“Valley's Blair Brown Helps Penn State To Fourth National Title; Named Volleyball Honda Sports Award Finalist” plus 1 more |
| Posted: 15 Feb 2011 07:26 AM PST Saturday night Purcellville resident Blair Brown managed to surpass even her most spectacular previous athletic accomplishments, helping her Penn State Nittany Lions teammates win an unprecedented four straight National Women's Volleyball Championship. The championship round is a best of five contest, but the Lions won three straight over California to gain the championship in Kansas City, MO. Playing for a team that is one of the most dominant women's volleyball forces ever, Brown herself is proving herself a dominant player nationwide. Brown has been named one of four finalists for the 2010-1011 Honda Sports Award, which determines the top woman collegiate athlete in volleyball. Her competitors include Texas' Juliann Faucette; USC's Alex Jupiter; and Cal's Carli Lloyd, all three of whom she knows well and against whom she has played often. The winner will be a candidate for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year award. A member of the 2010 National Championship All-Tournament Team, Brown is the 10th Nittany Lion to be named a finalist for the Honda Award for volleyball. The 6'5" tall Brown, who was a standout performer on the Loudoun Valley High School girls' volleyball team, helped the school win the Group AA State Volleyball Championship in 2004. In 2004 and 2005, she was named the Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year. She graduated from Valley in 2006. After being red-shirted her first year at Penn State because of an ankle injury, she returned to the court in 2007 and was named to the Big Ten on the all-freshmen team. Over the past three years, Brown increased her importance to the Penn State team. Her stats and honors are impressive. Earlier this season, she became the sixth straight Nittany Lion to be named the Big Ten Player of the Year. She is a three-time AVCA All American. A three-time All-Big Ten selection, she earned Second Team laurels in 2008 and First Team honors in 2009 and 2010. Brown has started all 37 matches this season and leads the Nittany Lions with 521 kills, averaging 4.24 kills per set on .320 hitting. She is second on the team with 281 digs and 113 total blocks. Her 4.24 kills per set ranks second in the Big Ten and 21st nationally, while her .323 attack percentage ranks ninth in the league. Her 4.72 points per set ranks 18th in the country. Brown earned conference player of the week laurels three times. She surpassed the 1,000 career kills milestone this season and closed out her career with 1,295 kills. Brown is the 22-year-old daughter of Sgt. Jeff Brown, supervisor of the Robbery/Homicide unit of Criminal Investigations in the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, and Jaima Brown. Her volleyball coach at Valley remembered his former player with affection. "She was a wonderful young lady, who never lost sight of her family and whom she came from," Laird Johnson said, calling her "gracious" in her approach to teammates and opponents alike. A popular member of the Valley volleyball team, nevertheless she was also "extremely competitive," he recalled. But it was a competitiveness that never got out of hand. "She kept everything in perspective," Johnson said-no easy feat considering her success. Much of the credit for Brown being so balanced Johnson attributed to her parents, who "have done everything physically and financially" to support her career as a player. "Early on they realized she was a very special player and athlete, and they supported her 100 percent. They traveled with her everywhere, gave all the support she needed," he said. So did her brother Tyler, a county deputy who played golf at Valley. And her family was in Kansas City, Jeff, Jaima and Tyler, to see the culmination of Brown's college career. "It's been a fun, fun ride," her father said Monday, hardly believing that Saturday night's championship win was not the only glittering honor facing his daughter. "It's a tremendous award (the Honda Sports Award) to be considered for," he said. Fierce competitors all year, the four finalists for the Honda Sports Award nevertheless are friends and hold each other in the highest regard, Jeff Brown said. One of the highlights the Brown family will take away from the championship occurred on the academic front. Having been injured her first year and red-shirted, Blair Brown is a fifth year senior. Her graduation was set to occur Dec. 18, the night of the finals. Penn State President Graham Spanier is "quite a volleyball fan," Jeff Brown said. When Spanier called Coach Russ Rose to say he would not be able to make the Nittany Lions' final games because of graduation ceremonies, he learned that Brown would not be able to make his graduation event either, as she had her other "graduation" to attend to. Providing a personal note that touched Brown, her family and her teammates, Spanier came to the team's final practice before boarding the plane to Kansas City wearing his full academic regalia and handing Brown a cap and gown for her graduation, which he performed on the spot at the end of the practice. "She put the cap and gown over her uniform. You could see her knee pads under the gown," her father said. "We were all totally shocked; she cried, and so did her teammates," he recalled. "I'm very proud of her, she's a great kid," he said. Right now Brown is being flooded with offers to play professionally, either in the U.S. or abroad, including Brazil and Puerto Rico. But, she's taking a break from it all, although she will make up her mind as to future career choices in a couple of months. "She's off on vacation, visiting her boyfriend in Switzerland," he said. Reader Comments The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of Leesburg Today. 