Olivia Guenster (1) has helped anchor a solid defense for the Bucs as she surpassed 1,000 digs for her career.By Rubin E. Grant
Third-year Hoover volleyball coach Amanda Wood tries not to look too far ahead.
So, even with nine seniors returning from a team that reached the Class 7A semifinals in 2023, she didn’t enter this season with the expectation of another trip to the Elite Eight and winning it all this time around.
“The expectation was just to compete every day in practice and in games and develop a deep bench so we could make adjustments when we needed to,” Wood said.
The Bucs were inconsistent early in the season but have the look of a state championship contender now. They were ranked No. 3 behind McGill-Toolen and Bob Jones — two teams they beat during the regular season — in the final Class 7A Alabama Sportswriter Association poll of the season.
“There’s been a lot of positives, a lot of growth and a lot of hard work,” Wood said.
Hoover closed the regular season with a 35-9 record, after going 4-1 in the Shrimp Festival Invitational last weekend at Gulf Shores. They were eliminated in the tournament quarterfinals by Spanish Fort.
Senior defensive specialist Olivia Guenster believes the Bucs are ready for the postseason.
“We had a bumpy start but really reached our stride as the season went on,” Guenster said. “We had some amazing wins and were playing in sync very well. We’ve had some recent challenges, but nothing we can’t work through.”
Guenster helped anchor a solid defense for the Bucs as she surpassed 1,000 digs for her career.
“I feel like I’m a consistent contributor and my real strength is ball control,” Guenster said. “If we can keep the ball in play, I feel we’ve got a chance to win the point.”
Senior libero Sydney Durban is another player who keeps the ball in play, recording more than 1,500 digs in her career. She is committed to the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Guenster and Durban are joined by seven other seniors: Addison Bentley, Layla Smith, Sophia Shofner, Amelia Browne, Madi Lopez, Madeline Splawn and Kayla Terrell.
“It’s been really special,” Guenster said of being on a senior-ladened team. “Most of us have played together since middle school, and we know each other really well. We all have grown so close together and we all love each other.”
Hoover opens the postseason Wednesday when they take on Thompson in the Class 7A, Area 6 tournament semifinals at Oak Mountain. The Bucs beat the Warriors 3-0 in their only meeting this season.
A victory against Thompson would earn Hoover a spot in the area championship game and clinch a berth in the North Super Regional Tournament October 23-25.
The Super Regional will be played at the Finley Center at the Hoover Met Complex after being moved from the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, where it had been held since the beginning of the Super Regional format for volleyball in 2014.
“I’m excited to see what it will look like,” Wood said. “I’ve only known super regionals at the Von Braun Center.”
Even though the Super Regional will be nearby, Wood hopes her team just stays in the moment.
“Our main concern is competing and not worrying about the end result,” Wood said. “We can’t overlook the area tournament.”
The state tournament is scheduled for Oct. 29-31 at the Birmingham CrossPlex/Bill Harris Arena.
“I believe we have what it takes to win state,” Guenster said. “If we focus on winning each point, take it day by day and keep working, anything can happen.”
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