“I just really enjoy spending time with my family,” Bethlehem Catholic’s Kyleigh Brown said in a recent interview. “I know I talk about them a lot.”
Well, there’s a lot to talk about – especially when it comes to winning championships.
Kyleigh is the daughter of two-time PIAA wrestling champion Bernie Brown, but this fall she added to the family’s more recent legacy of state volleyball gold.
With the senior libero steering the Golden Hawks from the back row, Bethlehem Catholic completed an undefeated season and captured the PIAA Class 3A title.
For culminating an exceptional high school career in such fantastic fashion, Brown is the lehighvalleylive.com Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.
It’s the 10th time a Bethlehem Catholic standout has won the award, formerly The Express-Times Player of the Year. Brown is the first Golden Hawk to take the honor since Jordan Young in 2014.
The 2014 squad on which Young starred won the program’s first PIAA title and also featured Kyleigh’s sister, Alyssa. Two years earlier, Kyleigh’s brothers, Bernie and Bryan, helped the Hawks to state boys volleyball glory by winning the 2A crown.
If that wasn’t enough of a family connection, Kyleigh’s sister, Kelly, served as an assistant on the 2014 coaching staff and patrolled the sideline as the Hawks’ head coach this fall.
Kyleigh, who is the youngest of seven children, credits her siblings for laying the groundwork for her success.
“I’ve seen all six of them above me play in high school and club,” she said. “… I’m so thankful for that because that’s ultimately what kept me going as a player and made me the player that I am today.”
Having her older sister at the helm of the Hawks was invaluable, too, even if it wasn’t always easy.
“There wasn’t any nepotism. If anything, she was harder on me,” Kyleigh said. “It ultimately was what was best for me even if, at times, I’d be annoyed because she would push me harder at practice or on the court. But, it made be a better player and better person.”
Kelly Brown had set a high bar for Kyleigh at an early age.
“Since she’s been a little girl – maybe 5 years old – I’ve been hitting balls at her as hard as I possibly could ... She could handle it then,” the coach said. “I knew when she got older, she could handle more and more and more. I think going onto the college level, she’s going to keep improving, which she’s been doing since, literally, 5 years old.”
Embracing the back row
Kyleigh’s volleyball journey started with more offensive opportunities when she was a hitter rotating all around the court. Then, growth spurts arrived for the rest of her classmates.
“I was taller growing up. Then everyone caught up – and now, everyone is taller than me,” Brown laughed.
Brown’s stature made her a better fit at defensive specialist or libero. She quickly adapted to the change.
“I started learning that I could read the ball and it became way more fun for me than the front row,” Brown said.
Bethlehem Catholic's Kyleigh Brown was a two-time PVCA All-State selection.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com
The recent Becahi graduate doesn’t mind that hitters tend to make all the headlines.
“I definitely cherish it, even if it’s not what people are talking about in the crowd,” said Brown, a two-time PVCA All-State selection. “The team knows, and I know, along with the other (liberos), that we start the play.”
Brown’s defensive prowess led to 1,880 career digs, including 457 as the Hawks handled the challenges that lined the 2020 campaign.
“We knew since my freshman year that when I was a senior, we’d be at our strongest. The uncertainty of whether we would have a season or how long it would be, gave us more reason to play – playing like every game could be your last, since it honestly could be because of the pandemic,” Brown said. “Keeping that mindset and pushing through each and every game really set the season and our goal, which we finished by winning states.”
Experienced leadership
The senior brought more than just digs to the table, however, as she used her extensive varsity experience to guide her teammates through high-stress moments.
“I definitely came in with more confidence, being the oldest,” the four-year starter said. “Having everyone look up to you, it’s a lot easier to have that leadership and to be more vocal. I feel like I’ve always been a pretty vocal player, but it definitely was more prominent this season.”
Before Becahi reached the state bracket, the team made its mark locally by disposing teams that’d gotten the better of the Hawks in recent years. They started the campaign with two victories over Allentown Central Catholic and capped local competition with a sweep of Southern Lehigh for the District 11 3A title, the program’s first D-11 championship since 2014.
“Being in the lineup from when we were getting pummeled by those teams to when we were pummeling them was definitely a good feeling. It clearly showed our progress,” Brown said. “Seeing younger players and girls in my grade step up, really showed how much we worked toward it. That ultimately got us the gold.”
Bethlehem Catholic's Kyleigh Brown had 1,880 career digs.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com
Brown had 26 digs as Becahi swept Franklin Regional in the state final, ending the season with an 18-0 record. Hoisting the PIAA trophy as a senior was unforgettable, but so are the relationships volleyball helped her cultivate, according to Brown.
“The off-court memories of getting to become really close friends with all the girls, making those lifelong connections and friendships, and getting to bring those onto the court, then the feeling of winning every, single game, it was just a feeling of accomplishment,” Brown said. “It clearly brought us all together and I’ll never forget any of it.”
Brown to the Brown & White
Next, Brown will play at Lehigh University, where her father wrestled and several of her siblings have attended.
“I just really enjoyed it and could see myself there,” she said about her tour of the Bethlehem school. “It was an easy decision.”
And it’s another family tradition – you know, like winning state championships – that Kyleigh Brown is happy to continue.
ALL-AREA GIRLS VOLLEYBALL:
Becahi’s Kelly Brown is Coach of the Year
The All-Area Girls Volleyball Team
Final girls volleyball rankings
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Kyle Craig may be reached at kcraig@lehighvalleylive.com.
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