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| DeMya Talks Girls & Women In Sports Day Posted: 15 Feb 2011 10:14 AM PST National Girls and Women In Sports Day began in 1987 as a day to remember Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her athletic achievements and her work to assure equality for women's sports. It has evolved into a day that acknowledges the past while recognizing current sports achievements, the positive infulence of sports participation and the continuing struggle for equality and access for women in sports. In advance of the 25th annual celebration on Feb. 2nd, Sun forward DeMya Walker discusses the role that sports has played in her life as well as its role in how she is raising her daughter. Hey Sun fans! With Girls & Women in Sports Day a couple days away, I was thinking about how sports have played such a pivotal role not just in providing me with a career but in molding who I am as a person, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a colleague and a mother. I have done something athletic since I was seven years old running track! I remember I played soccer, softball, ran track and was a cheerleader from fifth through eighth grade. I ran track and played basketball from ninth through 12th grade and was All-State in both sports. That being said, what is it about sports and its importance in my life that have made me who I am today? As a young girl, I was taller than everyone, awkward, very skinny, and quite the pushover. Sports gave me an outlet and a way to stay out of trouble. They gave me a sense of accomplishment. I was confident in myself when I was competing. I was sure that no one was better than me and I was the "Me" I wished I could be off the playing field. As I went through high school, that confidence spilled into my everyday life. I was proud to be on student council, in advanced placement classes, and to be tall. I was confident in my look and you couldn't tell me I wasn't so fly! Being an athlete set me apart from everyone else. It taught me about setting goals for myself and how to work through my problems intelligently. Of course, basketball has given me a college education from the prestigious and beautiful University of Virginia and allowed me to be a part of something bigger than myself as a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. I have flown all over the world, been influenced by many different cultures, and groomed by coaches and veteran players I would never have had the pleasure to meet had it not been for my beloved sport! As a friend, daughter and sister, I am the only professional athlete in my immediate circle. I think my friends have adjusted to my competitive nature, and I apply it in the advice I give them for their everyday lives. Sports isn't just for athletes, it's for everyone. It helps put a smile on your face after a bad day. It gives you something to take your aggression out on when you're having a day that makes you feel like you need to just scream. It keeps you in shape and feeling good about yourself and your life. It breeds an edge to your mentality that keeps you from quitting and pushes you to go the extra mile! Girls and women are emotional beings. Let's face it…WE ARE! Sports apply to the girliest of girls as well as the tomboys. It unites us in a way that makes us happy to be individuals but proud to be part of a team. That's why sports are so important to ALL girls and women. Sports have helped me with time management, problem solving, health and beauty! As a single mom of a beautiful four year old little girl, sports have helped me teach her confidence. She is a cheerleader and a swimmer, tried soccer but didn't like it (despite liking how she looked in the uniform, lol) and is just beginning basketball. In five weeks of swim class, she has advanced five levels. The girls and boys who started in level one with her just made it to level two. I am so proud of her! She is a natural competitor and sports for her have helped her to not be so shy. She doesn't make friends with kids her age very easily because she is very slow to warm. Being a cheerleader and part of a team opened her up and really helped her blossom into being comfortable in crowds. Being a swimmer helped her build her individual competitive spirit. Sports have connected us as mother and daughter on another level. She looks to me for approval when she does well and uplifting when it wasn't so good. She cheers me on in my games and is just as sad as I am if we don't win. She is learning the value of hard work, the value of money, the value of teamwork, the value of honor and discipline, the value of being a leader and knowing how to follow, the value of trust, and the value of loving what you do! I have been able to teach my daughter these things because of the lessons I have learned by participating in sports. I hope one day to see her in the WNBA (wearing number 22 of course), on the US Olympic Swim Team and the USA Basketball Team…that would be a first!!! I am forever in debt to sports and the blessing they have been in my life. So on Girls and Women In Sports Day, I want all of you to go for a walk, a jog, a run, a swim, or pick up a ball and play. Just enjoy the great feeling! For those of you in the northeast, pick an indoor sport!!!! Talk to ya soon…DeMya This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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