Brown comes up big for Lemont

Updated: March 22, 2011 4:14PM

Lemont junior outside hitter Emily Brown is listed at 5-foot-6 on the team roster.

"Five-foot-seven-and-a -half," she said. "That's what I tell everyone."

No matter how tall she is, Brown came up big for the Indians Thursday at the 24-team Wheaton Classic hosted by Wheaton Warrenville South, collecting 10 kills including six in the third game to lead Lemont (9-4) to a 21-25, 25-17, 25-17 victory over the hosts.

Lemont also defeated Downers Grove South 25-15, 25-17 to advance to Saturday's gold bracket.

If Brown were indeed 5-foot-7, she would be a giant among her teammates. Only one player is taller than 6-foot and only three break 5-10. Brown began her career as a libero, then bounced back and forth between setting and hitting.

"I like hitting," she said. "I like beating the ball. I try to make the players on the other side of the net move. The bigger they are, the harder it is for them."

Brown also said she talks a pretty good game, too.

"I talk a little," she said. "You have to use a little verbal intimidation. You call out who the setter is. You say who the hitter us. Then you point at somebody and say, ‘They're mine.'"

Brown credits her sister, Joslyn, who played on Joliet Catholic's first state title team, for getting her involved in the sport. But it was her mother Jackie who gave her the tools to compete against girls who are often much taller.

"My mom is a really good coach," she said.

Mom would have been proud Thursday.

"Emily played great," Lemont coach Chris Zogata said. "She had a real nice match. She hit some great shots."

Brown was Lemont's leading hitter while 5-foot-11 senior Courtney Keefe was sidelined with an ankle injury. Thursday's match against Wheaton Warrenville South was just Keefe's second since getting hurt at the Benet tournament three weeks ago.

"One byproduct of Courtney's injury was that the girls gained a lot of confidence in each other," Zogata said. "Emily had to step up and be our go-to hitter. Now that Courtney is back, that only makes us better."

Keefe added eight kills and two aces and 5-7 middle hitter Becca Brabec had eight kills and an ace. Setter Vicki Wrobel added 29 assists and four aces, including three in a row as Lemont pulled away from a 4-4 tie in the second game.

Shealyn Kolosky led WW South (7-5) with nine kills.

Elsewhere, No. 3 Marist (8-0) and Waubonsie Valley also won their pools to advance to Saturday's gold bracket, but Glenbrook South (9-3) surprised top-eight seed Evanston 25-19, 25-18 in the final pool.

Wisconsin-bound 6-foot-4 outside hitter Ellen Chapman had seven kills, Nicole Frian had four kills and Carson Weaver added 18 assists for the Titans.

"We have a lot of new faces," said Glenbrook South coach Katie Hoover, who led the Titans to a third-place finish at last year's Class 4A tournament. "I am real proud of my junior class. They played hard. They are very passionate about volleyball.

"Our seniors are stepping up as leaders, and Ellen is making everybody around her more comfortable," Hoover added.

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