To submit a collegiate athlete with Big Island ties for publication, email kjakahi@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
As captain on the New Jersey Institute of Technology men’s volleyball team, Brady Smith steers straight, putting in good work as a libero and consummate student-athlete.
The 2009 Waiakea graduate started as a freshman for the Highlanders, who play in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, a conference that includes a pair of Ivy league schools, Harvard and Princeton, and mostly notably Penn State.
The 6-foot junior is guiding the Highlanders in the right direction. They were 3-18 in 2010 and 7-21 last season, small steps for a school with an enrollment just above 5,000 students against bigger institutions with much better financial backing.
They’re 2-3 after dropping their first three matches, one to UC San Diego in five sets. The Tritons split with Hawaii to start their season, sweeping the Warriors in the rematch.
The Highlanders didn’t catch any breaks when the conference realigned teams, sticking them in the same division among the big dogs like Rutgers-Newark and Penn State, known as a powerhouse in women’s volleyball with NCAA titles from 2007 to ’10.
The Nittany Lion men aren’t too shabby either. Last season, Penn State lost in the NCAA semifinals to Ohio State, the eventual national champion. Penn State last won the NCAA title in 2008 with a 30-1 record, and will tango twice with NJIT.
“College volleyball is on another level. The quality of play is much higher,” Smith said. “Also, I’m on scholarship so it almost becomes a job. There’s more on the line than high school. I have to make sure I stay in shape, keep my grades up and work out. It’s much more time consuming and time commitment than high school.”
Still, the communications and media major is holding strong with a 3.63 grade point average. Last season, he landed on the EIVA all-academic team, a proud moment for his parents, Michael and Kerinne Smith.
On the court, he’s flourishing as well, despite playing a different position. At Waiakea he was a setter, which meant he didn’t pass much unless a play broke down. That didn’t stop him from leading NJIT in digs the past two years.
His career high is 20 digs, accomplished last season against New York University, home of 2010 Kamehameha-Hawaii graduate Matt Coghlan, and as a freshman against King College.
But his biggest contribution is not passing the ball on a string to the setter — his roommate Matthew Lui, a 2009 Hawaii Baptist Academy graduate — but rather his sheepherding skills for a roster with seven freshmen.
“I’ve been a captain as a sophomore and this year. I try to bring leadership,” Smith said. “Now that I’m a junior I’m a little more experienced that most of the players and started playing volleyball a lot younger. I help them with the transition between high school and college.
“It’s more on court than off. I make sure they’re relaxed and comfortable in tight situations. The men’s game you side out so much if you fall behind a few points it’s unlikely you’ll get back ahead. I try to do more in-game stuff to calm people down.”
‘It’s pretty cold’
Like most kama’aina, Smith enjoys Hawaii’s beaches, year-round sunshine and tropical weather. New Jersey has none of that.
“It’s pretty cold. It’s supposed to snow all day,” he said. “It’s not all bad. I spent the winter break at home. At night, it’s in the teens, usually 20 or 30 degrees. If you have enough protection on, it doesn’t faze me that much.
“I don’t mind the weather. One thing I truly miss the most is the beach. I’m always at the beach when I’m home.”
He’s more than 4,800 miles from home. The homesick bug hasn’t bitten him. He’s made himself comfortable.
“I’ve always been independent. I did a lot of traveling growing up. I wasn’t worried going away,” he said. “I was excited to go to a place I’ve never been and not having family close. I think I grew up faster, being all on my own from the get-go. I enjoy it and still do. I’ve made good friends. The East Coast is all good.”
Good friends
When he gets a chance, Smith will hop on the subway and in 20 minutes he’ll be in the heart of New York City, where there’s so much to do.
“You can go get good food in the city. There are so many different places,” he said. “The transportation is so good you could go anywhere for the weekend. You could go to Philadelphia, Boston or somewhere in the Northeast. I haven’t taken advantage of that.
“I went to a John Mayer concert at Madison Square Garden. That was pretty awesome. It was a double whammy, an artist I like and a famous venue I had not been. You come up underneath Madison, so it’s a quick trip. It’s basically how you see it on TV, but a little larger.”
He’s made good friends with his teammates and they’re all heading in the right direction, not just this season.
“We have the weapons to win. We have a lot more depth and more overall skills. We can take on good teams and beat them,” Smith said. “We have to play our game and continue to grow throughout the season.
“I’ve really met good friends. My best memories are with those people. We’ve got someone from Israel, two from Germany, me from Hawaii and my roommate is from Hawaii. We’ve got people from all over the place. It’s given me connections with people and it’s nice to learn how they live. It’s cool to meet new people and it gives me a great excuse to visit them once I’m done with school.”
To submit a collegiate athlete with Big Island ties for publication, email kjakahi@hawaiitribune-herald.com.