Nov 29, 2005
KINGSTON - Modesty prevents Kingston High product and College of St. Rose sophomore Stephanie Brink from rattling off her accomplishments this season with the Golden Knights women's volleyball team.
But Northeast-10 Conference, ECAC and NCAA Division II accolades keep pouring in for the 6-foot-2 outside hitter who was one of the main contributors this season for a team that finished the season at 25-7.
The Golden Knights made their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance and won their opening round match against Mercy 3-0 before bowing out to eventual regional champion Dowling.
"Everybody on the team is pretty happy with how the year turned out," Brink said. "We did a lot of things that were firsts in school history. We pushed hard in practice all season and now we've built a bridge now to go further next year."
Brink, hampered by toe surgery her senior year at Kingston, has been nothing less than outstanding in two seasons at St. Rose.
After a successful freshman campaign, she returned to the court rejuvenated.
Twice during the season she was named NE-10 Player of the Week and six times she was selected to the NE-10 weekly honor roll. Brink was selected as the Sports Imports/American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Week in late September and she was also picked for the NE-10 All-Conference first team.
"I came into the year with the attitude that I was going to do better than I did as a freshman," she said. "I was really nervous last year, but it was so different this season. I felt like I was better prepared for what to expect at this level."
Statistically, the Port Ewen native rose to that new level thanks to her dedication.
She finished 23rd in the nation and was second in the conference in attack percentage (.365) and ended up sixth in the nation in kills per game (3.80), which was also the highest single-season kill percentage in school history.
With two more years to play, she is first all-time at St. Rose in career kill average (3.49), second in career attack percentage (.363) and ninth in career kills (632).
"I try not to focus on all of the individual things and really work for the team," Brink said. "My father (Harry) is my No. 1 fan and he keeps on top of all the statistics. He even kept up on what we did in the NCAA tournament on the computer."
Surprisingly, it wasn't at Kingston where Golden Knights coach Brian Goodale first saw Brink play and the ability she brings to the game.
Instead, it was the Dutchess County club team that she played for coached by Rhinebeck High's Bill Doyle that helped Brink get to St. Rose.
"My older sister (Kayla) played volleyball at Kingston too, but she didn't play for a club," Brink said. "When my father and mother (Kathleen) realized I had some talent for the game, they did whatever they could do make it work for me on the club team. I learned everything I know about playing volleyball from Coach Doyle."
A childhood education major at St. Rose, Brink can now turn her attention to the off-season and the promise of what may come to pass in 2006.
"I'll take some time off, and, when we get back in the spring, get started with conditioning," she said. "We only lost two starters from the team and have a strong group of players coming back. I'll do what I can to help recruit the younger players and teach them what it takes to win."
