Senior middle blocker Lauren Brewster was named the BIG EAST preseason player of the year prior to the start of the 2005 campaign.

Lauren Brewster Impressive In Scorebooks And History Books

Oct. 14, 2005

By Katie Stuhldreher

At middle blocker, Lauren Brewster’s main job is to protect the court. Standing 6-3, she usually has no problem doing just that. However, this senior Irish volleyball co-captain has also protected the Irish winning tradition and preserved the program’s high level of intensity with her leadership abilities and impressive talent that never fails to shatter records as easily as opponents.

Brewster entered the 2005 season as the Big East Preseason Player of the Year, leading NCAA Division I teams in individual blocking in 2003. She also became the second volleyball player in Notre Dame history to be an All-American in 2004.

But does she feel any pressure to live up to these impressive titles? If so, she hasn’t shown it on the court.

On September 11, Brewster was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Dome Rally, one of the most competitive in-season volleyball tournaments in the nation. And she received this honor for good reason, leading the Irish to upset wins over two top 10 teams — No. 8 USC and No. 6 Florida –to finish the tournament as the only undefeated team. This victory marked the first time that the Gators had been swept 3-0 in more than two years.

In the three matches of the tournament, Brewster racked up 52 kills and 18 blocks, with a tournament-high 20 kills against Florida in the de facto championship match. She also boasted the highest numbers in the match in three categories — kills, blocks, and total points, committing only two errors in the process.

“I just love being on the court with the other girls when we come out and beat a big team. Beating Florida and USC in one weekend was really fun and exciting,” says Brewster.

For her efforts versus USC and Florida, Brewster also earned Big East player of the week honors for the second week running and eighth time in her career — the most in Notre Dame history.

“These awards are kind of funny to me. I’m honored that they thought of me, especially because there are so many great girls in our conference. Basically, I heard about it, got excited, and then moved on to other things,” says Brewster.

According to Brewster, there are more important things to focus on than personal awards. In `04, the Irish claimed the BIG EAST title with a pair of shutouts in the tournament in Pittsburgh, but their hopes of an NCAA championship were dashed when Wisconsin blanked the Irish in a heart-breaking defeat. Yet, with her leadership, the red-hot Irish have a good chance of competing for the national title in the `05 post-season.

“I would really like to see this team go as far as it can go. In the past, we haven’t done as well in the NCAA tournament as I would have liked. I’d like to see us win it. We have the talent and potential,” says Brewster.

For the time being, however, Notre Dame continues to improve each week, thus far only recording one loss – a 3-2 decision to Louisiana State.

The Irish got off to a fast start this season with wins over Michigan, No. 11 Texas, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Syracuse, and Tulane, including six 3-0 sweeps. Brewster has accumulated more than 20 kills on six occasions and scored in double figures in 20 of the past 23 matches as of Oct. 4.

She is more optimistic than ever about this year.

“So far I’m seeing what I like to see. We have a great freshman class that came in and works so hard. They are very coachable, which is always great to have, and so focused. It makes my job easy as a senior because they don’t really act like freshmen,” says the senior captain.

As one of five seniors on the squad this year, Brewster is definitely a team leader. However, this role is nothing new for her. She arrived at Notre Dame four years ago as a team leader, playing every match since her first one for the Irish.

“I chose to come to Notre Dame because when I visited, I loved the girls on the team and loved the coaching staff. It was in the fall and the campus was gorgeous and I really like what Notre Dame stands for. It was the perfect fit,” says Brewster.

In four seasons, Brewster has not only fit in at Notre Dame, but left quite a mark in the record books as well. She is among Notre Dame’s career leaders in several categories, including hitting percentage, block average, total blocks, block assists, solo blocks, kill average and matches with 10 or more kills.

Even with so many individual accomplishments, Brewster keeps her focus on the team’s success as they continue towards the NCAA tournament.

“I think our biggest challenge this season is that we have a lot of talent, but a lot of competition as well. We need to continue to play at a high level of consistency, just on our game all the time,” says Brewster.

While she maintains a high level of consistency on the volleyball court, she does the same in the classroom as she has taken BIG EAST academic all-star honors in each of her first three seasons. A double major in marketing in sociology, the Brentwood, Tenn., native enjoys the challenge and considers it part of the Notre Dame experience.

“I’m a business and sociology major and it is a huge part of my life. It takes up half of my day. But you find classes that you enjoy and find the right balance between volleyball and school. You have to realize that you can’t do it all, so it’s all about that right balance,” explains Brewster.

No doubt such balance will help after graduation. Brewster said that she’s focused on the current season and has not yet decided where she will go when she leaves South Bend after graduation in spring 2006.

“I don’t really know yet, nothing is for sure. I’m looking at maybe playing in Europe or going to grad school or entering the work force,” says Brewster.

Until then, Brewster will continue to break more opposing teams’ winning streaks and Notre Dame school records, reserving her well-deserved place in Irish athletic history.