Brooke Bowers, a graduate of Macon County High School, is just finishing her Senior year at Cumberland University. Her degree in Business Management has been obtained on a full ride scholarship, which she got for playing volleyball. She is the Defensive Specialist, the Libero, for Cumberland University.
This is impressive, but even more impressive are Brooke’s ranking stats.
She has held a national ranking in the top 100 players in the NAIA for digs for her entire Senior year. That’s the top 100 of about 3,200 NAIA volleyball players, from nearly 300 colleges. Last year, she reached a ranking of 29th in the nation, and this year she registered at 58th at least once. At no time this year did she slip below 100.
In Brooke’s four years at Cumberland, she had a career total of 1,404 digs, 150 assists, and 118 service aces.
Cumberland University appreciates Bowers. She’s been voted Most Valuable Player for two years in a row there, and Best Defensive Player for three years in a row. In her Jr. year, she recorded a team high of 545 digs, which was also the second most digs in the Conference. She recorded double-digit digs in 31 of the club’s 37 matches. She made All-Conference Second Team.
There is no doubt that Brooke Bowers is serious about volleyball.
She comes by it honestly. Mom Shari Bowers was Head Volleyball Coach at Macon County High School for seven years and Asst. Coach for three, and played college volleyball herself. Brooke played volleyball all through Jr. and High School.
“Probably one of the best work ethics I’ve seen in a long time,” David Kennedy said of Bowers. He coached her in the City Volleyball Club, which plays from January to April, during off season for high-schoolers.
“If I could clone it, I probably would,” he added. “So ready to learn. Just a great attitude overall. When you coach, you always have a cross word with a player sooner or later, and I can’t remember a time when I’ve had any kind of cross words, or gotten upset. She was just a great kid. Great player, very athletic.”
Bowers said that she does think of these years with a sense of pride: “I do feel I accomplished something—going through and making it all four years in college and not quitting or giving up or anything. I did get where I could balance it all. After my freshman year I really learned how to juggle the school and the sports.”
Bowers has high hopes for her future as a Cumberland graduate. She doesn’t have any concrete career plans for May of 2013—when she dons the cap and gown—but with the skills developed from years of discipline and the balance of work and play, it sounds as if she’s going to do just fine.
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