BOXSCORE
LONG ISLAND, N.Y. (September 1, 2011) – Five minutes around junior right-side hitter Brittany Harman (Hanover, PA/South Western) is the perfect pick-me up for anybody who is feeling down. Harman, who is constantly smiling and always in a jovial mood, could probably cheer up Oscar the Grouch.
Harman helped the Kutztown University women's volleyball team enjoy a happy bus trip to Berks County following a season-opening 3-2 victory over New York Institute of Technology Thursday afternoon. The Golden Bears beat NYIT, 25-23, 20-25, 25-17, 18-25, 15-13 in a thriller. KU rallied from an 11-9 deficit in the fifth game. BOXSCORE
Harman, who had a career-best eight kills, was one of four KU players to finish with at least that amount. Senior Cait Hess (Newark, DE/St. Mark's) led the Golden Bears with 13 kills. Seniors Cali Snell (York, PA/York Suburban) contributed nine kills and Erin Kissling (York, PA/Central York) added eight. Overall, KU had 47 kills as a team. Junior setter Kimberlee Gomber (Washington, PA/Washington) had a team best 21 assists. Senior Lindsey Smith (Hanover, PA/Delone Catholic) had 15 digs and Kissling tallied 14 digs for the Golden Bears (1-0 overall).
“We didn't play our best, but this is the first step in our journey,” Harman said. “We played a good team on the road and won in five games so that was nice. It was good to have to fight to earn the win. This will help us as the year goes along.”
The jolly Harman is playing a bigger role this year for the Golden Bears. A two-sport standout with an award-winning personality, Harman is excited for the opportunity to contribute and showcase her skills. Harman may stand 5 feet, 7 inches, but she plays like she's 6-1 because of her extraordinary leaping ability and instincts at the net.
Harman always put the team ahead of her personal agenda during her first two years in the maroon-and-gold. She's thrilled to be a part of a close-knit squad and have the chance to play a sport at the collegiate level she loves. For two years, Harman worked hard in practice and played her role.
“For me, it's all about the team and it was good for me to learn,” Harman said. “It's all paying off for me now. My role was to help the other teammates get better by practicing hard. All you can do is display your best character, effort and attitude. That's all that matters.”
She brightens up her teammates' day in both volleyball and track, where she is strong hurdler. As a show of her commitment and loyalty earlier in the week, Harman didn't have to attend the track and field compliance meeting, but she showed up with a smile wider than the Susquehanna River on her face as she hugged members of the team.
“She's put in two years of hard work to get to earn this opportunity,” Kutztown head coach John Gump said. “She made some big plays for us today. She has a remarkable ability to be up. Mistakes don't affect her and she bounces back to make the next play. She has incredible energy, enthusiasium and an unbelievable attitude.”
Having studied and learned from Lindsay Confer (Wingate, PA/Bald Eagle), one of the best volleyball players in KU history, has helped Harman. She is more confident and mature on the court. Even before the ball is put into play, Harman has a slight grin on her face. Against the host Bears, Harman roamed everywhere to help the Golden Bears. She even got closely acquainted with the floor a few times.
“Everyday, she comes with a smile to practice,” Snell said. “She's really a big part of our team this year especially on the outside. Her and Erin both play defense and they hit. This first game is just an example of how much Brittany is going to help us toward our ultimate goal. She's always there for everybody.”
Kutztown will return home to host the annual KU Classic. The Golden Bears will play the College of Saint Rose (2:30 p.m.) and University of the Sciences (7 p.m.) at Keystone Arena. The Golden Bears will cram four matches into two days starting Friday night.
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