When Melissa Brewer announced that she was going to stay home for her college career, the Hoosier coaches rejoiced. If you think the staff was happy then, you should see them now.

Coach Katie Weismiller probably didn’t know it, but the Bloomington native was a lock to join her program.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Indiana,” said Brewer. “For me there was no other option.”

That was great news for Hoosier fans. Even though Brewer has only played one year at IU, she has made a big impact. Brewer started her first collegiate match en route to playing in all 30 for the season. In those matches, Brewer displayed impressive enough skills to earn a spot on the Big Ten’s All-Freshman team.

Brewer demonstrated those same skills at Bloomington North for Coach Tom Beerman. She was the best among a talented senior crop in the area. Brewer served as team captain, leading her Cougars to a No. 3 state ranking and a conference championship. Brewer also earned first team all-state honors and was a member of the National Honor Society.

Brewer has adjusted to college life rather well. The freshman year for a student-athlete is nearly always the most trying and tiring. While admitting to having some anxious moments over her studies, the practices and whatever else was to come, Brewer still excelled on and off the court.

“It’s a lot easier being a sophomore,” she says. “Now I know the coaches, the system, the academics...I don’t have to worry over those things anymore.”

It helps to have friends, too. Anna Makowski has been just that to Brewer for a long time. The two have been through a lot together. They grew up together. They played high school ball together at Bloomington North. Now, they are both sophomores for Weismiller.

“I’m so glad she is on the team because we really helped each other in our freshman year,” Brewer says. “It helped to already have a friend made when we got to college. We’ve been best friends since middle school. I love her. She’s going to be one of those friends that sticks with me all of my life.”

It really does seem like everything has fallen into place for Brewer. She’s living a dream by playing for her hometown school. Her parents get to see her play all of the time. Her best friend is on the team. She can get a home-cooked meal anytime. And she’s excelling on the volleyball court.

The 6-1 Brewer finished her first year setting the school’s freshman record for blocks. She also posted the fourth best single-season total in 25 years of Indiana volleyball. She finished third on the team in kills, third in digs, third in assists and first in blocks. Those are pretty good figures to be contributed by a freshman.

The young gun is picking it up again this year. She currently leads the team in kills and blocks. Brewer has also been twice named to all-tournament teams this season.

The successful sophomore is one of many bright stars on a very young, very talented team that has struggled early in the season. The squad is going through normal growing pains and is searching to find the right chemistry.

“That’s definitely what it is,” said Brewer. “We are loaded with talent. It’s amazing what this team could accomplish if we just put it together. It’s just finding those six people that work really well together. As long as we all stay positive and focused and we work on finding that chemistry, we will be on our way up.”

NEWS AND NOTES

• The Indiana-St. Louis match postponed because of the Sept. 11 tragedy will be played Tuesday, Oct. 9. There is no further word on the rescheduling or replacing of the matches from the IU Credit Union Classic.

• The Hoosiers faced three ranked teams in their first four Big Ten matches. Penn State is ranked No. 6, while Wisconsin is No. 7 and Ohio State is No. 15.

• The Indiana roster lists six players at 6-0 or taller. It’s showing in the stats as the Hoosiers have out-blocked opponents five times already in the early part of the season.

• Red shirt junior Laurie Gardner could only watch her teammates against the Wildcats because of a shoulder injury. She is hopeful that she won’t miss any more time on the court.

• The Hoosiers have been splitting the action at setter this season between Laurie Gardner and Disney Bronnenberg. Gardner has recorded 187 assists and 43 digs, while Bronnenberg leads the team with 263 assists and 60 digs. Gardner has been bothered by a shoulder injury recently, and it kept her out of the Northwestern contest a week ago.

Bronnenberg, a senior from Bloomington, transferred to IU from Kansas State, where she started for three years. She set an NCAA record with a 15.54 assists/game average as a freshman. She earned All-Big 12 honors as a sophomore and honorable mention All-Big 12 accolades as a junior.

• Indiana Football and basketball aren’t the only sporting events that will be going on in Bloomington over the weekend. Weismiller’s Hoosiers return to the University Gym this weekend to face Michigan State and Michigan. Indiana will square off with the Spartans on Friday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m., and return to action Saturday Oct. 13 against the Wolverines at 7 p.m.