Pope John Paul II senior Brandy Monnin is heavily involved with school. She is the libero (defensive specialist) on the volleyball team and had 204 digs after Thursday’s loss to Dunham.

Off the court, she is on the Retreat Team, a member of the National Honor Society and the Fellowship for Christian Athletes. Monnin takes five honors classes and has a 4.6 grade point average this year. Her cumulative GPA is 4.0.

“Brandy has been rock solid. She’s always ready to give 110 percent. She’s definitely earned her name as captain of the team,” PJP coach Lonna Winslow said.

Brandy Monnin

Winslow said Monnin has a great work ethic.

“She’s always at practice,” Winslow said. “If she misses a ball during a game or practice, she wants to immediately know what she can do to fix it, so it doesn’t happen again. She’s definitely one I wish the rest of the girls would emulate,” Winslow said.

What do you enjoy most about playing volleyball? I like that I can a workout. I like being part of a team. We have a lot of fun, just all the girls.

What do you like best about being a student athlete? You can show you can juggle both academics and playing sports at the same time. You don’t just have to be a smart person, you can stay athletic. It helps to be well rounded.

Do you feel an added responsibility of being a role model as a student athlete? Yes, I think it’s important to show that sports are an significant part of being part of the Pope John Paul community. I also try to set an example especially for younger students to come out and participate in whatever sports they like.

Most memorable game? It’s always fun when we play St. Thomas Aquinas. Two years ago, we played them for a home game. Everyone was here. They had the cowbells and everyone was crazy. All the STA games get pretty insane.

Who has been the most influential person in your school sports career? My grandma (Maxine Fontaine), because she’s really into sports. She always comes to my games. She’s really motivated and always there to push me in both school and sports. She’s a really good role model.

Who is your favorite athlete? New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston.

Favorite team? New Orleans Saints.

What is your favorite subject in school? English.

Plans after high school/college major? I’m going to head to Southeastern Louisiana University and major in Nursing. I’m not planning on playing volleyball. I’ll just stick to school.

Favorite sports movie/TV show/actor/actress? “Remember the Titans,” “Gossip Girl,” Chace Crawford and Drew Barrymore.

Favorite type of music? Pop, the B-97 type of music.

Favorite food dish? Crawfish.

Best vacation? I went to Tampa Bay two years ago between my sophomore and junior year. It was a business trip for my dad (Todd). We went to the aquarium and Tampa Bay baseball games. I went with my mom (Trish), dad and two sisters (Paige and Vicky).

Best thing about living on the Northshore? Slidell’s a close-knit community and you can basically get anywhere around here in 20-minutes or less. I like that everything’s here and around me.

Hobbies/interests/volunteering: I tumble outside of volleyball. I do gymnastics and I like hanging out with friends.

I love to watch movies and I read a lot of books. I work at St. Charles Dorromeo Church in Picayune (Miss.), watching the kids, while their parents are at mass.

I do vacation Bible school there.

I’m in National Honor Society, so we work stuff like the Academic Olympics and the open house.

Parents: Todd and Trish Monnin of Picayune, Miss.