After five seasons with the Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks, one volleyball player has become the first alumnus to sign a pro deal in the sport.
Jamie Brown has signed a deal with Engelholms Volleybollsallkap, making her the first women’s Kodiak player to become a professional volleyball player after finishing her college career.
Her former teammate, friend and roommate, Mack Lewicki, says she will miss Brown, but she couldn’t be happier for her.
“I had seen her every day, even after we weren’t living together anymore. So, yeah, it’ll be a weird adjustment, but I’m so proud of her,” said Lewicki.
Brown is a native of Fort Macleod and she spent five seasons with the Kodiaks. During her tenure, she played 101 matches, racked up 682 kills and left a lasting impact on her teammates.
“She had opportunities to go play other places. She chose to play here, which is great, it just tells the younger talent, sometimes you don’t need to leave to just get these opportunities. It all has to do with their work ethic and just commitment to the program and willing to do the work,” said Steve Ivan, the assistant coach for the Kodiaks women’s volleyball team.
Ivan was more than just a Kodiaks coach for Brown, however. He spent over a decade training the star athlete.
Brown credits him with not only improving her game, but improving her life, as he helped teach her crucial life skills.
Now, however, she is playing the sport professionally in Sweden with Engelholms Volleybollsallkap in a town of just under 50,000 people, according to a 2017 census.
“Everybody here has been really amazing and supportive. The town is really cute, I’m right on the ocean, which is great. There’s nothing to complain about there, the weather has been great. I just feel really comfortable,” said Brown.
Another inspiration for Brown was her head coach from the Kodiaks, Anna Schwark. Schwark coached Brown for all five of her seasons in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference.
“I feel like I get a little emotional thinking about it. I played a relatively small part in Jamie’s success and in her career, but I’m really proud of the part that I was able to play.”
The idea of Schwark playing ‘a small role’ in Brown’s success is not quite accurate, according to Brown.
She says she nearly walked away from the sport after high school, but Schwark and her Kodiak family helped change her mind.
“I wanted to play with Mack again and I wanted to play for Anna and Steve. So, making that decision is the best decision I could have made. Looking back and thinking about not making that decision is just mind blowing to me now,” said Brown.
As for the future of Kodiaks Athletics, one rookie volleyball player says Brown’s success shows the potential of the program is sky high.
“It means that people are looking at the program, there are eyes on the program for other people to potentially go pro,” said Gabe Rahn.