Nov. 2, 2009
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - University of Maryland Eastern Shore Senior Whitney Johnson (Prince Frederick, Md.) was featured in the November issue of Cobra Magazine, released Monday.
The 6-foot-3 senior participated in a question-and-answer piece with magazine editor Gezus Zaire on topics ranging from team and individual success, her choice to transfer to UMES, fan support at the Hytche Center, team leadership and more.
Cobra Magazine is a volleyball publication that showcases African-American players around the nation and tells their stories in hopes of inspiring younger black volleyball players who may not have immediate examples of success to reference in their communities.
Below is an excerpt from the story, to read it in its entirety (beginning on page 30), click here.
With senior outside hitter Whitney Johnson and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks its business as usual. Winning 15 of its first 21 matches UMES appears to be on its way to a fourth straight 20-win season and a MEAC Northern Division Championship.
With all the success in recent years the only problem has been its misery in the MEAC Championship. For two straight years UMES has fallen to FAMU in the title game to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
COBRA: On the last day of September only Maryland Eastern Shore had a winning record in the MEAC. What makes this team different than any other in the conference thus far?
WJ: What makes the Hawks different than any other team in the conference is that we take winning and losing seriously. When we step out on the court it is about business, so we play hard all the time and don't give up until the last point of the game. This is something that UMES volleyball has always been about and I think that is why we continue to be successful.
COBRA: You're the only MEAC team to win 20 matches each of the last three seasons. Before your arrival Maryland Eastern Shore was a five-win team. What has made this team the success that it is?
WJ: I think that [coach Don Metil and his coaching staff] along with the new players that they brought in is what made the success start to happen. The people that coach brought in his first year here started the streak and we're all about winning and getting the job done. With that it causes our team to push harder and play harder in order to make sure that we are playing our best at all times.
COBRA: Despite all of the success Florida A&M has been a thorn in your side come MEAC Tournament time. Why have they been such a difficult team for you all to overcome?
WJ: The reason FAMU has been difficult for us to overcome is because we broke down at the wrong times. When we have played them the score has always been close, but it just seems like we needed to push harder and play our game. All we can do is keep playing our game the whole game the next time that we end up facing them.
