SAU’s Brooks named MCC volleyball player of the year

By Shannon Heaton, sheaton@qconline.com
Photo: Todd Mizener
from: The Dispatch - Rock Island Argus
Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Andrea Brooks can't imagine her life getting much better than it is right now.

"I'm just running on a high right now," the St. Ambrose senior and volleyball co-captain said. "School's going well, volleyball couldn't be better. I'm loving life right now. It feels like everything's being handed to me, but at the same time, I did work hard for it. I feel like I do deserve this."

On Monday, Brooks earned what has been her greatest collegiate recognition to date. She was selected as the Midwest Classic Conference's player of the year. Later this week, she could be a part of one of SAU's greatest team accomplishments, as the Queen Bees try to earn their way into the NAIA nationals by winning the Region VII tournament.

Winning the player of the year award "is an amazing feeling. Just to be considered one of the top players out of like 80 girls or something, is just great," said Brooks. "All that hard work I've put in feels like it's being put to good use."

Brooks prepped at Davenport North under the tutelage of Amy Baker, who's won two Iowa state championships as head coach of the Wildcats.

"She's got really solid all-around skills, which is typical of North girls," said Bees coach Bruce Billingsley. "Her senior year, she played middle (hitter), and that helped her to probably have a little better court awareness."

From Baker, Brooks also learned how to play with purpose and intensity.

"She (Baker) deserves a lot of the credit. She made me the player I am today," said Brooks, who still helps Baker out during the club volleyball season as a coach. "She taught me perseverance, to always go for the ball, and to put my heart and soul into each and every game because it could be your last any time.

"Like Wednesday, that could be it."

The Bees (31-9) could, indeed, be eliminated after tonight's match against St. Xavier at Lee Lohman Arena, but already this has been the best season SAU has enjoyed in Brooks' four years there.

"Earlier, we struggled with leadership, but that's the main part that's come through for us this year," Brooks said. "We've really got three leaders, one that leads by example (Emily Russel), one that's a vocal leader (Kelly Grimes) and one that's a motivator (Brooks)."

That ability to motivate just seems to come from within. "It's just part of my personality, to encourage people to do their best," Brooks said. "In order to play as a team, everyone has to like each other. I just want to keep a positive momentum and get the best out of everyone."

And how does she motivate a teammate who's down after a bad set of plays. "When I know somebody's down on themselves, I'll tell them a random joke that's hugely inappropriate," she said, laughing. "It puts a smile on their face. It's easier to just laugh about your mistakes and move on."

Brooks is set to student-teach 7th- and 8th-grade math at Pleasant Valley Junior High School next spring. It's her goal to teach math and coach volleyball in the fall of 2007. While she's excited to start that part of her life, she will miss the competitive side of the sport.

"It's definitely a scary thought, thinking (tonight) could be my last game and I'll never be playing competitive ball again," Brooks said. "It'll be hard to see (volleyball) go. And my parents are in San Diego this week, so if we do lose, they won't be able to see my last game.

"So that's my motivation to keep winning."