt and Ella Southern dominated, racking up several kills each and played great defense at the net. Green was pleased with the play she saw, especially up front.

“Consistently, that’s what we get from Chloe,” Green said. “And Ella really hit the ball well and stroked it with that left hand tonight.”

Spain Park responded with a big run to start off the second set and took an early 9-4 lead. However, Thompson settled down and rode a comeback via the service line. Seniors Savannah Young and Bradli Davis gave the Warriors a huge boost, tallying several aces and throwing the Jaguar attack off with other attempts.

An 11-3 run flipped the momentum that would carry Thompson the rest of the match.

“Savannah and Bradli were amazing in the backcourt and at the service line and gave us long point runs,” Green said. “We work on serving every day. It’s like shooting free throws, and our ability to change speeds while serving is a huge plus for us.”

The third and final set was another solid all-around performance for the Warriors as they continued to dominate at the net and find their mark from the service spot.

After the game, Green spoke about stepping outside of their usual pregame routine and how it gave her players a spark.

“We changed our prematch routine, I think it gave them a chance to decompress from school,” Green said. “They took some free time, went outside, got some fresh air and we may have found something that can be positive for our team.”

Next up, Thompson will face Enterprise on Thursday, Sept 7 at 5 p.m. while Spain Park will head to Hewitt-Trussville on Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m.