October 27, 2009
Mayberry to Malibu
Not many colleges will ever be in the running for a spot on the Princeton Review’s ‘Most Beautiful Campus’ list, let alone the outright winner, so give Pepperdine University its just due. Being situated in Malibu and overlooking the Pacific Ocean are simply unbeatable geographic factors. For many visiting recruits, the age old real estate maxim of location, location, location kicks in with a rush. Bishop O’Dowd’s Robie Mayberry certainly liked the view but it was another element that convinced her to select Pepperdine as the college of her choice.
Mayberry will head south
Mayberry enjoyed her visit south but it was her connection to Julie Rousseau, the Wave head coach, that clinched the deal. "I loved my time with Coach Julie," Mayberry said, adding "she stressed academics and was more interested in who I was as a person than a player. It was a very different approach."
What’s also interesting about this bonding is that the 5-foot-11 Mayberry is looking to major in psychology and Rousseau is finishing her master’s degree in psychology.
Plus, Bay Areans Jazmine Jackson and Lauren Bell, formerly of Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep, are sophomore guards currently in Malibu so familiar names and faces always make an unfamiliar setting more comfotable.
Here is Malik McCord, the Bishop O’Dowd girls coach on Mayberry: "As a person, Robie is one of the most caring and humble people I know. She also has a great since of humor, and is very competitive but does not have an huge ego. What makes her so great on the court is she does so many things well: she plays good defense, is an excellent rebounder, she’s a good defender and shooter, a leader on and off the court, she makes everyone around her better, and has one of the sickest spin moves out there. I give Robie and Alexis Bostick a ton of credit for helping turn the program around as freshmen, and of course Kevin Cushing and the rest of the coaching staff. Robie is going to be very successful at Pepperdine and I am so proud to see how she has grown as a young lady over the years. I have known her the longest out of anybody on the team and her play on the court still surprises and excites me."
Mayberry was a first-team, all-state selection at the conclusion of the 2008-2009 season, one in which she finished on the plus side of 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists each game. NorCalPreps has her ranked as #13 in the state in its 2010 basketball rankings.
Bishop O’Dowd finished 28-3 last season, 16-0 in league play. The Dragons lost to St. Mary’s (Stockton) in the state semi finals. As for the coming season, Mayberry offered, "We have a young team with a lot of new talent but we’re approaching it with the mindset that we can do what needs to be done to win state."
Mayberry added, "I want to thank Malik McCord, Ashley Craver, Shannon Donahue and former head coach Kevin Cushing. They’ve been at Bishop O’Dowd since I was a freshman and helped me become the player and person I am. I can’t express how grateful I feel for their help."