Extra Effort: Jordyn Brown overcomes heart surgery to cap off illustrious SJHS volleyball career

Jordyn Brown has a goal.

"Definitely playing (volleyball) at the next level, especially Division I. It's definitely been a dream of mine since I was a kid," said Brown, who has played on South Johnston's varsity team all four seasons.

"She has had that goal to play at the next level, and that has driven everything she has done," said South Johnston volleyball coach Matthew Adams.

To reach her goal, Brown has hit the court, and she has hit the books for a 4.5 grade point average.

"Oh, she's very competitive," said South Johnston sports medicine teacher Amanda Smith. "Jordyn is the student who goes above and beyond."

Brown received the Bronze National Presidential Volunteer Service Award for her community service, was a Junior Marshall and is also a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club, Sisters Against Drunk Driving and the Inclusion Club.

In the Inclusion Club, she spends time every week with her friend Jaylen, who has special needs. "It's really made me a better person, honestly," Brown said. "It makes me happy to see him happy."

But balancing all those activities and multiple sports can be stressful. Last December, Brown felt her heart beating quickly. "I just couldn't breathe sometimes," she said. "I went to the doctor, and they were like, 'It's just anxiety.' And I was like, 'It's not anxiety. I know for sure it's not anxiety.'"

The doctor gave Brown a heart monitor. "They said I hit like 220 on my heart rate when I was doing homework, and I was like, 'That's not normal,'" she said.

Brown was diagnosed with SVT-Tachyradia, a type of heart arrhythmia. She elected to have heart ablation surgery in April. "It was definitely scary," she said. "I'm definitely glad it's all fixed now."

The experience gave Brown a renewed outlook on life heading into her senior season.

"I think the health scare for her sparked a fire in her to say, 'Okay, when I have the chance to be back on the floor with them, I'm going to take nothing for granted,'" said Adams.

Brown recovered to take home Quad County 3A Conference Player of the Year honors. Soon, she will decide where she will attend college and achieve that goal to play at the next level.