The Brookhaven Women’s Volleyball team held its first transfer celebration for a handful of outgoing sophomores, decked in shirts with their future schools. Each of the students had a table decorated with photographs, awards, volleyballs, balloons and merchandise from the universities they signed to play for.
Held on April 17, the event began with Jason Hopkins, the head volleyball coach, introducing Shane Shewmake, the athletics director. Shewmake gave his congratulations and said, “We won’t tell them that volleyball might be my favorite sport.”
Coach Hopkins said despite tough times, the season and team were ultimately fantastic.
“I don’t know if I could actually say this or not, but if I had to pick a favorite team. Maybe, maybe,” he said, clad in a Brookhaven athletics jacket, to the players. “My reward is to see you guys happy.” The crowd gave their approval with a round of applause.
The signed players gave a few words at their tables. “The second year [at Brookhaven] really just like sparked my interest back to the volleyball again, and I was like, ‘Okay, I’m ready to keep going,’” said Kamryn Mitchell. Mitchell said going the NJCAA National Championship, where everyone was crying was her favorite part of her time at Brookhaven.
Her voice breaking, Brooke Tyler, said, “I struggled a lot, mentally, so this team really means a lot to me.” Tyler said she had quit playing volleyball during high school due to bullying, and that fear of rejection stayed with her going into college. “They really helped me get back on track,” she said.
“I think there’s been lots of ups and down with Brookhaven and this team,” Holland Hickman said. “But, overall, we just came together.” She came to Brookhaven after Hopkins scouted at a club volleyball game in Dallas. “I came here for Jason and I stayed because of Jason,” Hickman said before chocking up as she thanked her coach.
Carmen Brown said she did not like the team initially, inciting a wave of laughter across the bleachers. “We created a sisterhood,” she said. “I don’t want to leave either.” Brown found being an only child as a challenge when starting out on the team, but after two years, she said she will miss the bonds she made the most.
Seyvion Waggoner, the new assistant coach for the volleyball program at Brookhaven, said, “In a short period of time, I’ve connected with them so much that like, I’m over there crying and I’ve only known them for a couple months.” She said the relationship Hopkins has with his players is something she has never seen before.
Hopkins said two other sophomores had verbally committed to other universities and another two will be moving on to Texas Women’s University. Because the players had already committed themselves to their respective universities, they symbolically signed blank pieces of paper.
