Copyright Chicago Tribune
Benet senior outside hitter Brooklynne Brass always asks for “one more” at the end of practices, which rarely end on time. Brass is driven to succeed. For the Maryland commit, that means additional work. “She’s the kid that’s always getting the extra rep,” Benet coach Brad Baker said. “She’s a kid that always wants one more, and there’s no question that she’s going to get better. “She’s just not satisfied.” Baker and Brass’ teammates don’t mind staying late at practices. They all think it’s a good thing. “It makes me want to be a better player,” Benet senior outside hitter Sophia Chinetti said. “Every time Brooklynne is in there getting extra reps, or asking for one more swing, or saying, ‘I have to work on this one thing,’ it inspires me to do it. “Because I’m right there next to her in practice. The extra practice makes me a better player too.” That mentality has made Brass one of the best players in the state. She’s a dominant six-rotation player who does it all. “I think that’s just kind of how I was always raised,” she said. “I’m always just trying to work hard. Being able to get one more hit, one more pass, I love it. I enjoy it.” Brass and the Redwings had much to enjoy about their performance in the Class 4A Glenbard West Sectional championship match on Thursday. She led all players with nine service points and had a team-high nine kills as top-seeded Benet swept second-seeded St. Charles North 25-21, 25-15. Chinetti added four kills and eight service points for the Redwings (37-2), who won their fourth straight sectional title and will play New Trier (27-8) in the Bartlett Supersectional at 7 p.m. Monday. “I feel like as a team we went out there and we dominated,” Brass said. “It was just so fun being able to compete in this environment. We had a blast. We had a great time.” It was the Redwings’ third win in as many matches against St. Charles North (35-4), which took a 6-3 lead in the first game that didn’t last long. Brass smashed her first kill to trigger a 7-2 run, during which she served three points, and the Redwings didn’t trail again. The North Stars closed within a point twice, the last at 21-20, but 6-foot-5 senior middle hitter Lynney Tarnow, a Wisconsin commit, answered for Benet with back-to-back kills and then delivered another to clinch the game. The second game was all Benet. Chinetti, a Rhode Island commit, served five straight points to open a 7-1 lead. The North Stars could get no closer than five points after that. One reason for that was Brass’ outstanding defense. “She doesn’t get enough credit for how good of a defender she is,” Baker said. “Everyone sees her hit the ball as hard as she can. I think she’s one of the best defenders around. “She’s outstanding, and nobody really knows. It’s hard to tell good defenders unless you have them in the gym a lot. We have a lot of good defenders, and she stands out.” Brass made several great digs on Penn State recruit Haley Burgdorf‘s hits, preventing the North Stars from going on a run. They scored more than two consecutive points on only three occasions. “There was one ball that Brooklynne literally dug with one hand and dove,” Chinetti said. “I thought it was going down, but Brooklynne got it up somehow.” But how did Brass do it? “Honestly, Brooklynne is just an insane athlete,” Chinetti said. “I wouldn’t doubt her to get any ball. She has great hustle.” That hustle is constant, but it means not rushing practice. “We practice every day, and I think overall it just comes together during games,” Brass said. “It allows us to dig up whatever kind of balls get thrown at us.” Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
