Oop, There She Is
Nov 2, 2004 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 2, 2004
NEW ORLEANS, La. - If there was one thing you could say about Green Wave senior middle blocker Deva Fowler, it would be that she has made her mark during her stint in Tulane University volleyball history - from setting the school single-match block records, to ranking in the Top 10 in career kills and blocks, to becoming the first Tulane player to achieve All-America recognition.
But while the casual observer may not notice what she does through her statistics or the things that do not show up on the stat sheet, they do know her for one thing - a trademark grunt that accompanies every attack as she attempts to hammer the ball through the opposing defense.
"I'm just looking for an opening in the defense first, and then I'm trying to hit the ball as hard as I can," Fowler said. "In the midst of that, the `Oop' comes out - the grunt. I've never meant to do it. But when I hit, I squeeze my ab muscles and a grunt just sort of comes out."
Green Wave fans and opponents alike have become very familiar with that "Oop" as Fowler has made a career of pounding the ball throughout her four-year stay at Tulane. But make no mistake about it, the sound that Fowler emits in "Oop," not "oops."
A little more than a month into her senior season, Fowler is on the cusps of becoming just the second player in Green Wave history to join the 1,000 kill/500 block club. And it is also no mistake that she is just 12 blocks away from joining former Tulane standout and Green Wave Hall of Fame member Alicia Robertson in that illustrious club.
"She's like the Monica Seles of volleyball," Tulane head coach Betsy Becker said of Fowler, comparing her to the women's tennis star who became famous for her grunts and groans on the court. "We loved that about her way back when we were recruiting her. I used to go see her play back in high school and at club contests. We all used to walk into the gym and grunt along with her.
"And if you can back it up as she has, then you have what it takes to be successful. (Her grunt) can be intimidating to opponents, and she has been successful as a result."
Fowler came to Tulane for the 2001 season as part of a four-member freshman class that has helped turn around the fortunes of the Green Wave program. Prior to her arrival, Tulane had struggled through five losing seasons and was coming off a .500 year in 2000. Since her arrival, the Green Wave have posted three consecutive winning seasons, posting a higher winning percentage each year, and is on pace to do so again in 2004.
Recruited by several top volleyball programs, Fowler chose Tulane over Michigan, Texas A&M, Wisconsin and USF.
"Any time you can bring in a player of Deva's caliber, it'll help your recruiting the following year," Becker said. "Other top recruits see what she has done here, and we've been able to use that year in and year out.
"First of all, her size, competitive drive and her athletic ability is extremely impressive. She was a pioneer to this program, came in, started as a freshman, and each year we've improved. The influx of that class has helped us to get to where we are now, and Deva has been a big part of that."
And while Fowler has become a solid player and helped the Green Wave effort in each of her years at Tulane, she nearly never stepped foot on the volleyball court.
"I wanted to be a cheerleader," Fowler said laughing in recollection of her freshman year at University City High in San Diego, Calif. "I was going in for cheerleader tryouts and the volleyball coach saw me. She said, `Be at the gym such-and-such time with athletic shoes.'"
While she never did get to that cheerleader tryout, Fowler's volleyball beginnings were humble, to say the least.
"I was that girl on the side away from team because I was so bad," Fowler said. "I would start a drill with the team, and then the coaches would say, `oh, wow,' and then they'd take me on the side to work with me by myself so that I didn't hold the rest of the team back."
Now, she is leading the team, but not without a lot of hard work on her own part.
"She has watched extra film throughout her career here, and basically committed herself to getting better," Becker said. "If you have a player like Deva, who is going to work as hard as your gym rats, she's going to elevate her play as well as the play of everyone around her.
"Each year, she's been able to get that much better because of how hard she works. She has also increased her volleyball knowledge in that instead of trying to hit through a block, she now recognizes it and tries to hit around it."
That acquired knowledge has helped Fowler become one of the best players in Tulane history. Thirteen matches into the 2004 season, Fowler ranks seventh in the Tulane career record books in kills (1,239), fourth in solo blocks (101), second in block assists (397) and third in total blocks (498).
And after being among the team leaders of the offense and defense during her first two seasons with the Green Wave, she gained national attention as a junior last year when she not only earned first-team All-Conference USA honors, but also claimed first-team All-Midwest Region honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association and honorable-mention All-America recognition from the AVCA.
"I was shocked," Fowler said of her honors in 2003. "No one, not even people in our conference, seems to pay attention to Tulane. Finally lat year, we started feeling like we got some respect. I got honors, Karlyn Daly was named conference Defensive Player of the Year, and Ana Kenon was recognized as well. It was something I enjoyed, but team goals are far more important to me than any individual honors I may receive."
That attitude has carried Fowler and the Green Wave to previously uncharted heights of success.
"Teams game-plan to stop Deva," Becker said, "and the neat part about it is that she's got great teammates to support her and produce around her. That helps, and it gets something going for the rest of the team.
"In order for any team to be successful, you have to establish your middle attack. If you can do that within the first five points of the match, then that opens up so many more opportunities to score. Deva's play in the middle has been a big reason for our success."
When asked if achieving All-America status was a goal of hers in 2004, the humble Fowler had the consummate team answer. "That's not something I ever want to talk about," she said. "I'm just to going to try and play hard, and hopefully, everything with work out in the end."
Regardless of what sound she makes as she is hitting the ball, whether it be her trademark "oop" or whatever other sound may come out in the heat of battle, Fowler's actions have always and continue to speak louder than words.
