Marlow Bruneau is not from Northern Virginia. She's not from the volleyball hotbeds of Texas or Florida either, as many of her teammates are. Marlow is from Lakeville, Minn. -- a town south of the Twin Cities where temperatures in the winter can hover around 0°F and volleyball isn't exactly the local pastime.
Nevertheless, since the 6-ft freshman setter came to Charlottesville, she's managed to make her mark while carving out playing time in coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton's system.
"Coming here, not many people are from the North," Bruneau said. "A lot are from Texas -- but I've gotten along great with all the girls."
Although still being groomed for a permanent role in Virginia's offense, Shelton said the freshman's game has progressed noticeably over the course of the season.
"Marlow has moved along very quickly," Shelton said. "She's at the point now where we can put her [at setter] when we need a bigger block on the front line than Emily [Kirkwood] can provide."
After seeing action in 18 matches this season, the setter from Lakeville has dished out 85 assists (second on the team) and gained an appreciation for the nuances of the college game.
"Playing in college is a lot faster," Bruneau said. "Everybody's good, so it's a lot more of a mental game."
As her first Division I season winds down, Bruneau now occupies a unique position in the Cavalier depth chart. While learning the ropes as a freshman, Bruneau has been working in the shadow of one of Virginia's most dominant players in the hopes of one day stepping into her shoes. Bruneau's mentor is Kirkwood, the team's starting setter who began the year ranked fourth on Virginia's all-time assists list, and holds the single-game assist record of 81.
"[Emily] is so humble and underrated," Bruneau said. "She plays my position, but she's such a smart player."
After Kirkwood, a junior from Tampa, Fl., graduates, Bruneau could be asked to assume some of the leadership and offensive roles required of the team's starting setter.
"We are working with Marlow to pick up some of Emily's responsibilities once she graduates," Shelton said. "[Marlow] has actually been pushing Emily in practice and making her a better setter."
For the time being, Bruneau will continue to learn from Kirkwood while earning some playing time of her own. With Shelton's confidence and experience growing by the day, the freshman from up north could find herself stepping into the lineup more and more often after her first full collegiate season. Although she might not spend the offseason playing in balmy Florida or hot Texas weather, Bruneau has definitely found a place with the Cavaliers.
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