Morrison Concludes Historic Lakers Volleyball Career
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. – Sophomore Brandy Morrison (Macedon, N.Y./ Palmyra-Macedon) was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American team following a historic season that saw the Finger Lakes Community College women's volleyball team win its first Region III championship and earn its first-ever appearance in the National Championship tournament.
Morison, an outside and middle hitter, was one of the key contributors for the Lakers, who posted a 20-8 record and earned a seventh-place finish at the 2021 NJCAA Division III National Tournament.
It was a rewarding final season at FLCC for Morrison, who saw her 2020 season get canceled due to the COVID-19 global health pandemic, but Morrison opted to return for one last season with the Lakers and took advantage of the extra year of eligibility she was granted.
"When COVID-19 cancelled my volleyball season last fall, I thought that I wouldn't play at Finger Lakes ever again. When I heard that an extra year of eligibility was being granted to Fall student-athletes, I knew I had a big decision to make. I risked being behind my classmates and putting my future on hold for a team that I wasn't sure was going to have a winning record, I was playing a totally new position that I have never played before and playing with student-athletes I had never actually played a match with before", Morrison said when describing her thought process this fall.
But Morrison opted to return, and her decision paid dividends, both for herself and her Laker teammates. Thanks to Morrison's steady play, FLCC captured the Region III Championship and picked up two victories in the National Championship tournament as the No. 10 seed. In FLCC's first match, they defeated No. 7 Raritan Valley in four sets, with Morrison registering 21 kills along with 3 total blocks, 2 digs, and 1 assist.
After a tough loss to the two-time national champions from Owens Community College, a match where Morrison recorded 13 kills, FLCC split its two matches in the tournament's consolation bracket. Morrison tallied 13 kills with 2 digs and 1 block assist in a loss to Butler Community College, and added a game-high 26 kills with six digs to lift the Lakers to a seventh-place finish with a four-set victory over Rowan College South Jersey-Gloucester in the final match of Morrison's decorated career.
All told, Morrison earned 2021 Mid-State Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors, was a 2021 All-Conference Selection, earned All-Region 1st Team honors, and was named the NJCAA Region III All-Tournament MVP while helping FLCC win the NJCAA Region III title. She also garnered NJCAA National Division III All-Tournament team honors and was an NJCAA Division III 1st Team All-American during the 2021 fall season.
"It has all been a blessing and I am so grateful that I decided to stay and play another season. I trusted the process, and I'm glad I did, because I could've never dreamed of coming this far. I would like to thank God, my family and friends, teammates and coaches for allowing me to finish my final season at Finger Lakes Community College on such a positive note," Morrison said.
Morrison caps her distinguished Laker career second all-time in kills with 692, a total she set during the 2019 and 2021 seasons.
"Brandy has solidified her spot in the FLCC volleyball history books, and we are so happy for her. Brandy's impact on the FLCC volleyball program will never be forgotten, and we are very proud of Brandy's All-American selection. She carried the team on her shoulders throughout our entire playoff run. Because volleyball is such a team sport that relies so heavily on teammates, every athlete on the team should feel incredibly proud of Brandy's All-American selection," said Andrew Solomon, FLCC's head women's volleyball coach.
The talented Morrison also etched her name into the school's single-game record books, compiling the sixth-most kills in a match vs. Rowan College South Jersey-Gloucester (26). She ended her career ranking fifth all-time for kills in a season (386) and is fifth all-time in career hitting percentage (.279) with a minimum of 100 career attempts.
"Brandy has worked incredibly hard for this honor, and it is certainly well deserved. Her dedication to this team and the passion for volleyball is clear to see when watching her take the court. She has been a major contributor during this historic season and helped make a name for Finger Lakes women's volleyball on the national level," said Madison Joseph, FLCC's assistant women's volleyball coach.
Reflecting one more time on what her and her Lakers' teammates accomplished during this historic fall season, Morrison said that while she started off with lots of uncertainty surrounding whether she would return for one more season or not, ultimately, she was happy she "took that leap of faith" and that she wouldn't change a thing about this season. "I'm so glad that I decided to stay and play another season," Morrison said.
Thanks to Morrison's production, leadership, and work ethic on and off the court, the standard has been raised for the FLCC women's volleyball program moving forward, the latest accolade in a long line of accomplishments during the talented FLCC career for Brandy Morrison.
"I'm very proud of Brandy and all of her accomplishments, both on the volleyball court and at FLCC. It has been a rewarding experience to be able to watch her grow on the volleyball court, and she is an extremely talented student-athlete. But most of all, Brandy epitomizes what it means to be a student-athlete at FLCC," said Samantha Boccacino, FLCC's Director of Athletics.