Hilary Brinkman is a 21-year-old senior at California State University at Northridge who is majoring in cinema and television arts multimedia production. She is also an outside hitter on the women’s volleyball team. The CSUN team competes in the Big West conference within the Division I category of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

As of Oct. 28 (2006 season) Hilary had appeared in 71 games and 21 matches and had started in 13 of those matches. She had 85 kills for a ratio of 1.2 per game. She also had 54 blocks for a ratio of .76 blocks per game.

Hilary came to CSUN in 2005 and played 26 matches and 80 games that season. She earned 14 starts, ranked fifth on the team in kills with 132 (1.65 kills-per-game), and had 44 blocks for a .55 blocks-per-game average, which also ranked fifth on the team.

Hilary is a native of Camarillo, Calif. Her parents, Michael and Sharon, and younger brother Paul still live there. She grew up playing soccer in the American Youth Soccer Organization. In the ninth grade at Adolfo Camarillo High School she began playing competitive volleyball for the school’s team.

“I picked it up quite easily,” Hilary said about her new sport.

She was greatly encouraged by her parents, who supported her play on the school’s team and also her involvement with traveling teams outside the school.

With the traveling teams she was able to blossom as a player, her father said. She was able to refine her natural ability.

“She was quick on her feet and had quick hands,” Michael said.

After high school, Hilary attended Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo., near St. Louis, which happened to be where Sharon is from.

“I never thought that one of my children would study where I grew up,” Sharon said with a smile.