If anyone at Long Beach State knows what St. Louis Cardinals fans are going through after their stunning first-round exit courtesy of the Los Angeles Dodgers, it’s not anyone who competes on a baseball diamond.
Brittney Herzog, a senior middle blocker for the 25th-ranked 49er women’s volleyball team, is a distant relative of former Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog, who guided St. Louis to the 1982 World Series title.
The 22-year-old from Boonville, Mo. obviously roots for her home team, which was swept in three games last week. But Herzog admits she’s a bigger fan now than before she transferred from her hometown, which is two hours away from both Kansas City and St. Louis.
“People are like, ‘Oh, St. Louis Cardinals.’ So I was like, ‘Represent! That’s my hometown,'” said Herzog, who also has a boyfriend in the minor leagues. “If you think about Missouri … there’s not much there to represent. … [Albert] Pujols is my man.”
Just don’t expect her to set foot on a softball field and perform like an All-Star.
“My sister was good and when were little kids, I’d be the girl [my parents told] to go out in the outfield,” Herzog said laughing with a hint of a country twang. “I’d come up [to the plate] and I’d want to swing … and be the type of girl to swing and do a 360 and miss it completely. My brother would be like, ‘Brittney, you suck!'”
The 6-foot standout eventually found her athletic success playing basketball and volleyball throughout high school.
“I played on a [highly competitive] traveling basketball team since I was in the sixth grade,” she said. “It was just too competitive. Every weekend at that age I just wanted to have fun. Every weekend I was in Chicago or somewhere else.”
So, Herzog chose to exclusively play volleyball for her mother, Dina, and won a district and conference title all four years. She eventually followed in her mother’s footsteps and started her Division I collegiate career at Missouri.
“I wanted to prove to my mom I could be better than her,” Herzog said.
Things didn’t work out with the Tigers, however, as she was promised to redshirt her freshman year and eventually become a starter the following season. Instead, Herzog found herself playing in 15 matches in 2006.
During a meeting with the coaches at the end of the season, Herzog was informed that two players were ahead of her on the depth chart heading into the following year.
“They told me, ‘Brittney, you’re not going to play next year. There’s two very good Chinese girls that are coming in. No chance, you’re not good enough,'” she recalled, mocking her former coach’s voice.
After spending a year at Missouri State-West Plains Community College, Herzog received an e-mail from former 49er assistant coach Debbie Green but was unaware of the program’s history.
“I was telling my mom about it and she’s like, ‘Oh my god, Brittney. Brian Gimmillaro? Debbie Green, you don’t know her?'” Herzog said. “‘Brittney, she coached Misty May.’ I didn’t know who Misty May was at the time.”
LBSU head coach Brian Gimmillaro watched film of Herzog and said he liked her “court demeanor” more than her play.
On a recruiting visit to The Beach, a certain noticeable blue structure refreshed her memory.
“It wasn’t until my visit back out here where I saw the Pyramid. ‘Oh, I came out here my freshman year!'” recalled Herzog, who made the trip with the Tigers for a tournament at the Walter Pyramid in 2006 but did not play.
Herzog, a communications major, quickly embraced the Southern California lifestyle and credits her “two buddies” — former players Nicole Vargas and Iris Murray — for the smooth transition.
The same could be said about her performance on the court last season. Herzog was named to the Big West Conference first team after posting 192 kills and 78 blocks to go with a .362 hitting percentage, which ranked second in the conference. Her play helped the ‘Niners finish with a 26-6 and capture their record-ninth Big West title.
This season, Herzog currently ranks second on the team in blocks (39) and third in kills (130) to help the 49ers jump out to an 11-4 start, including 4-1 in conference action.
“Because of her attitude, she’s become a very, very good player,” Gimmillaro said. “Her personality, desire and character help her improve.”
While Herzog is enjoying her final collegiate season and will explore her options after graduating, the proud member of the “Show Me State” is almost certain she’ll find her way back home to her family — most notably her 3-year-old niece.
“It’s been the best experience of my life, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but I’m definitely ready to go back home,” she said.