Although this middle blocker transferred from a junior college this summer, the feeling of being a newbie has been short-lived for this junior making Texas State her new home.
Halee Brewer made the move to NCAA Division I volleyball at Texas State University this summer when she transferred from Tyler Junior College.
Brewer began her collegiate career as a middle blocker for the Apaches. In Brewer’s two seasons, she was named to the NJCAA Region XIV First Team and the 2016 NJCAA All- American Second Team. The blocker also received the honor of being the 2015 NJCAA Region XIV Newcomer of the Year.
Brewer competed in 65 matches which included an NJCAA Region XIV Championship and a trip to the NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship tournament. The Longview, Texas native totaled 816 kills, 221 blocks, 116 digs and 19 aces with a .360 hitting percentage.
After two successful years in Tyler, Brewer decided to take her talent to San Marcos instead of the out-of-state offers.
“I love it here so far,” Brewer said. “I had other offers coming out of Tyler, but they were mostly out of state I wanted to go somewhere where I could have a school life and personal life. I love the area, the atmosphere and just being a part of a new team that is fun to be around. It’s the perfect home for me.”
As soon as the electronic media major stepped into Bobcat Country, she was quickly welcomed by one of the three upperclassmen on the team, middle blocker Jaliyah Bolden.
“Jaliyah was the first person to come up to me when I got here,” Brewer said. “She told me exactly how it was down here without sugar-coating it or making it seem like something more than it actually was. That was super important to me.”
The volleyball player gives credit to her sisters on the team and the new friends she made off the team.
“I found a way to have friends that are good for me that don’t play sports,” Brewer said. “My team comes first because they are my sisters, but I love having other people around that want me to be a better player and person. It is just good to have friends on and off the court.”
Playing for the Bobcats means playing for head coach Karen Chisum who has led the Bobcats for the past 38 seasons. Brewer has a great amount of respect and love for her coach even though she can be tough sometimes.
“She is a hard case,” Brewer said. “She is so sweet off the court but when we are on the court she gets on us. There are things she wants done a certain way and we must do it just right.”
With Sun Belt Conference play coming to an end, the Bobcats are headed to the SBC Championship tournament on the right foot. Brewer’s expectations before joining the team were very high for the Bobcats, and she feels they have exceeded those.
“Coming from a junior college, my expectations were really high because the girls were so much better,” Brewer said. “The level and the pace of the game increased, and I knew everyone on the team was super talented. I feel like the spot we are in right now is where we are supposed to be. I never had a doubt in my mind about this team.”