Newport uncovers a latent talent in UW-bound volleyball star Barfield
By SAM CAMERON
SPECIAL TO THE P-I
As the old adage goes, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.
Lauren Barfield is both.
The 6-foot-5 outside hitter is the most visible member of a Newport Knights volleyball team (8-0) that sits atop KingCo 3A alongside Mercer Island.
Her coach, Jeremy Brown, needs just two words to describe his standout senior.
"She's dominant," Brown said.
What's unusual about Barfield is the lucky part. Two years ago, the University of Washington recruit didn't even play volleyball, nor did she want to. That's when a twist of fate changed her future, along with the future of her coach, her team and her family.
"It was the summer and we were doing workouts, and we were up at the registration desk and we saw her and her mom walking and we had to ask if she played," Brown said.
Barfield's mother, Ronda, remembers the meeting.
"My daughter and I have always attracted quite a bit of attention because we're both tall," Ronda said. "When people see us they tend to do a double-take.
"It started with them, and it was just a blessing in disguise."
As much as his jaw dropped when he saw the sophomore and her 6-foot-3 mom, Brown said he was even more surprised when he found out she'd never tried volleyball.
"I think they looked and saw this opportunity knocking, and they didn't let up until she agreed to be at practice that evening," Ronda said. "It was the beginning of something profound, and thanks to their direction and persistence, it just took off."
For Lauren, Brown found her just in time.
"She wasn't happy because we relocated from Olympia and she left her friends," her mom said. "It was volleyball that brought her back to her normal place and lifted her and took her higher than she ever was before."
Even though she was reluctant at first, Barfield immersed herself in volleyball.
"She just stepped into it and embraced it," Brown said. "She's a poster child for what high school athletes are supposed to be about with her great attitude, selflessness and work ethic, both athletically and academically."
In two years, she's become a student of the game.
"It's an intense game, but it's also graceful," Barfield said. "You're in it, but you have to have a lot of control to play it; you can't just go crazy out there. I feel that you have to have a very clear mind and be very lucid about it, and then when all the girls are on the same page and have the same mind-set, it just flows."
Brown said he feels lucky that Barfield landed at Newport.
"It's not the Barfield show, that's not how we do it here," he said. "Great players don't win games, great teams do. But we're glad she's on our side."
Ronda Barfield said she was blindsided by her daughter's passion for the game.
"It just took over the family household here," the mom said. "Everything is volleyball. I found myself full-time volleyball mom. She's having the time of her life right now, so whatever makes her happy I'm for it."
Lauren doesn't take her success for granted, nor does she think she's reached her potential. Club volleyball, practice, weight training and individual training outside of school keep her busy doing what she's come to love.
"I just want to get better at technique," she said. "I'm not perfect. I've learned a lot in two years, but there's so much more that I can learn."
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