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Columbia hitter Brandi Oliver is the LCR’s Volleyball Player of the Year. (MANDI SLOAN/Special to the Reporter)
Brandi Oliver’s goals were lofty, even for someone of her athletic prowess.
The Columbia senior said she, her teammates and their coaches had their sights set on an achievement not seen at the school since 2012 — making it through districts and reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
That’s a tall order for a team that hadn’t finished with a winning record since 2017, a year before the Class of 2022 had gotten to campus.
But Oliver held onto her dreams.
“We had the right mindset through every single game,” she said.
Oliver had the right tools and right outcomes most of the time as well. She dominated area competition in key statistics. Her 274 kills led the area’s runner-up in that category by 105. She accounted for nearly half of the Tigers’ blocks with 106 on the year.
She can add one more accolade to that list as the LCR’s Volleyball Player of the Year.
“It feels incredible,” Oliver said of the title. “It encouraged me. It was breathtaking because I wouldn’t be where I’m at without pushing myself and practicing and just having that momentum every single day to do what I love.”
It was a fairly unusual season just to play through. The Columbia gym floor developed swelling in the hardwood and had to be torn out and replaced three weeks before the team’s home opener against Hamilton County. Oliver celebrated her Senior Night at the Richardson Sixth Grade Academy instead of the court she’d spent three years practicing, sweating and working her way to the top of the CHS pecking order on.
“It was really sudden for us,” Oliver said. “Moving to Richardson, it was complicated, trying to be on time through traffic and all.”
It should’ve thrown a group that values replication and routine through a loop. Instead, Oliver said the situation only pushed the team to new heights and set up the future of the program by allowing more time to scrimmage against the JV team.
“Letting us be more connected with JV improved us as a whole team instead of individuals,” she said.
Head coach Trudy Andrews said that mindset is exactly who Oliver is as a person.
“What you see is what you get,” Andrews said of Oliver. “She’s an awesome athlete, awesome leader, person, teammate. She cares about the girls on the court and off the court. She’s just an all-around great person.
“She’s a six-rotation player and can play anywhere that you ask her to play and do it well.”
That shows up in the range of Oliver’s achievements. Her 161 digs, while just fourth on the team, was a testament to the middle/outside hitter’s ability to rotate anywhere on the court that Andrews needed her. A lot of that effort in her defensive game has its roots in Andrews teaching Oliver new techniques throughout the offseason and in-season practices. Even if Oliver didn’t immediately feel comfortable playing in such spots, she knew that if it helped her team out, she was going to do it.
“I would say playing back row is (difficult),” Oliver said. “Being a front-row hitter all the time in games and not practicing passing a lot can get really difficult in a game.”
Through it all, Oliver was the centerpiece of a team that went on a roll throughout September, posting a 9-6 record on the month and putting her team in a great position to finish with the school’s first winning record in five years while also putting together a winning record against area rivals.
Oliver said the most important legacy she leaves isn’t just a list of gaudy numbers to be forgotten in a stat book.
“I know that who I am and how I was toward each of my teammates, I would say I left a good mark,” she said. “Being real close with them and always having that little bond with each and every single one of them, it just makes my day coming to practice and seeing everyone happy.”
ALL-AREA TEAM
OH/MH: Brandi Oliver
Columbia, senior
The LCR’s Volleyball Player of the Year dominated the area on the court, helping Columbia go 3-1 against Fort White, Suwannee and Branford. She led the area with 274 kills and 106 blocks while finishing second with 71 aces. Defensively, she also finished fourth on the team with 161 digs to help the Tigers (12-11) finish above .500 for the first time since 2017.
OH/MH: Rachel Smith
Suwannee, sophomore
Led the Bulldogs with 169 kills and 70 blocks. Also finished second on the team with 194 digs and added 43 aces.
RS: Jadyn Mosley
Branford, sophomore
Led the Buccaneers to a district title with team highs of 124 kills and 49 aces. She was also third on the team with 130 digs.
S/RS: Danielle Thomson
Columbia, senior
Led the area with 75 aces while leading the team with 411 assists. She did a bit of everything for the Tigers, finishing third on the team with 177 digs while adding 50 kills.
S: Andi Sabourin
Branford, freshman
Led the area with 414 assists and was second on the team with 197 digs. She also chipped in with 23 aces and 16 kills.
DS/L: Halleigh Ray Harris
Branford, senior
Led the area with 267 digs. Also added 40 assists and 20 aces.
Mendy Sikes
Coach of the Year, Branford
Led the Buccaneers to a 12-7 record and the District 5-1A championship, which they won with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Lafayette. It clinched Branford’s second playoff appearance in the last three seasons, with Sikes’ group falling to Bell in the regional semifinals.