BRANDIE VEA: ALOHA FROM CENTRAL VOLLEYBALL

It was just a few days ago that CWU junior Brandie Vea was on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, enjoying the beach and sun, working on her dark-brown tan, and riding the waves.

"I love Hawaii, and I really like to paddle board. That's where you stand up on a big surf board and paddle. It's great and it gives you a good workout," she said.

Vea grew up in Hawaii and when she wasn't on the beach there was a good chance she'd be playing volleyball. When the time came for her to go to college her parents wanted her to go to a school on the mainland. She looked at schools along the west coast and particularly in Washington, as she has relatives in the state. She saw that CWU had a strong elementary education program and a great volleyball team, so she sent a volleyball tape to Coach Mario Andaya and he offered her a spot on the team.

Andaya has been really impressed with Vea and her skills."

"Brandie is a libero, which is a defensive specialist position and a fairly new position in volleyball," he explained. "You can substitute just for that and it allows a person to come into the game in a defensive role. It's a critical positi on and we've won a lot of games because of her work."

Just as important, Andaya likes her temperament and influence on the team. "I really like her demeanor. She has a positive outlook and she takes our coaching and uses it to get better. She understands that even though she had a successful sophomore season she needs to continue to work hard. She's a good role model for the other players and she's becoming a great example for the other girls.

Both Andaya and Vea are impressed with some of the new recruits on this year's team. The new recruits are following Vea's example and absorbing as much information as they can from the coaches. Andaya's going to have a young team again this year, and he's going to call on some of the younger players to fill important roles on the team, just as he did with Vea last season.

Vea says she's looking forward to her junior year at Central.

"It's been great going to Central. I love being in a small town and I feel like I know everybody. I get a little homesick now and again, but I love the major I'm in and I just keep playing volleyball to stay busy."

She plans to go back to Hawaii and teach children when she graduates from Central. When she's not teaching, she'll most likely be found enjoying the sun and riding a wave on a beach in Oahu.