Stella Helms hopes to surpass 1,000 digs and 1,000 kills for her high school career this season.By Rubin E. Grant
Although her dad, Wes Helms, played Major League Baseball, Stella Helms had no interest in playing on a diamond.
So, softball wasn’t in the equation.
“I never liked it,” Stella Helms said. “Even when I was little it wasn’t my sport.”
Instead, Helms became a volleyball player. She’s been playing since the third grade.
“Some of the girls at school were trying out for the team at the YMCA, so I tried out, too. I loved it,” Helms said.
Now, a 5-foot-6 senior opposite hitter/defensive specialist at Briarwood Christian, Helms has developed into one of the top volleyball players in the state.
A six-rotation player, she has been on the varsity since she was a freshman. Last year as a junior, she recorded 361 kills, 445 digs, 69 aces and was selected to the 2022 All-OTM Team and to the AL.com Super All-State team.
“Stella is a really dynamic player who is trusted and respected by her teammates,” first-year Briarwood head coach Carly Cline said. “She plays all around the court. She works hard and stays focused. If she makes a mistake, she doesn’t let it bother her. She just moves on to the next play.
“Although she’s only 5-6, she’s quite a jumper and quite a hitter on the front row.”
Helms said her athleticism comes from the genes. Her older brother Wesley is a college baseball player at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa.
“Since my dad played professional baseball and my brother plays college baseball, I come from a family of athletes, so it’s in the bloodlines,” she said.
Daddy’s Daughter
Helms cherishes being the daughter of a professional athlete. Her dad played for 13 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Florida Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies. He also was a bench coach for the Birmingham Barons in 2019.
“I think it’s really cool,” Helms said. “It definitely helps me to love playing sports. My friends love him. They think he’s cool.”
Wes Helms has counseled his daughter on the mental aspects of being an athlete.
“He always tells me to push out the negativity and give 110 percent,” Stella Helms said.
Cline believes Helms can play at the next level saying, “Stella has a promising volleyball career ahead.” But Helms is not sure she wants to play in college.
“I go back and forth,” she said. “I’m not against playing. I’m still going through the recruiting process. We’ll see what happens.”
Helms hopes to surpass 1,000 digs and 1,000 kills for her high school career this season. Both would be school records. She already has more than 700 of each.
She also hopes the Lions will reach the state tournament.
“I want to go further than we did last year and get out of the super regional,” Helms said. “For us to do that, we need consistency. We struggled at first this season, but we’re getting better and jelling together.”
Briarwood entered this week with an 11-9 record after splitting its first two Class 6A, Area 8 games last week, losing at Pelham and winning at Helena. This week, the Lions were scheduled to host Ramsay on Tuesday and Hoover on Thursday.
“I think our season is going really well,” Helms said. “With a new coach, I’m trying to be a good senior leader. We’re a young team and trying to jell. Everyone is getting to know their rotations well.”
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