College athlete of the week
Player: Patti Reeves
Year, school: Senior, George Fox (Ore.) University
Sport: Volleyball
Hometown: Everett (Archbishop Murphy High School)
What she did: Had 40 digs in the Bruins’ season finale to become the school’s all-time leader in digs per set. The senior libero led the Bruins in digs (502) and service aces (28) this season.
What’s next: The Bruins (10-15) won three of their final four matches but did not qualify for postseason play.
The two-minute drill
Over the weekend, you set the George Fox University all-time record for career digs per set. First of all, who thought of keeping a stat like that?
I don’t know, but I’m happy to get it.
Did you have any idea you were chasing the record?
I actually thought I broke it last year. I thought I did worse this year. I thought my stats were better last year. So knowing I broke it this year was cool.
OK, then. Secondly, who is George Fox?
George Fox. I heard he was a Quaker, and that’s about it. I don’t know anything about him.
Fair enough. You’ve only spent two years there, having started your college career at Bellevue Community College. Why did you decide to go the community college route?
I honestly just wasn’t really ready to move out of state. I wasn’t ready for the next step, for a four-year college. Bellevue was a great fit. I had an amazing coach, I had two successful years there, and I was fortunate enough to get to George Fox. So it worked out really well.
And how did you end up at George Fox?
Coach (Steve) Grant saw me at the NWAACC championships, and he contacted me a few months later. I visited the school, and as soon as I set foot on campus, I told my dad I knew I was going to go there. There were a lot of nice people there, really nice people who made you feel like you’d known them forever. It’s a small campus, which is something I was attracted to. The faculty was amazing, especially in psychology, which is my major, so it was the right place for me.
You’re an Everett native, so tell us your favorite hangout: downtown Everett, Bellevue Square or Newberg, Oregon?
Oh, downtown Everett.
Why’s that?
It’s just Everett. You hate it, but you love it. I couldn’t ever leave Everett. I’ve grown up there, so it will always be home. It might be dirty, but it’s Everett, and I love it. (Laughs)
Did you grow up near downtown or something?
I grew up by Harborview Park, and that is actually my favorite spot – ever.
What’s so great about Harborview Park?
We used to go there for the Fourth of July. We would watch the fireworks, which they shot off an aircraft carrier. I just have a lot of family memories there, so I love it.
What’s there to do in Newberg?
There is absolutely nothing to do Newberg. Just volleyball and a lot of studying. It’s pretty boring. I live right in downtown Newberg, and it’s less than a mile long. There are a few hole-in-the-wall restaurants, a drive-in theater. There’s a Taco Bell that we frequent. There’s not a lot to do.
Not to get too personal, but your bio for the Northwest Juniors team only had your father, Steve, listed as a parent. Were you raised by a single father?
Yes, I was raised by my father.
Can I ask why that was?
My parents divorced, and it was just the better decision. The courts ruled it was the better decision, and it turned out to be an amazing decision. He didn’t just do the best he could do; he did an amazing job being a father, being a parent. Back then, I saw it as normal, but now after seeing a lot of parents raising kids, I realize how blessed I was to have a father like he was. He did it absolutely perfect.
Did you have any siblings that lived with you?
I have one brother, Jack. He’s 13 months older than me.
Most people probably don’t even know what a libero is. Is that one of those people doing the Occupy movement?
(Laughs) I’m not even sure I know what you’re talking about. All I know is that a lot of people don’t even know how to say the word.
I probably said it wrong. What’s the correct pronunciation?
Libe-AIR-oh. Some people say it like LIBBER-oh. But it’s libe-AIR-oh.
So what is the libe-AIR-oh?
It is the best position, obviously. (Laughs) You wear a different color jersey, you can go in for anyone and it doesn’t count as a sub. You can only play the back row, and you can’t hit. If you do, you can’t jump above the height of the net or it’s a penalty. You have to be the best passer, the best set-receiver, the best defender.
How’d you get into that?
It was a natural transition. I set for four years in high school, and I knew I wasn’t going to set in college. My coaches called me Pinball Patti because the ball bounced all around whenever I was near it. I tried it, and I absolutely loved it.
Now that your volleyball career is over, what are you going to do with your time?
I am going to study. My dad just asked me that: what I wanted to do. I’m going to use my time to do homework. I’m studying for my psychology degree, and then I want to try for a Masters degree.
What then?
I plan on getting a Masters in counseling and after that, I want to work with high-risk adolescents, kids from broken homes who might not have had easy lives. I want to get them on the right path, re-shape their lives.
You’re not planning on organizing an Occupy Newburg movement or anything after you graduate?
(Laughs) Uh, no. I don’t think so.
Hey, maybe you’ll end up back in Everett.
That’s the plan for now. After college, I’m going to re-visit my dad, move back in and go to graduate school somewhere in Seattle. Then I’ll start life and go wherever it takes me.
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