As a sophomore, Devin Tanner Brown was seeking a new sport to play in high school. Previously, he had played basketball but looked for a different sport that drew his interest. Brown conversed with his good friend Nasim Abdul-Malik Abin III and was convinced to become a part of the volleyball program.

“I was inspired by the anime ‘Haikyu!!’ and I wanted to transition away from my former sport, basketball,” Brown said. “I already had my athleticism from basketball and I knew the sport, so I picked it up quickly. I wanted to try something new because I was in high school and I wanted to be a different kind of person.”

Throughout the two and a half years on the team, Brown has risen from a brand new JV player to the captain of the squad. In his first year, the Wolves ran through their competition, making it to the championship game before losing. The following year, they exited the playoffs early in the first round, but they returned this season in the Division One bracket. 

Though performing to the best of your ability is undoubtedly important, the traits of a captain are needed just as much, if not more. 

“I was definitely able to bring new players up like Aidyn Kinchen, who’s a sophomore. He’s a varsity starter and captain next year,” Brown said. “Being a captain on and off the court has definitely taught me patience and how to bring out the best in people. When you’re surrounded by people that might now have as much experience but their performance is key to success, I learned to be patient and teach them to grow along with me so we can become a better team.”

Brown will be heading south to the University of California San Diego to study history this coming fall. While attending the school, he looks to continue his volleyball career both playing for their club team and pivoting to the coaching aspect of the sport.