Heather Bown
Encyclopedia
Heather Erin Bown is a volleyball
player from the United States
, who played as a middle-blocker. She represented her native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece. There she finished in fifth place with the USA national team
. She also competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics
. Bown made her third straight Olympic appearance in Beijing
, helping Team USA to a silver medal.
She currently plays for Azerrail Baku
.
, and calls Yorba Linda, California
, home. She graduated from Esperanza High School
in Anaheim where she was a three year letterwinner. She was named all-CIF
twice and played club volleyball for NIKE Ichiban that won the Junior Olympics in 1996.
, for two seasons, where her squad advanced the NCAA regional finals in 1997. In her sophomore campaign, she was named to the all-Big West first team after finishing the season ranked ninth nationally in hitting percentage (.384).
She transferred to the University of Hawaii
in 1998 where she was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association
First Team All-American and was the 1998 and 1999 WAC
Player of the Year. In 1998, she ranked first in the WAC in hitting percentage (.389) and blocking (1.69) and led the team in kills in 24 matches. She had a career-high 30 kills vs. BYU-Hawaii. As a senior in 1999, she repeated as the WAC Player of the Year and repeated as an AVCA First Team All-American. In 1999, she led the nation with 2.25 block per game and posted 411 kills, 230 blocks and a .364 hitting percentage for the year.
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
player from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, who played as a middle-blocker. She represented her native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens, Greece. There she finished in fifth place with the USA national team
United States women's national volleyball team
The United States women's national volleyball team represents the United States of America in international volleyball competitions and friendly games, and is governed by USA Volleyball.-Current Squad:...
. She also competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. Bown made her third straight Olympic appearance in Beijing
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, helping Team USA to a silver medal.
She currently plays for Azerrail Baku
Azerrail Baku
Azerrail Baku is an Azerbaijani women's volleyball club which plays its home matches at the Sports Games Palace in Baku.-History:In April 2011, club claimed their second Women's CEV Top Teams Cup in their history as they beat Lokomotiv Baku in all Azerbaijani final.-Team 2010-2011:As of July...
.
Early life and high school
Bown was born in Orange, CaliforniaOrange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
, and calls Yorba Linda, California
Yorba Linda, California
Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, approximately northeast of Downtown Santa Ana, and southeast of Downtown Los Angeles....
, home. She graduated from Esperanza High School
Esperanza High School
Esperanza High School is a 9th–12th grade public high school located in Anaheim, California and is part of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District....
in Anaheim where she was a three year letterwinner. She was named all-CIF
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...
twice and played club volleyball for NIKE Ichiban that won the Junior Olympics in 1996.
College
Bown attended University of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
, for two seasons, where her squad advanced the NCAA regional finals in 1997. In her sophomore campaign, she was named to the all-Big West first team after finishing the season ranked ninth nationally in hitting percentage (.384).
She transferred to the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii at Manoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...
in 1998 where she was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association
American Volleyball Coaches Association
The American Volleyball Coaches Association is an organization of nearly 5,000 members, incorporated as a private non-profit educational corporation in 1981, as the Collegiate Volleyball Coaches Association....
First Team All-American and was the 1998 and 1999 WAC
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
Player of the Year. In 1998, she ranked first in the WAC in hitting percentage (.389) and blocking (1.69) and led the team in kills in 24 matches. She had a career-high 30 kills vs. BYU-Hawaii. As a senior in 1999, she repeated as the WAC Player of the Year and repeated as an AVCA First Team All-American. In 1999, she led the nation with 2.25 block per game and posted 411 kills, 230 blocks and a .364 hitting percentage for the year.
Individuals
- 2001 NORCECA Championship "Best Spiker"
- 2008–09 CEV Challenge Cup "Best Blocker"
Clubs
- 2008–09 CEV Challenge Cup –
Champion, with Monte Schiavo Banca Marche JesiVini Monteschiavo JesiMonte Schiavo Banca Marche Jesi is an Italian volleyball club which is playing their home matches at the Palatriccoli hall in Jesi.The team participates in the Women's CEV Champions League 2007-08.-Team 2009-2010:As of November 2009-Transfers:... - 2011 Turkish Cup –
Champion, with Eczacıbaşı VitrA