CASTINE, Maine – Volleyball's Briana Mays (Bradenton, Fla.) has been named the 2020-2021 Maine Maritime Academy Female Leader of the Year.
The Mariners Leadership Award is intended to honor the male and female athlete that most embraced the principles of leadership espoused by inCommand. In Mariners Athletics, we believe that everyone CAN lead. We also know that some leaders embrace leadership as part of who they are. It is that mentality and way of life that infuses all they do. For their efforts, everyone is made stronger and better. This award recognizes our strongest leaders.
Mays, a junior Marine Biology major, has appeared in 40 matches for the Mariners, totaling 86 sets. The middle blocker has amassed 94 kills, 28 digs, 25 total blocks, eight aces and five assists.
"Bri leads on-and-off the court with a level of commitment to MMA, Mariners Volleyball, and her values and ideals that is exemplary," said Maine Maritime Head Volleyball Coach Tricia Carver. "This season she clearly recognized the need for upperclassmen leadership as our team graduated almost 50% of our roster last year. She immediately began building relationships with our large incoming class and set a standard for how we practice and how we act on campus. She holds her teammates accountable in word and action and has a way of always calling them up, rather than calling them out. She regularly tells people how much she values and appreciates them and their efforts. Bri has undergone so much growth here at MMA and I believe she understands the value of vulnerability and honest communication more than most."
"I have had the opportunity to see how she has stepped up this year to make MMA an Academy that both SEES and VALUES diversity," Carver added. "For Bri, the most important thing is conversation and education about individuality - including color/race. She wants our black athletes to leave a legacy here and she has been instrumental in bringing together and formalizing the Black Student Athlete Alliance. She looks into opportunities to grow the Alliance and to establish a solid foundation to integrate diversity activities with CAB."
On campus Mays is extremely involved serving as the SAAC representative for volleyball and was an advocate for the Academy's 12 Ways to 12 Weeks Fall 2020 & Spring 2021 campaigns. Mays serves as a student representative on the Academy's Title IX Committee, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and the "Be Better" Social Realness campaign. She is also representing MMA in the newly forming Maine Intercollegiate Student-Athletes of Color group.
Mays is both an Academic Coach for Student Services and a Lab Assistant in the Ocean Studies Department and she works with Admissions for different recruiting events, such as live webinars for prospective students and Open Houses.
