If you were to ask freshman Rilynn Brown how her debut volleyball season with Canyon del Oro High School is going, she would grin widely and probably tell you something like, “It’s going well.”
But ask her coach, Jose Robles, and he’ll tell you that she’s being humble, and the proof is in the numbers.
Just a few weeks ago in a match against Cienega, Brown had 12 kills and a hitting percentage over .600.
“Getting above 30% is phenomenal and she went out there and rocked it,” Robles said. “We asked her, like, ‘Hey, we need you to step up. We need you to play. We need you to just go all the way around.’ And she stepped up. She’s impressive.”
Robles doesn’t have to worry about Brown stepping up against tough competitors, because he knows she’ll rise to the challenge every time. And every single time, you’ll never hear Brown brag about her accomplishments on the court.
Instead, you’ll see her smiling and asking her coach and teammates what she can work on next.
Rilynn Brown, a freshman varsity volleyball player at Canyon del Oro, laughs with teammates during a practice on Saturday.
Brown, 15, is one of the only freshmen on CDO’s varsity volleyball team, but you wouldn’t be able to tell with her skillset and connection with her older teammates.
“I just love the feeling of having relationships with teammates that are in different grades and how you can all just come together,” Brown said. “I think it’s more about the relationships rather than just the sport. And I just like how the environment feels.”
Since joining the team this past summer, Brown says her teammates have been “really sweet and welcoming” and have made the overall experience enjoyable.
“She came to our middle school camp and we were watching her play and then just immediately the coaches that were there, we fell in love with her,” Robles said. “She is such a hard worker. She’s dedicated. She always has a smile on her face. She even has one right now on her face at the moment. She is also humble. I can tell you right now (about) her answers, she’s being very humble about how good she is and whatnot.”
“But at tryouts, when she showed up, she was nervous, being a freshman and being asked to come up to the varsity tryouts,” he added. “We didn’t tell her at first, but we were like, ‘We want her on this team.’ She is on this team because she’s just an overall amazing person and she fits in well with the other players.”
Robles also describes Brown as a respectful individual with a great attitude, saying that she’s one of the first players to come up to every coach after practices to thank them.
“I just love the feeling of having relationships with teammates that are in different grades and how you can all just come together,” said CDO freshman Rilynn Brown.
Brown has played volleyball for a few years, including with the Club Cactus Juniors Volleyball Club, before joining the CDO team. Before playing volleyball, she played softball for several years but ultimately ended up falling out of love with it.
For her, volleyball was different.
“I just feel like every time that I play it, I get excited to play,” she said. “And other sports that I’ve tried, I didn’t really experience that. It was a drag to go to practice and stuff. But with volleyball, I look forward to it and I just never want it to end.”
When she’s not practicing or playing a match, you’ll find her studying and doing homework (often before practice) to try to maintain her straight A’s. Balancing sports and academics can be tough at times, but Brown gives full credit to her planner, which she says keeps her in line.
Rilynn Brown is already having a big impact on the CDO volleyball team as a freshman this season.
As she furthers her academic career, she hopes to join the National Honor Society and other extracurriculars.
While her passion for volleyball shows anytime she speaks about the sport, her bubbly and youthful personality shines through when speaking about spending time with her family, something she loves to do when she has free time from school and volleyball.
Off the court, Brown likes shopping at Marshall’s with her mom, listening to Billy Joel with her dad and hanging out with her two Yorkies, Bella and Milo.
Since graduation is a distant thought for the 2028 graduate, her focus remains on playing the best volleyball she can and finishing the season strong. CDO, currently ranked No. 9 in its division, finishes up its regular season on Oct. 30 against Catalina Foothills.
Robles is excited to see what the next three years will bring for Brown and he’s expecting big things from the outside hitter.
“I see her as a stud for us next year, immediately as a sophomore. I think a lot of people need to probably know who Rilynn Brown is when we play them because she’s a phenomenal player and we have nothing but high expectations for her and she’s willing to meet that. She’s willing to rise to the occasion and make herself better,” Robles said. “This girl is a workhorse and she will do everything she can to try to get better, even if it’s just 1% better. … These next three years with us are going to be something that I’m hoping that she’s going to be on highlights every single time we play someone and everyone’s going to be like, ‘Oh, we got to watch out for Rilynn Brown, she’s going to be the go-to point scorer and she’s going to be the threat out there for us.’”
Five favorites with Rilynn
What’s your favorite post-match meal?
A pepperoni pizza from Sauce Pizza & Wine.
What’s your favorite Gatorade flavor?
Grape.
What’s your favorite Billy Joel song?
“Vienna.”
What’s your favorite clothing brand?
Free People.
What’s your favorite class right now?
AP World History.
