- Sophomores Jenn Brown and Kimberley Todd's teammate bond goes beyond them just anchoring the front line as middle blockers for the Marquette Volleyball team, both are natives of Ontario, Canada.

Only 50 miles separated the two Canadians, former club foes, have added a new dimension to Marquette's volleyball program and have opened up the doors to the neighbors to the north.

Head coach Pati Rolf, one of 15 female international officials in the world received her Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) International Officiating Certificate in 2003, first saw Todd in Salt Lake City, Utah, at NORCECA event she officiated in 2002 and began recruiting Brown shortly after.

"It helps our recruiting in Canada as a whole," said Rolf. "The more we have from that area, the better chance we have recruiting in that area. Since they are so family orientated it is crucial for a player to be happy and have success here while being far from home."

For Todd, knowing that she would have a Canadian teammate impacted her decision to come to Marquette.

"Having Jenn here has helped a lot," explained Todd. "Even though Jenn and I played club ball against each other, I didn't really know her before coming to Marquette, but it made this school that much more appealing knowing there was another Canadian on the team. Plus, it is nice to have some one there to talk to who is going through all of the same problems, juggling home sickness, school, practices and traveling. Jenn and I back each other up when people don't believe our Canadian stories or terminology."

Brown agreed that having a fellow Canadian has helped while she has been at Marquette.

"I am glad Kim came to Marquette," said Brown. "Kim and I are able to joke about certain things exclusive to being Canadian, we are able to reminisce about certain things that we have shared growing up in Canada. Our teammates share in the fun and pick on us about our range of vocabulary."

Both say the wealth of opportunities both academically and athletically are major reasons why Brown and Todd are playing volleyball in the United States and more importantly at Marquette University as both Todd and Brown were also recruited by Bowling Green University. One of the biggest reasons why the U.S. obtains so many Canadian college athletes is because only academic scholarships are offered in Canada.

"I always considered going to the states for school largely because of the athletic scholarships it offered," Brown said. "I first heard of Marquette during the Provincials my senior year when assistant coach Todd Nelson called me and said they were interested in recruiting me. I decided to give Marquette a look and come down for an official visit. I loved the coaching staff, the campus and the academics. It was the perfect fit.

"Making the decision to come to Marquette was based on a combination of athletic and academic opportunities I would have here," said Todd. "The volleyball programs in the U.S. are stronger, the facilities are better and the experience of the coaching staff tends to exceed that of most Canadian schools. I liked how Marquette had such great school spirit and the how the students and staff take pride in both academics and athletics."

Regardless of their reasons for coming to Marquette these two Canadians have been integral to the success the Golden Eagles have had the last two seasons - its last season as a member of Conference USA and its first season in the revamped BIG EAST Conference.

The Golden Eagles capped a 10-year stint in Conference USA with its best ever Division I record, 22-7, and their first ever berth in the conference championship match in 2004. In its first season in the BIG EAST Conference, Marquette finished with an 8-6 conference record and an appearance in the conference tournament.

Todd came into her own in the 2005 earning conference accolades as she was a First Team All-BIG EAST selection and was named BIG EAST Player of the Week, back-to-back weeks (Oct. 31 and Nov. 7), making her only the second BIG EAST player this season to accomplish the feat. Todd ranked second on the team in kills per game (3.43) and third among Marquette players with 0.71 blocks per game and 82 blocks for the season. She nailed a school record 35 kills in the Golden Eagles' victory over Seton Hall on November 4. In her freshman campaign she ranked third on the team in kills per game with 2.93, and was third in points with 328. Todd was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team for her efforts in 2004.

Brown, also fresh off her second solid season of play at middle blocker, averaged 2.08 kills per game including 10 matches of double-figured kills and 0.75 blocks per game in 2005. Brown also proved to be a dominant net defender her first season as she ranked second on the team with 98 blocks and set a school match record with 12 assisted blocks against Houston.

During the summer Todd continues to sharpen her volleyball skills as a member of the Canadian Youth National Team, and this past summer she represented Marquette and her homeland by playing for Team Ontario and helping them to a Gold Medal in the 2005 Canada Games, Canada's version of the summer Olympic Games. Todd totaled 56 kills, 49 digs, 8.5 blocks and three aces in the seven matches during the tournament. She tallied a team-high 25 digs in the semifinal match against Alberta and led the team in kills with 17 against British Columbia.

"It was such a privilege to participate in the Games, where athletes from all the provinces compete against one another in hopes of earning the Canada Games Flag," said Todd. "The competition between the provinces and the camaraderie between the athletes was incredible. It was an experience unlike any other."

Rolf added that in the last two seasons the Golden Eagles have been successful because of Brown and Todd competitive backgrounds and ability and experience in big games.

"Both of these young women have competed at such competitive levels and bring so much to our team because of that," Rolf said. "With Kim Todd's international experience, playing on the Canadian Youth National Team and winning the Canada Games, she knows what it takes to win big games and helps our team tremendously. There is something to be said about a player who knows how to win games."

With Brown and Todd anchoring the middle, only time will tell how much success the Canadian duo can bring the Golden Eagles.