Tverberg hopes local talent, physical roster can lead Patriots to playoffs
PHIL CAMPBELL — Northwest-Shoals Community College volleyball coach Susie Tverberg believes she’s built something different heading into this season: a roster stacked with local talent that, for the first time since the program’s reinstatement, doesn’t lack size.
Among them is 6-foot-2 Laila Hill, a Russellville High School product who Tverberg said is still discovering exactly what she does best on the court.
“When we can get her to do what she does well and not worry about what she can’t do well, then she plays like a whole other level,” Tverberg said. “We just need her to get that ball right down the line. That’s it.”
Hill isn’t the only newcomer expected to make an immediate impact. Tverberg pointed to Anna Simone, a middle blocker from Wilson High School who joins the Patriots after a standout senior season.
“She’s just so athletic, so good,” Tverberg said. “I think she’s really going to come in and have an impact.”
Jaylen Nicholas, a middle from Buckhorn High School, is another newcomer Tverberg is counting on for leadership as much as production.
The Patriots also added McKenzie Sears, a Muscle Shoals High School product who was recruited to play basketball in college but chose volleyball instead. Sears is the younger sister of former Trojan and current NBA player, Mark Sears.
“She just loves volleyball,” Tverberg said. “I think I was the only school that made her an offer in volleyball. That girl is insane in the weight room — she gives everything she’s got in anything we do. I’ve not seen a player like her in a long time.”
Perhaps the most compelling storyline on the roster belongs to Brylee Harrison, a 6-foot player from Brooks High School who spent her summer in military basic training after signing her scholarship with the Patriots.
Harrison’s training ran through Aug. 6. She returned home the next day and was back on the court the same week, adjusting to preseason workouts almost immediately.
“She had already signed her scholarship, and then she called me and told me she had really been praying about it, but she wanted to go into the military and still wanted to play ball,” Tverberg said. “I wondered how she would adjust, but she did fine. She’s so much stronger, both mentally and physically.”
Tverberg’s roster also leans heavily on returning talent. Addi Armstrong returns at outside hitter after a breakout sophomore season in which she developed a sharper offensive touch, according to her coach.
Libero Hilde Grisham, a Lauderdale County High School product who led the state in digs a season ago, also returns. Tori Raines, last year’s setter, is expected to shift into a defensive specialist role, while Ella Cantrell and Brittany Coffman, both entering their sophomore seasons, will anchor the right side and opposite positions.
Chloe May – a Central High School graduate – transferred in from Snead State Community College is a versatile addition capable of playing multiple positions, Tverberg said.
Overall, the roster that Tverberg has put together is deep in local ties — including several players who were high school rivals.
“That’s my joy of recruiting local kids,” Tverberg said. “There’s enough talent in this area that you can be competitive without having to go to Mobile or Birmingham to recruit kids.”
Northwest-Shoals finished 13th in the Alabama Community College Conference standings in 2025 – a result Tverberg called solid for a program still finding its footing.
Headed into a new year with a more physically gifted roster, Tverberg has high hopes for where the Patriots could end up if things go right this season.
“We have to block. We have to block, and we have to play in our system,” Tverberg said. “If our serve is on point and we get a good pass right off the bat, we’re much more effective. If we can do that, we’ll be able to compete with anybody we play.”
