Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 23, 1993 TAG: 9312220031
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Her father, Dave, is Tech's athletic director. She is on a first-name basis with Tech's volleyball coach, Stephanie Hawbecker, a close friend of the Braine family. People around campus know her.
The reasons why Meredith Braine would not choose Virginia Tech seem just as obvious:
Her father is Tech's athletic director. She is on a first-name basis with Tech's volleyball coach. People around campus know her.
So far, the pros outweigh the cons.
"Tech is definitely my No. 1 choice right now," she said.
Her final decision, however, is not necessarily etched in Hokie stone.
Braine is a fine volleyball player who has a slew of major Division I schools after her. She wants people to know that if she decides to go to Tech, it will be because she has the brawn and not because she's a Braine.
"The hard part is that, if I play there [at Tech], some people will think I'm there because of my dad and not because of my ability," she said.
Those are the people who haven't seen her play.
Braine was the New River District and Region IV hitter of the year last year in helping Blacksburg to the Group AA quarterfinals, where the Indians lost to eventual champion Gretna. This year, the Indians have their sights set on winning the state championship.
Last spring, while playing on the club volleyball circuit with the New River Valley Juniors 18-and-under squad, Braine attracted the attention of major-college recruiters.
Schools like Tech, the University of Kentucky, Tulane University and North Carolina State like her because of how good she is, not because of who she is.
"I hope the majority of people realize that," she said.
At 5 feet 11, Braine has the size and the leaping ability to dominate play at the net, but she is equally strong when playing the back line.
Quick for a tall girl (Braine placed 12th in the state in the 100-meter dash two years ago before giving up track to play club volleyball), she covers the floor well and is a deft passer.
"She is a total, complete volleyball player," said Blacksburg Coach Grant Smythers.
"She has the hands of a setter, the timing and leaping ability of an attacker and the quickness to be an effective passer."
She also has the mentality of a champion, having played on Blacksburg's back-to-back Group AA championship girls' basketball teams. Braine, a two-year starter at forward in basketball, averaged about 10 points and seven rebounds per game this fall for the Indians' state title winners.
As recently as two years ago, Braine was hoping to play basketball in college. She began playing volleyball in the eighth grade and quickly became one of Blacksburg's best young players.
"By my junior year, my love was for volleyball," she said.
Coming from a family that keeps athletics in such high regard, it is no accident that Braine is one of Blacksburg's top female athletes.
Dave Braine was a football player at the University of North Carolina and a good high school baseball player. Meredith's older sister, Jennifer, ran track and her older brother, Steven, played basketball and volleyball. Her mom, Carole, was a cheerleader, a job she still performs when watching her youngest daughter play ball.
The Braines migrated wherever Dave's career took them. Meredith was born in Atlanta, and she spent her childhood in locales such as Charlottesville, Fresno, Calif., and Huntington, W.Va., before her father was hired as Tech's athletic director in 1988.
The Braines have lived in Blacksburg ever since, and it's possible Meredith will stick around. One thing is clear, choosing a college will be up to her alone.
"My parents have stayed out of my decision," she said. "They want me to go to the school that's right for me. I'm not going to let anyone influence me."
by CNB