The Orion Online

Issue date: 9/3/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Brittany Bledsoe Erica Brick sets up a teammate for a spike at practice. The Wildcat senior set the school record for assists last week with 3,404. Brick broke the record during the Wildcats' first two matches. [Click to enlarge]

Entering her fourth and final season on the volleyball team, Erica Brick is not into breaking records or keeping track of her own stats.

But standing a small 5 feet 6 inches, Brick is at the top of one of the team's most important records: assists.

The co-captain is the only player in the university's history to have three consecutive 1,000-assist seasons, bringing her career total to a record 3,404 assists.

Brick came into the season 48 assists short of the old record of 3,321, but after the first day of matches, the record was hers. With a combined 69 assists in the season's first two matches, Brick started at an elevated rate compared with last year's 12.18 average.

She began playing at the YMCA of Orange County at 9 with the push of her mother, a former volleyball player.

She comes from a family of volleyball fanatics who frequently played the sport on the beach for fun, Brick said. Feeding her competitiveness, the Brick family frequently makes the long trip from Southern California to watch her play.

Despite her success, becoming a collegiate volleyball player didn't seem like an option during her senior year of high school. Because of Brick's height, no Division I team would scout her as a setter, she said.

"It was hard for the coaches to see past my height," she said. "I've put so much into it, and I love and enjoy the sport so much."

Brick would have missed the sport tremendously if she had not been able to play in college, she said.

But head coach Cody Hein gave her the opportunity to play collegiate volleyball.

"She's a very dynamic setter," Hein said. "She's a great athlete and has complete control of setting an offense."

Brick was the university's top recruit and best setter the Wildcats could get, despite her height.

Senior hitter Lindsay Macias has played with Brick eight years and was along her side as she broke the record.

Since age 15, Brick has always been the leader on the court, Macias said.

"Most players at her height would play back row not front row. She's short but plays tall," Macias said. "Erica plays better than most Division I setters, and being a setter you have to take control, and she's never had a problem with that."

With a preseason coaches' poll naming the 'Cats fourth in the California Collegiate Athletic Association championship, the team has big goals within the conference after watching Brick grab her record.

"We've talked about doing it together," Macias said. "Doing it on that one set, that one kill to get it at the same time."

Lucky for Brick and Macias, that was exactly how it happened. Brick broke the record with 39 assists in a win against Notre Dame de Namur University on Friday, setting up Macias.

But like Brick said, the joy isn't about records. She mentions the competitive environment of the sport but admits her height will deter her post-graduation athletic career.

"I am short and I'll go play just for fun and play in tournaments for fun," Brick said. "There will be no training or pro-anything for me after this."

When her days of shouting "one slide" and "hut red" come to an end, her attention will turn to a career in aiding sick children in hospitals, she said.

Brick wants others to not to let their size bring them down.

"Work as hard as you can," she said, "and it will show."

Natalia Ferruggia can be reached at
nferruggia@theorion.com

Related links
Women's volleyball Web page

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