BENTONVILLE -- The closer Rebecca Brown got to the end of her senior season at Drake University last fall, the more she realized she wasn't ready for her volleyball career to end.
That will not take place any time soon. The former Bentonville standout has signed a professional contract with Amager Volleyball Klub and has earned the opportunity to take her talents to Denmark -- though she has never set foot in that country.
Rebecca Brown
Team: Amager Volleyball Klub (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Height: 5-10
Position: Setter
Notable: A former standout at Bentonville, where she was named all-conference and all-state three straight years and led the Lady Tigers to the Class 7A state titles in 2010 and 2011. … A three-year starter during her four years at Drake University and she led the Bulldogs with 600 assists last fall, including a career-high 42 against North Dakota on Sept. 5.
"I'll be living in Copenhagen, so that will be nice living in a big city," Brown said. "It's one of the happiest cities in the world, so that will be great.
"I'll be living with a host family, which will help not being by myself and will help me immerse in the culture at the same time. It should make for an easier transition if there is one."
Brown, a 5-foot-10 setter, said the thought of extending her volleyball career entered her mind last summer after she took a trip to Thailand with Athletes In Action, where she met three players who had played in the international ranks. She then signed up with Bring It Promotions, a professional volleyball agency, and took a trip to Europe in January. She played volleyball in parts of Slovenia, Austria and Italy before a number of professional coaches and teams.
Unlike most players at those tryouts, Brown still had to graduate from Drake in May and couldn't immediately join any team, although two or three teams were impressed enough to sign her. It wasn't until she returned to Drake that she found out about Denmark and the Amager Volleyball Klub.
"When I got back to Drake for the spring semester, I was walking with one of my good friends on the basketball team," she said. "He happened to be from Denmark, and he knew some of the volleyball coaches over there.
"I emailed the coach and sent him my video and highlight reel, and that's the way it worked. It's funny that I went all the way to Europe, then found this opportunity while I was walking back to class. It all happened to work out like that."
Brown will head for Denmark on Aug. 4 with her family since Amager begins training camp later that month. The season runs from September to January, with postseason play extending until April. In the meantime, she has spent much of her summer working out and preparing herself for the daily grind of a professional volleyball player.
She has planned individual workouts with Ozark Juniors Volleyball Club director Evgeniya "Jenny" Rangelova Lingenfelter, whom Brown met during her trip to Thailand. She also will work out next week with Bentonville's volleyball team in Tiger Arena, where she earned all-state and all-conference honors three straight years and helped the Lady Tigers win Class 7A state championships in 2010 and 2011.
"We welcome Bear back to her old stomping grounds," said Bentonville coach Michelle Smith, referring Brown by her nickname. "It's going to be excellent for our coaches to learn some things from her and allow her to get in some reps before she leaves the country.
"This is a good way for some of our players to see what hard work and dedication can do for them. They always hear the coaches speak of it, but now they can see it in real life through Rebecca. This group of Lady Tigers can see one of their own and see how she did it, then it might sink in and show the young ones that anything is possible."
Sports on 07/07/2016