Competition follows Waukegan’s Hadassah Brown nearly everywhere she goes.
Brown, a 5-foot-9 junior outside hitter, is one of 12 siblings, two of whom — David, who plays football, and Serah, who plays volleyball — are in high school too.
“We’re all connected in our sports and all play, so that made us more competitive because we don’t like losing to one another,” Brown said. “When we get together, we’re very competitive in any sport we play — basketball, volleyball or soccer. We all don’t want to lose. We do a lot of trash talking.”
Waukegan coach Brennan Pomroy said Brown’s family, primarily her parents, are on hand for nearly every match, and they get to see her excel on the court. Brown, who also plays basketball and runs track, credits her six brothers for preparing her.
“I feel my brothers’ main influence on me was that I couldn’t be soft,” she said. “They built that up really well, helping me with basketball and volleyball. They made me more aggressive. I use my body more because they roughed me up a lot.”
Attacking at the net, Brown has become a force for the Bulldogs. She raised her season totals to 92 kills, along with 18 blocks and 61 digs, during Waukegan’s 2-0 loss to Lake Zurich in its North Suburban Conference opener on Wednesday.
The Bulldogs (9-4, 0-1) are having their best season in years, and Brown is one of the reasons.
“This year, being a captain, she has different expectations of herself,” Pomroy said. “She’s become more vocal and positive with her teammates. She makes plays other people don’t have the ability to make via balls or sets that are unhittable. She finds ways to make it happen.
“I can’t imagine how good she would be if she just played volleyball.”
Although Brown, who had 174 kills and 160 digs last season, has become a standout player, volleyball isn’t her main sport. A shooting guard who has played varsity basketball since she was a freshman, Brown doesn’t play club volleyball.
“I’m battling between volleyball and basketball,” Brown said. “But I can connect to volleyball. I have the girls around me to lift me up and push me.
“I was nervous at first playing volleyball in high school because it was a big transition from middle school. I’m getting better and better every year. I’ve worked on my arm strength and angles. I’ve learned not to shorten my arm when I swing.”
Waukegan sophomore outside hitter Alanna Turner, who does play club volleyball, is impressed by Brown’s trajectory in the sport.
“She’s amazing,” Turner said. “A lot of girls in volleyball play club, but she doesn’t. That’s an amazing accomplishment to play varsity right out of middle school.”
Brown also had a successful spring season running sprints. She finished third in the 400 meters at the Class 3A Deerfield Sectional with a time of 58.47 seconds to qualify for the state meet in May.
Brown said she’s excited about her progress in volleyball.
“I’ve watched some old videos of my freshman year, when I was jittery and just jumping around,” she said. “I’ve gotten used to the momentum of the game, my arm swing is better and I’ve learned to focus on hitting the ball harder and adjust to how teams play. I’ve used my athleticism to elevate my game.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
