Eric Lusk
Sports Editor
elusk@elkintribune.com

BOONVILLE — Meme Brown believes she was invited to play Junior Olympics volleyball as a sixth-grader for one main reason.

“It was just, ‘You’re a tall kid,’” Brown remembers. “They asked me to do it, and I was like, ‘Sure.’”

Six years later, Brown is still taller than most girls her age, standing close to 6-0. But these days she’s admired on a volleyball court for much more than her height.

After an outstanding prep career at Starmount High School, the recent graduate is now preparing to play college volleyball, signing in the spring to join Lees-McRae’s program. The Banner Elk college competes at the NCAA Division II level.

Brown, a middle blocking specialist, played varsity volleyball for the Rams all four years, earning all-conference status the past two and honorable mention all-conference in 2006.

She was a big part of Starmount’s three straight trips to the 2A Western Regional final in 2006, 2007 and 2008, getting to start in the state title game in Raleigh in ‘07.

Brown is the fourth senior from the 2008 volleyball team to sign with a college athletics program.

Setter Jordan Raye, the conference MVP last season, inked with Catawba (joining 2008 Starmount graduate Taylor Doss). Libero Taylor Moxley will join Surry Community College’s program. Outside hitter Jana Matthews chose softball over volleyball — though she was recruited in both sports — signing with Charleston Southern.

“We had an incredible senior class, and Meme is one of those kids who has the ability to play at the next level,” Starmount volleyball coach Jon Symons said. “She has the chance, and her skill set is good enough, that she could probably step on the court her freshman year and play. At least that’s my hope.”

Brown will tell you that her first J.O. volleyball experience in sixth grade was nothing like the last few years have been. Her coach was Catawba’s Ginger Hamric, and the team included standout athletes from the area like Raye. But at the time, the group was very raw in terms of volleyball skills and knowledge.

“The first year we didn’t win any games, any matches or anything,” Brown said. “That was because everybody else just tried to get it over the net. But Ginger made us pass, set and hit. Our second year, we were really good.”

Symons said Brown was one of his most improved players during her four years in his program. She made the conference all-tournament team as a sophomore and was the team’s offensive player of the year as a junior.

Brown also played basketball for Starmount for four years, suiting up for varsity the past three. She ran track as a junior and senior, often finishing among the leaders in events like the 200 and 400 meters. She ran a leg on two all-conference relays, the 4x200 and 4x400, in 2008.

Some medical issues cut her senior track season short, but Brown should be ready to go when volleyball practice starts later this summer at Lees-McRae. She’ll join a program that has dominated its conference in recent years much like what Starmount has done in the 1A and 2A high school ranks.

Lees McRae won 10-straight conference championships from 1998-2008. The Bobcats have been to six NCAA tournaments in a row, earning a berth in the Division II Sweet 16 three years ago.

Lees-McRae first started recruiting Brown during the J.O. season her sophomore year.

“Meme spent last summer at our camp, and we are excited she is joining the Lees-McRae family,” coach Jamie Petrik said in a press release. “Her athletic ability and experience on the court will provide her the opportunity to fight for a position.”

Petrik added, “We recruit strong players who understand college is not just about sports – it is about academics. Meme is prepared for college, she knows how to take care of the books and understands that volleyball is an added bonus to the overall college experience.”

Brown was a “High Honor” graduate from Starmount. She took at least one honors course all four years in high school. She plans to major in elementary education.

Brown believes leadership is one of her strengths. She was one of the Rams’ most vocal and enthusiastic players the past couple of seasons, helping keep Starmount on top of the Mountain Valley 2A Conference in 2008 after a number of key personnel from the year before had graduated.

“This past year, people weren’t expecting a lot out of us because we lost so much,” Brown said. “It was interesting to see how far we really did come.”

And to see how far Brown has come since being asked to play volleyball as a sixth-grader mainly because she was tall.

“The growth of Meme as a player has been huge,” Symons said. “I got on her case as a freshman but by the time she graduated she was a dominant player. It’s been a wonderful experience to have her in our program.”