Photo courtesy of Carver High School.
The Vestavia Hills High School girls soccer team
The Vestavia Hills High School girls soccer team took part in a preseason media day event at Carver High School on Jan. 7.
A new era begins for the boys soccer program at Vestavia Hills High School as David Di Piazza takes over the Rebels, and the girls team is returning from a state championship last year with a new head coach at the helm.
Di Piazza arrives from Oak Mountain, where he guided the Eagles to a runner-up finish in the Class 7A state playoffs last season. That 2-1 loss to Montgomery Academy snapped Oak Mountain’s 60-match unbeaten streak and ended a remarkable stretch of 49 consecutive wins that included the 2024 state championship, Di Piazza’s third title at the school.
Across his career, Di Piazza has amassed 547 victories, including four Class 5A state championships during a previous stint at John Carroll, before moving to Oak Mountain.
Vestavia’s boys program has its own winning tradition, claiming four state championships, though none since 2014 or at the 7A level.
“There has been some disappointment, but they know they are capable of playing better,” Di Piazza said. “We have a lot of new coaches and players in the program, so it is going to be exciting.”
The Rebels are anchored defensively by senior fullback Will Davis and center back Mason McDaniel, who sees the leadership change as a catalyst for growth.
“The culture has been a big change,” McDaniel said. “It has bonded the team together and made us a strong group overall.”
Vestavia also adds midfielders Halden Honeycutt and Jack Hugunine, both products of the Hoover-Vestavia Soccer MLS Next program, who are expected to contribute immediately.
The girls team enters the season as defending state champions, but it also does so under new leadership following a historic coaching transition.
Longtime head coach Brigid Meadow retired after 407 career victories and six state championships, closing one of the most successful tenures in state history. Taking over is Alex Carroll, a Vestavia alum who played under Meadow and spent the past seven seasons on her staff.
“I wore the same jersey that these girls wear,” Carroll said. “Continuing to build the legacy that [Meadow] built is a huge thing that I am focused on. She taught me a lot, and I am taking those lessons and building our own identity from that.”
The Rebels captured their seventh state title last season, and first since 2019, and return a roster built to defend it.
Junior goalkeeper Brianna Tortorici is back after earning first-team all-state honors, delivering standout performances late in the postseason, including 11 saves in a penalty-kick semifinal win over James Clemens and four more saves in the championship match against Auburn.
Senior defender Katie Llewellyn also returns after earning most valuable defensive player honors and first-team all-state recognition. An Auburn University commit, she remains a cornerstone of the Rebels’ back line.
Senior Kelsey Redden, who scored in last season’s title match, returns to the midfield alongside fellow senior Kendall Roberts.
“They work hard and take everything seriously,” Carroll said. “They place a lot of importance on strength and conditioning in addition to on the field. They are selfless.”
