By Rubin E. Grant
Whenever someone yells “Olivia” at a Homewood volleyball practice or during a game, two players automatically look to see who is being addressed.
It can get confusing at times, but senior outside hitter Olivia Brown and senior setter Olivia Outman have learned to live with it.
“We both look up, but we both just know who they’re talking to,” Outman said. “We don’t have any code names. It gets crazy sometimes, but we make it work.”
Brown and Outman also have been making it work with their play. Outman leads the team in assists with 865 and Brown leads the team in kills with 541. Outman also has 211 digs, 30 kills, 25 aces and 21 blocks. Brown has 262 digs, 35 blocks and 33 aces.
Homewood coach Andie Freedman raves about the two Olivias.
“Olivia Brown is a very special player,” Freedman said. “She has tremendous athleticism and ball control, and a great volleyball IQ.
“She started out as a middle hitter and we moved her to outside hitter, so she’s become a six-rotation player. She’s a dominant hitter and she puts the ball down consistently.”
Usually, Brown puts the ball down after receiving a pass from Outman.
“Olivia Outman is a great setter and a great leader,” Freedman said. “She practices for a lot of hours and plays with a lot of confidence. She’s smart about which hitters to get the ball to.”
Freedman said Brown and Outman have a “strong connection on the court.” One reason for that is they are close friends.
“Our friendship has grown so much, especially since we played on the same club volleyball team,” Brown said. “That gave us an extra nine months to get closer. We communicate really well and some of it is non-verbal.”
Outman said, “Our personalities mix well so that helps our connection.”
Both players admire what the other brings to the court. Outman described Brown as “amazing.”
“She’s extremely athletic and resilient,” Outman said. “I feel she’s able to put any ball down that I throw up to her.”
Brown says Outman’s best asset is her court awareness.
“She’s smart,” Brown said. “She’s kind of quiet and she kind of creeps up on the ball, then she makes a play.”
Brown has another player on the team that she’s even more close to, her younger sister Grace Brown, a sophomore middle hitter.
“I love it that we’re playing on the same team, but it’s funny being out there together,” Olivia Brown said. “This is the first time with us playing together, even though we’re with each other all the time.”
The Patriots (27-13) finished as runners-up in the Class 6A, Area 9 tournament, falling to host Mountain Brook 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-12).
Homewood will be playing in the Class 6A North Super Regional this week at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, trying to earn a berth in the state tournament Oct. 26-28 at the Birmingham CrossPlex and Bill Harris Arena. The Patriots will play Springville (42-17) in their regional opener on Wednesday.
“I think we all want to win it bad enough, but making state would be great since none of us have ever gone to state,” Brown said.
“I hope it goes well,” Outman said. “I believe we can go far if we play our best.”
