If you were to ask freshman Rilynn Brown how her debut volleyball season with Canyon del Oro High School is going, she would grin widely and probably tell you something like, 鈥淚t鈥檚 going well.鈥
But ask her coach, Jose Robles, and he鈥檒l tell you that she鈥檚 being humble, and the proof is in the numbers.
Just a few weeks ago in a match against Cienega, Brown had 12 kills and a hitting percentage over .600.
鈥淕etting above 30% is phenomenal and she went out there and rocked it,鈥 Robles said. 鈥淲e asked her, like, 鈥楬ey, we need you to step up. We need you to play. We need you to just go all the way around.鈥 And she stepped up. She鈥檚 impressive.鈥
Robles doesn鈥檛 have to worry about Brown stepping up against tough competitors, because he knows she鈥檒l rise to the challenge every time. And every single time, you鈥檒l never hear Brown brag about her accomplishments on the court.
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Instead, you鈥檒l see her smiling and asking her coach and teammates what she can work on next.
Brown, 15, is one of the only freshmen on CDO鈥檚 varsity volleyball team, but you wouldn鈥檛 be able to tell with her skillset and connection with her older teammates.
鈥淚 just love the feeling of having relationships with teammates that are in different grades and how you can all just come together,鈥 Brown said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 more about the relationships rather than just the sport. And I just like how the environment feels.鈥
Since joining the team this past summer, Brown says her teammates have been 鈥渞eally sweet and welcoming鈥 and have made the overall experience enjoyable.
鈥淪he came to our middle school camp and we were watching her play and then just immediately the coaches that were there, we fell in love with her,鈥 Robles said. 鈥淪he is such a hard worker. She鈥檚 dedicated. She always has a smile on her face. She even has one right now on her face at the moment. She is also humble. I can tell you right now (about) her answers, she鈥檚 being very humble about how good she is and whatnot.鈥
鈥淏ut at tryouts, when she showed up, she was nervous, being a freshman and being asked to come up to the varsity tryouts,鈥 he added. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 tell her at first, but we were like, 鈥榃e want her on this team.鈥 She is on this team because she鈥檚 just an overall amazing person and she fits in well with the other players.鈥
Robles also describes Brown as a respectful individual with a great attitude, saying that she鈥檚 one of the first players to come up to every coach after practices to thank them.
Brown has played volleyball for a few years, including with the Club Cactus Juniors Volleyball Club, before joining the CDO team. Before playing volleyball, she played softball for several years but ultimately ended up falling out of love with it.
For her, volleyball was different.
鈥淚 just feel like every time that I play it, I get excited to play,鈥 she said. 鈥淎nd other sports that I鈥檝e tried, I didn鈥檛 really experience that. It was a drag to go to practice and stuff. But with volleyball, I look forward to it and I just never want it to end.鈥
When she鈥檚 not practicing or playing a match, you鈥檒l find her studying and doing homework (often before practice) to try to maintain her straight A鈥檚. Balancing sports and academics can be tough at times, but Brown gives full credit to her planner, which she says keeps her in line.
As she furthers her academic career, she hopes to join the National Honor Society and other extracurriculars.
While her passion for volleyball shows anytime she speaks about the sport, her bubbly and youthful personality shines through when speaking about spending time with her family, something she loves to do when she has free time from school and volleyball.
Off the court, Brown likes shopping at Marshall鈥檚 with her mom, listening to Billy Joel with her dad and hanging out with her two Yorkies, Bella and Milo.
Since graduation is a distant thought for the 2028 graduate, her focus remains on playing the best volleyball she can and finishing the season strong. CDO, currently ranked No. 9 in its division, finishes up its regular season on Oct. 30 against Catalina Foothills.
Robles is excited to see what the next three years will bring for Brown and he鈥檚 expecting big things from the outside hitter.
鈥淚 see her as a stud for us next year, immediately as a sophomore. I think a lot of people need to probably know who Rilynn Brown is when we play them because she鈥檚 a phenomenal player and we have nothing but high expectations for her and she鈥檚 willing to meet that. She鈥檚 willing to rise to the occasion and make herself better,鈥 Robles said. 鈥淭his girl is a workhorse and she will do everything she can to try to get better, even if it鈥檚 just 1% better. 鈥 These next three years with us are going to be something that I鈥檓 hoping that she鈥檚 going to be on highlights every single time we play someone and everyone鈥檚 going to be like, 鈥極h, we got to watch out for Rilynn Brown, she鈥檚 going to be the go-to point scorer and she鈥檚 going to be the threat out there for us.鈥欌
Five favorites with Rilynn
What鈥檚 your favorite post-match meal?
A pepperoni pizza from Sauce Pizza & Wine.
What鈥檚 your favorite Gatorade flavor?
Grape.
What鈥檚 your favorite Billy Joel song?
鈥淰颈别苍苍补.鈥
What鈥檚 your favorite clothing brand?
Free People.
What鈥檚 your favorite class right now?
AP World History.
Elvia is a journalism and history graduate from the University of Arizona. She hopes to create stories that show what makes Tucson and its community special.