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Tuesday, July 18, 2000
Heather Bown
feels less pressure
as nonstarter
After a good look at the opponents,
By Dave Reardon
the former Wahine volleyball star
adds explosiveness off the
bench for the U.S.
Star-BulletinHERE was nothing fancy or elusive about Heather Bown as a college volleyball player. She basically dominated every match she played in. It fit her style and personality -- straightforward and honest.
Her game is still about power and strength, rocket kills and demoralizing blocks.
But as a member of the U.S. National Team, the former University of Hawaii star and All-American is just another cog in a machine.
"We have such depth. No one person dominates a match. You have to be totally prepared, mentally and physically, just to contribute," she said. "Sometimes in college, I could get away without being prepared."
Although she has started some matches lately, she often comes off the bench. It's distasteful for most athletes when they first confront it, but Bown is OK with looking before leaping.
"I kind of like it," she said. "There's no pressure. I see what the other team's offense is up to. It's sort of like I get a cheat sheet of the other team."
Olympic coach Mick Haley has described Bown's play as giving the U.S. "velocity and explosion."She was one of the team's top performers on a recent European trip, and seems to have solidified her spot on the team that goes to Sydney.
There are 13 players on the training roster (12 will go to Australia, of whom 11 make the playing roster), including middles Bown, Danielle Scott, Benishe Dillard and Mikisha Hurley.
The final roster is expected to be announced July 27.
Bown also led the U.S. to a victory completing a four-match sweep of Australia in Louisville, Ky. She had team-highs of 11 kills and seven blocks.
Although she gains confidence with every practice, Bown knows she is a relative novice on this team, which she joined in January.
"Going from high school to college was pretty tough," the former competitive swimmer said. "But this is even more so, because of the importance of what we're trying to do. We're playing against the best players in the world all the time."
Her learning curve is more like a steep cliff.
"I've got no lee time to screw up. I've got to get it right the first or second time," she said.
Bown said she is refining -- often with former UH star Robyn Ah Mow setting -- the slide step she used with such devastating effectiveness at Hawaii.
"It's still my bread and butter. We call it the 'swoosh' attack because Nike sponsors us," Bown said.
OLYMPIC PROFILE
Heather Bown
While Bown is catching up to her teammates -- some of whom have been playing together for three years -- she knows there could be one or two more Olympiads in her future -- and that's just as a player.
"My mom always tells me I'll be a great coach. But I want to play for another 10 years."
Said Rosemary, her mother: "Just about all her volleyball dreams seem to be coming true. She was offered by an Italian pro team, where she'll go after the Olympics. She was an All-American. She told me if she could've played two more years at UH, all her dreams would've come true. She loves Hawaii."
So much so, that the UC-Santa Barbara transfer chose to spend last week here when she had some time off from training in Colorado Springs, Colo. She plans to return to Manoa again later to complete work toward a degree in psychology.
Right now it's back to preparations for taking on the world.
"Our attitude is this practice will be better than yesterday's, and tomorrow's will be better than today's," Bown said.
